The Benson signal., 1917-02-10

u.
"You do not know what you are say
ing" she laughed.
But he paid no heed to her. "Toi-
nette, there is no one in the world,
there will never be anyone"
"Oh, please don't go on! 7 shall
never marry. do not believe I was
meant for marriage. Aren't some girls
born to be spinstersY
"Non no! Not you'll"
eyes, shall be an old maid. There
is no one in the world that I shall ever
marry. I shall be happy with my fa-
ther all my life-and have only good
friends, faithful friends" she added
in whisper so low that it seemed a
thought, not speech.
"Your father is young no longer. He
must wish you to marry-he will be
happier if you do. You must not sac
rifice yourself to hint is unjust"
"While he lives I shall not leave
him; and oh, do not make me think
that there will ever come a time
when
"Forgive me; I am sorry. But
can't you marry and still be with him?
Wouldn't he rather gain a son? Oh,
Toinette, if could only tell you what
feel! You must marry mel love
you sop
81 can never marry you."
"Why not? Is it because you love
someone elsew
She was silent.
els it someone in your old home?
Surely not-you would never have left
him to come here! Besides, you were
too young. Tell me-is it any man in
Corydon? Answer, Toinette! Is it.
Toinette, is it this newcomer, this fell
low Larrence"
She did not answer.
Laurence or no onei Well, he's out
of my way. You'll see little of him
now-oh, know, I've heard Of you
both! He's happy enough elsewhere"
"Stop! Don't speak Of Mr.. Lar
rence!''
"You think I don't know? I've
never met him, but news travels far,
I tell you! There's pretty English
girl that he spends his time with
now!"
II am not concerned in Mr.. Lar
rence's actions," she answered coldly.
believe me or not, as you choose.
The whole village knows it. But I
know more-you think your heroic Mr..
Laurence is an honest American now?
Bah! What is he, what is he doing
here? Who knows anything about
Laurence? I tell you, he and Gran
mers daughter are pretty pair !"
doctor Elliott! Take care Of your
words! You dare not SANDER Lydia !"
ooh, she's honest enough, no doubt; !;
hut-there's bound to be war with
England-and soon. Suppose you
were English, wouldn't you do what
you could for your country? There's
our forts and this frontier that the
English would like to have, remem-
ber."
II will not listen to this! You can
ot mean what you are saying"
eff you are a loyal American you
will listen"
81 will hear nothing more from you
about Lydia and Mr.. Laurence. And
now let me go. I should not have let
you say what you have, Forgive me-
let us both forget it."
She turned away and Elliott has
tened to repair his hasty speech.
'I have said nothing Of this to any
one and have only told you, Toinette,
because love you so. don't want
you to be misled by appearances. I
shall say nothing more about this
but time will show you I am right
You are not angry with me, Toinette? ?
would die rather than displease
you "--'
The girl was evidently aroused, and
only Elliott's good sense in dropping
the subject saved the walk hOmeward
from embarrassing silence. With ready
tact he began to speak Of other things,
and before they had reached the village
had succeeded in drawing a smile
from his companion. He told her
good night as if nothing untoward had
happened.
Returning to the tavern, he sat a
while in his room in moody silence
and then began gloomily to pound
some drugs with mortar and pestle.
"The fat nearly fell in the fire that
time," he muttered, and cursed him
self under his breath. "You're too
devilish hasty," he told himself. "Slow
and careful is the word. She loves
him! But I'll spoil his fine game yet.
The girls rich-rich, why, that wiz
ened old father Of hers must be worth
a fortune! And he can't live forever ~
He fell to grinding his drugs as though
the simple remedies were poisons that
should encompass O'Bannon's DEATH
*
He had been right in one respect
David had spent more than one pleas
ant evening at the Cranmers'. Under
his friendliness the girl glowed into
a rosy reincarnation of the audacious-
ly sympathetic Lydia of their first
meeting. 1t was sweet to hear the