The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-09-03

with the note. He had exactly SIS lef;
TO his credit i'm the bank.
With a peculiar feeling, something
like guilt. Casper dropped the note In
a mail box and returned to his labors.
That very night he received an answer
from Christine, and in the envelope
with the short epistle was his check.
Dear Casper" ran the missive. 81
am returning your check for l cannot
accept your offer. You must see thai
it Is impossible for me to marry you.
We never could be happy after such
an arrangement. A man could not love
wife he bought, and she would be
miserable. | do not expect to be
happy, but there is no reason why you
should share my misery. Besides, you
need the money. / will not let you
sacrifice yourself this way. 1t will
nave to be some one else"
AT first Casper felt angry but, this
feeling did not last. Instead of the
look of determination and desperation
that had been shining from his eyes.
there gradually appeared light of
mingled resignation and self-sacrHice.
mat night he mailed another note to
christine, along with the check. The
note said:
You are right, Christine. We would
not be happy. But there Is another
way out for you. / am sending the
check again, and it Is not TO be con-
sidered as your purchase price. l am
lending you the money, and you may
pay II back whenever you are able.
Thus. you will not have to marry
under the circumstances you have de-
cided upon. have no hope of ever
making you my wife, but / can at
least manifest my love in a material
way by financing your fathers opera
tion."
Casper heard nothing from Christine
for several days. Then, one morning,
she called him on the telephone.
Casper" she said, Il have changed
my mind. II you will come up this
evening / will accept your offer"
Wonderingly, undecided whether to
be happy or disappointed, Casper
called on Christine that evening. He
loved Christine as much as ever, but
he questioned whether such a COM
mercial transaction could turn out
well. He accepted her theory In tina;
respect. and had resigned himself to
what appeared the inevitable.
Christine met him with sparkling |
eyes and cheeks aglow.
"Sit down, Casper" she said, "and |
will make an explanation somewhat |
different from the other one you lis
tened TO here.
TO be frank, I was angry when i |
first received your check. / had con- |
sidered your love for me too deep to
Yield to such a business-like PROPOSE
ton. However, when l thought 1t
over l was able to get your viewpoint,
and to see that you felt you were be-
Ing cheated. Even then, though, l
could not accept you-for a very good
reason. Rather l would have married
any one else; so returned your check.
When you sent 1t again 1 felt diff
ferent. 1 realized that you were sim
ply trying to save me, and l can tell
you l certainly admired the spirit you
displayed. But 1t put me In a guam
dairy. / could not accept the money
even as loan, for there was no pros
pect that / ever could repay you, but
decided to keep the check this time
until / could think 1t over further"
She unfolded a paper she had been
secreting In the palm of a hand and
presented 1t to him. 1t was his check
Tor a thousand dollars.
Il am returning 1t again, Casper,
because do not need 1t. Providence
has taken a hand In my behalf. Over
night the mining stock which I hold
-rebled in value, due to the discovery
IF rich vein close to 1t, and this
morning l disposed of 1t for fifteen
hundred dollars"
But / thought" said Casper, 'that
Tou said you would accept my offer"
$50 1 do" she smiled. II accept
Tour offer Of marriage, but without
my money involved. Casper, have
owed you all along, and 1t was as
lard to give you up as 1t was for you
o abandon the idea Of having me,
casper. / am yOurs-but 1 am not