Press enter after choosing selection

Out Of The Question

Out Of The Question image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
January
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Th? khid of girl I shall raarry ?" iiuesttoned Harry Jackson of his (ttend. ■Wliy. yes, I know just au well the kind of girl I shall marry as if I were engaged to her now." Aiul lie half closed his eyes and leaaed Imck in Me chalr. "She muBt be tall and graceful, a perfect hostess, one who is eminently liticd to sit at tlie head of my table and entertain my guests. She nuiBt be briirht. aoconiplished, of ready Wit, hut not all intellect- deliver me from a womnn who is all brain- she must be au accompUsbed linguïst, and know about art and mu.-.ic : in fact, everything that makel a woman a social succes. "Of course I want her to have a good dispnsition. I shall not have to marry a woman for money, for I have plenty of that. I want some one to graee my home. Of course a woman wlio has done anythtog toward her own support would be out of the questkm !" Harry daintily lriJ)ied ihe aehea from his cigar and waited for his Iriend to speak. They wre both young men of fashion, dressed ín wihite flannel, sitting on tlie piazza of a great, fashionable hotel. 'I can see the future Mrs. Jackson," his friend laughed, "tlioujih I can't for the Ufe of me see vhy you objoct io a wnman's earning her livlihood if e3ie hae t-o. You know there are too many cbaOKei of fortune. AYhy, one of the moet charming girls I know " "Pshaw I" interrupted Harry, "I know to whom you refer, anil you fhink alie is sighing a little for me. Well, Ek-anor riatts may be a stunner, Kut the very fact that she takes pupils kills her for me." The other youug man flusheïT a little, arMl bia eye borned wlth a brighter ljght ae he replied : "lliss l'latts lias sliown herself a heroïne, lu the face of society, eho bas rlsen to an emergency. Her father's failfure wae an honest one, and ■-hen he dSed she refused to be dependent upon that querulous, mlserly aunt, and consequently was eut off from her will. I!y the ivay, she is iiere as Marian Ellis' gruest." was a litile pause. Harry laughed and eoon the two strode off toward Harry'e yadbt. The young glrl just airound the corjier of the house from where they hal been sltting, clasped her hand tightly tagetb&r, preesed her lips, and an angry Doek spread over her face. Then the ridieukrasness of the wbole thing , mie over lier, and slie smiled, in spite of the liurt that would make itself feit. Tliat night tlii.e was a hop at the liotel, and Robert Kvelyth as surIirised to see hi.s ïriend Harry devoting liiniself to the very girl he had snivred ar tliat aiteruoon. Eleanor was dazzlingly beautiful tliat night. Slie was dressed in pure wliite, her cheeks were flushed, her deep browm eyes shone with a happy liglit, and her lipe were parted In a Mnile u tvw oircled around the room Wllth Harrj' for a partner. "Ah, slic has alway.s loveil liim," thought Robert bitterly. "And Harry loved her, I believe, before her father iailed. Poor girl ! How little tshe know.s that he is trilling with her, the - uundrel !" After the wa.ltz Harry and Eleanor pronu-n-aded sliiwiy uj) and down the hall. "I have not een you for two years," he snid. ■■.No, not nuce papa died. íou bare been abroad. Did yoa enjoy sightBeeing ?" sihe replied. "Immensely, though Paris suits me best to live in. You used to like Italy." "Yes, and Italy has Berved me to good advantnge. I have pupils in i-inging and Italian, you know." Harrj' winced a little. Sïie was so licautiful and cliarming that he had Blauwt forgotten. Besides, if he dld arnuüe liimseH uow he might be forjíiven, lor be used to knuw her so well. He liad famii'd himself quite ,in lovc. 8he had served for all nis íüeaTs, exoept tor her absurdity in beiiig independent írom her relatávee. Robert ivatehed tbem and ligbed. He had long loved Elaanor, bal his Fortune wtis s sinall compared witto llarry's, mul Ëlenaor deserved so mueh ihat he had deeided f o v.ithdraw trova the list of uitors. If ghe could win Hairy there was DOthlBg for hini ti ilo luit bear it. The days went on. she wbm by far most cliarming and the elevereet giri at tTie hotel. N'o amateur theatri- wcic Micce.ssiul without her, nor, in (act, WM anything undertaken uuleas abe would help. Aa t Naaon drew to a close Harry was her constant cavalier. She accepted liihi dextion with a nmile, and be had almoöt. come to the conclusión tliat it lid not matter after all. If he Büould niarry her, it would only restore her to her rightful po.■ition. On Ihe last niglit' the guests had arranged tor an impromptu entertainment. Eleanor %va.s in demand on every liand. Bel'wecn ■ farce and n piano tiolo she stote out to the ptun to sit a moment in the cool nilit air. Some ome utood before her- it was Hnrry. "I have come to teil you, Eleanor, that I camiot let you go without askiuir you to 1h my wife- witfiout telling you I love you." There was no answer. He took courage from her silente and Bat down beeiule her. ■'Dearet-t, you are so beautiful ! And you love me, do you nol ?' "Nto," she said, in a low, dlatioct voice. "No." He started back in amazement. "hy ! I thought- I used to think - you know we used to be - " Yes ; before my fatlier diod. I know we were good iriends. Tliat i.s all. I never loved you." "Then you have trifled with me," he taterrupted In an indignaut totae." "I supposed ït was out of the question for you to marry any grirl who had done anything toward her supporf. And !t is utterly out of the question for me to tlhink of marrylng vuil," and slie left him and went in, for it m lier turn to sinff. Robert had seen Elivuior go out on tihe pinzza and he saw foilow her. He lelt that his fears wero rcalized, and, not icing nothing, sat lot in thought. I lien he heard Klcanor singing. How beautjiui waa hor tievp contralto volee ais it rose and feil in 'the Italian love song ! She was BO beautlful ; eo near, yet eo far from liim. The song eiuled. (he -itó called back, tlien recalled. How fond evcry one was of her ! Well, he must learn to bear liis disappointment. Hark, eJie u s indring again ! It wae only "Auld Robiai Gray," yet liow slie sanii it. And she ■mas at him full in tlie face. He could not bear it ; he was thankful it was the last on the programrae ; while people were crowKling around her and congratulating her, not bnly on her slnglng, but perliaps on her engagement, lie would steal out Into the darknees. In a deserted corner of the piazza he found Harry sittiag alone. In the darkness he could just Bee that his üace was buried in his hands. He turned back and met Eüeanor in the hall, alone and radiantly beautiful. Slie slipped lier hand in his arm, sayIng : "Do you mimi walking a moment wdth me ? It looks so refreshingly oool in the Ktairlijiht." Roliert'.s heart beat violently. Could it 1m3 posible ehe had refused Harry. And how tender her manner seemed townrd lum. "We 'tro to-morrow," she saiid after a little tause. "Our beautiiul summer is over." "Are you sorry ?" he murrnured, his soul in Jiig eyes. slie looked up. At her taint smile be oauight her in hls nrms. "Eleamor ! Eleanor ! I love you so ! Can you - do you " For an answer a soft arm etole around has neck. "How blind you Ivave been ?" ishe whispered. "I tliought you loved Harry," he ■Bid. "Oh, no," she replied. "That is

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier