The St. Mary banner., 1921-09-10

10 his credit in the bank.
With peculiar feeling, something
Ike guilt, Casper dropped the note In
mall box and returned to his labors.
That very night he received an answer
from Christine, and in the envelope
with the short epstle was his check.
"ppar Casper" ran the missive, 81
am returning your check for | cannot
ACCEPT YOUR offer. You must see thai
II 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
haplry. but there is no reason why you
should share my misery. Besides, you
need the money. l will not let you
sacrifice yourself this way. 1t will
have 10 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-Shcriice.
That 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. l am sending the
check again, and 1t 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. If you will come up this
evening | will accept your offer"
Wonderingly, undecided whether to
he 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 that
respect, and had resigned himself TO
what appeared the inevitable.
Christine met him with sparkling
eyes and cheeks aglow.
sit down, Casper" she said, "anh
will make an explanation somewhat
different from the other one you lis
tened To here.
''To be frank, | was angry when l
first received your check. | had con-
sidered your love for me too deep to
ton. However, when l thought it
over 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 | would have married
any one else; so returned your check.
when you sent 1t again | felt diff
ferent. | realized that you were sim
ply trying TO save me, and | can tell
you | certainly admired the spirit you
displayed But it put me In quan-
Diary. | could not accept the money
even as a loan, for there was no pros
pect that | ever could repay you, but
| decided to keep the check this time
Until | could think it over further
She unfolded a paper she had been
Secreting in the palm of a hand and
presented it to him. 1t was his check
for thousand dollars.
II am returning it again, Casper,
because | do not need it. Providence
has taken hand in my behalf. Over
night the mining stock which I hold
trebled in value, due to the discovery
of rich vein close to it, and this
l disposed Of 1t for fifteen
hundred dollars"
But | thought" said Casper, that
you said you would accept my offer"
so | do" she smiled II accept
your offer Of marriage, but without
any money involved. Casper, I have
loved you all along, and 1t was as
hard to give you up as it was for you
TO abandon the idea of having me,
Casper. | am yours-but / am not
for sale"