Year: 1871




short time, and - be sauntered out into
the garden, and Theo and Madge were
alone.


Her spirit ruse with her sense u danger,
a. docs that Of all finely organized natufes,
and she turned 20 him bright and brave al
once, though be had grown To be very dear
20 her, and though she knew that he was
suffering horribly on her account. at
seems 90 me- she said athat we're all
very weak anl wrong 10 let a shadow set
tie over the last visit you'll have with Us,
until | am an old married woman, with
household cares ON my shoulders, that will
crush down my love Of visitsn


"This will be my last visit with YOU
Miss Dundee


Theom She threw such world OF re-
proachtul tenderness into the tone in which
she uttered that one word, that the man
she addressed trembled visibly. His re-
solve, when spoken coldly and harshly,
shocked and surprised her out Of the
brightly prudential tone she had fully
intended TO adopt. Why had Mr.. Bligh
gone away, leaving them the prey OF this
mischievous opportunity


Yes; for Heavens sake, don't speak TO
me in that way, or you'll drive me mad p
and then he got up and went TO the win
dow; and poor Madge saw that his face
had grown very pale, and that az express
sos Of hopelessneSs had settled upon il.
She could not bear il. He had been so
thoughtful for her always-so gentle, and
devoted, and sympathetic-that she felt as
If she must comfort him, let what might
come Of it.


"Theo," she said again, with that same
pathetic cadence in her voice, "you have
been so kind to me always; can't bear
to see you so. Can't make you happier,
Theo ~


lie turned round quickly and caught her
hands, as she was standing near to him.


Madge, do you love my uncle P'


Half frightened, she drew back from
him, and 81 am engaged to him." she
stammered.


"Yes, but you have made me love you;
you knew your chance, and you have used
it. II you love him, let me go without
another of those appeals that you know
how to make so maddening II not
Mddge, Madge ~


He had taken her hands again, and was
looking down into her face with a CLEAN
of such intense pleading affection that for
a moment he was the world to her


"lf | had known you first" she sobbed,
"but didn't, you see and we Dundees
never break our word. And--oh you had
better go after all but forgive mer'


Forgive her. 1t was easy enough to say
he would, and to make an end of this mis-
cradle scene, but it was very hard to do il.
Had she not spoken his name with all her
heart in her voice only a minute ago, lead
ing him on by the tone she used to tell his
secret to her in the hope that she would
be brave, and avert eventful misery from
them all And now she was telling him
that if she had known him first she would
have loved him best, and that she could
not for her names sake break her word to
his uncle!


1t was ghastly state of affairs, and as
soon as he could, Theo Bligh made an end
of it, by going away. The two men had
no verbal explanation on leave-taking, but
they parted as comrades who had been
wounded in the same fight might part
And then Theo found that, though exis-
tence was not embittered to him, the SAVIOR
had gone from the old pleasures.


1t was decidedly not worth while now,
he felt, to try and do anything good or
definite for he could never find woman
to share his glory or smile upon his success,
who could put Bonnie Dundee out of his
mind after her other women did and would
always appear to be wanting in something.
She had the trick of making Others appear
tame, and pale, and insufficient, and
well, the man who has been shown upon
by star, never feels that there is much
warmth in taper.


He banished himself so effectually that
he heard no tidings from the Chase for six
months, and then he ventured to send his
address to his banker, and to have letters
forwarded to him but before these letters
are read, Retrospective glance at the Bon
ME Dundee must be given.


She bore his departure very bravely:
Remember how many other interests were
claiming her attention at the time, and re-
member the ardent, impressionable, change
able nature of the girl. There was good
deal of the woman. She had the faculty
Of feeling intensely for the time, and of
getting over things. Is not that last char
acteristic the secret of many women keep
ing right, and of many Others going wrong 2


1t brushed the bloom of the peach
roughly when he went away, for that
vailed idolatry of his bad been very pleas
ant to her; nevertheless she bore it bravely,
and made the best OF that which remained
to her. 81 am so sorry, for was so fond
of him." she said to her lover, with that
disarming frankness which women of her
calbre know SO well how to use. And
Mr.. Bligh, hearing her, did not wonder
that his nephew had been scorched by the
fiery ordeal through which he had been
passed.


There was this about it, too, that it was
such clean fire that even her own sex could
not despise and condemn and prophecy
evil things concerning Miss Dundee's
warmth. Just as she loved light, and
dancing, and flowers, and sweet sounds, so
cid she love to be loved and though it
made her dangerous, it never made her
despicable. And somehow men understood
this. and so fostered her other foibles,
because of their gladness that she was free
from greater ones.


1t was only about week before the day
fixed for their marriage, that Mr.. Bligh
yentured to speak decisively to her. Very
earnestly and gently he spoke, beseeching
her to open all her heart to him, and to
tell him il any other image had ever dis
placed his. And Madge listened to him
and analyzed her own emo
tions, and finally answered him.


"If he had come first, should have loved
Theo desperately as it was, didn't dare
let myself. You're not afraid, are you"


aOnly for your happiness, my poor
child,n he said, " not for my own honor"


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