CHAPTER XVII. A DISAPPOINTED LOVER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 304, 3 October 1888, Page 3

CHAPTER XVII. A DISAPPOINTED LOVER.

Gladys stole away from the crowd as soon as she could do so without attracting attention, and sped down to ths reception room to find her lover. He was there and alone, fortunately, as nearly all the guests were still in the hall above, and his face lighted with a luminous smile as she sprang toward him. gladness beaming through every feature, 'Dear old Geoff!' ' My darling !' was all the salutation that passed between them," and then for an instant Gladys was folded close to her lover's breast in a fond embrace. ' Oh, Geotf, I thought you had not come; I never got a glimpse of you until almost the last minute, and was so disappointed that I was about ready to break down,' Gladys said, with a little nervous shiver, as she remembeed how nearly her courage had failed her. * I was late, dear, and I knew you would feel it ; but Ido not believe you wouldhave failed even if you had not seen me at all,' he answered, as he fondly smoothed back the clustering rings of hair from her throbbing temples. ' No, I do not think I should, really, but I could not have done as well ; it was like a sudden inspiration to me when I found you at last.' 5 Then lam thankf ul I was here, dear, for your effort was the grand event of the day,' Geoffrey said, smiling. 'You are very good to say so, Geoff,' Gladys replied, modestly. 'Very good to say so,' he repeated, laughing. ' Why should 1 not say it, when your praises are on every lip, and a pin might have been heard, if one had dropped, while you were addressing the faculty and bidding your classmates farewell ? • Poor girls ! the crystal drops were plentiful over the thought of parting. 1 *Itis a little hard to leave school, Geoff, and ull the pleasant friends one lias made ; don't you think so ?' ' Perhaps,' he replied. ' I presume it is harder for you than it will be for me, because I am so eager to make a place for myself in the world and a nest for somebody else.' Gladys blushed at this reference tocoming events. ' Did I not see Mapleson here ?' Geoffrey asked, .after a moment. 1 Yes ; and at first I thought ii was you ; but I soon discovered my mistake. * I wonder what he is here for-?' mused the young- lover, 'To see me graduate, of course ,' Gladys responded roguishly. * Did you invite him ?' - ' No,. _ A long, long time ago he asked me to exchange tickets with him for commencement, and I think he has spoken of it every time that we have met since : so of course I could hardly help eending him one.' * 'You have, seen a good deal of him dimng the last two years, haven't you,, Gladys ?' ' Yes ; he has appeared at almost every place that we have visited the last two summers, and he was always in New York during the shorter recesses. I met him constantly in society, and I didn't like it very well either. ' ' Why ?' ' Because it rather annoyed me to receive his attentions,' Gladys confessed. ' Then ho has been attentive to you ?' the young man asked, studying the face he loved very closely. 'Yes, quite so,' Gladys answered ; then noticing her lover's grave, anxious look, she added : '-You^do not like it either, do you, Gepff?' _, . . 'No, dearest, I "do not,' Geoffrey replied < frankly, then continued : ' Pray do not misunderstand me — do not suppose' that I am disturbed by a petty feeling of jealousy, but there are some traits in Mapleson's character which make me feel that he is ndit a proper companion or escort, for you.' ' Then, Geoff, I will never accept any attention again from him, 1 Gladys said, quickly. 'He has never been very .congenial to me in any way, and somehow I have always resented his resemblance to you.' 'Why should you?' ' I do not know — I cannot account for the feeling, but I have always had it. It may be because 1 have detected something not quite true in 'him and did not like to have him look like you on that account, while it almost seems sometimes as if he were usurping a place that rightfully belongs to you. 'That is impossible, dear, and, I am afraid, a sort of morbid fancy,' Geoffrey replied with gentle reproof. ' I have ne^er had such a thought, nor envied him either his high position in the world, or the immense wealth which I have heard will some time be his.' Gladys raised herself on tiptoe and softly touched her lips to her lover's cheek. ' How noble you are !' she whispered, ' and I'd rather have my Geoff without a penny !' 'You will have your 'rather' then,' the young man returned laughing, although he fondly returned her caress, c for he hasn't even a penny that is rightly his own. But ' he added, drawing himself up resolutely, ' that shall not be said of me long. Another year, I trust willfind meestablished in something that need not make me ashamed to take my place among other men.' ' Oh, Geoffrey ! who is indulging in morbid fancies now ?' queried Gladys ehidingly. 'I do not mean to do so,' he replied cheerfully, ' but I long to begin to do something for myself and for you, my darling. But L must not keep you here — people will be wondering what has become of the fair valedictorian. There !' as steps were heard' approaching the door, '111 venture ' that j someone is looking for you now. ' * j It proved to beeven so, and Gladys was i in great demand sduring the next few hours. Indeed, Geoffrey saw but' comparatively^ little' of her' after that interview; for he was' obliged* to leave \at. an 'parly hour .-in order tfc^ reach/New^Haven" that night.; was'to be'a -brilliant) reception that L for- r the, graduating " clliss,^and^it ;was-b[uite-a pointment^toijladys Shat : Geoffrey/* copld^nojb/fee present, 1 *- but^she strove^b?make fche^esb^ofifc.^k'n'owinelthab

they would again in a few .days) be/ sides Mr'andMrs /r HuntreBp were to remain to accojnpany^ her!"when she ' should leave ' the'^exb'dayK^;,.' / *;„ \ J < t *'\, " ~Ever~eb Maples6ri%lso remained. .- - He 1 had 'hardly^, been able* to' get a word with Gladys, all "clay,* and when he found that , Geoffrey ;W,as Obliged to - leave -he resolved that' he would attend the reception and, devote himself ,to the fair girl whom he ,was learning every hour to love more devotedly. -' * When he presented himself in'the evening before her a slight frown contracted her brow, andfor a moment she was tempted to pass on, and leave • him to himself. .But he made that impossible by instantly taking his stand by her aide and devoting "himself exclusively to her, and thus it was out of her power to avoid him without being posi1 tively rude. ' Well, all this will soon end,' she said to herself with a sigh of resignation, ' and for once I may as well surrender myself to the inevitable} after he leaves college I should probably not' like to have it on my conscience *ibat I had been rude even to him.' She introduced him to several of her classmates, and tried thus to ~ attract his attention from herself and slip away unobserved ; but at her first movement he was at her side. During the latter part of the evening he managed to draw her into the circle of promenaders who wore pacing up and down the main hall, to the delicious strains of ;a fine band, where, after a few turns, he led her, almost before she was^ aware of his intention, to a balcony at one' end, and out of the hearing of the crowd within. •Perhaps lam taking a great liberty, Miss Huntress,' he began, before she could utter a word of protest, ' but I must bid you goodnight presently, and I have something very important which I wish to say to you first.' Gladys shivered at his words, although the night was intensely warm, for instinctively she know why he had brought her there. But she could not help herself now, and she thought perhaps it would be best to have their future relations definitely settled once for all. ' I am obliged to return to New York on the midnight train,' the young man continued, ' but I could not go without first telling you .what has long been burning on my lips for utterance. Gladys, I love you, and all my future happiness depends upon my winning you to be my wife. Will you give me your love in return ? will you give me yourself? It was a manly, straightforward declaration, and worthy a better man than Everet Mapleson was at that time. It impressed Gladys as being earnest and genuine, and she was grioved to know that she must wound and disappbinb him. 'I cannot tell you how sorry I am, Mr Mapleson, that you should .have said this to me,' sho returned, in a low, pained tone, • for I cannot respond as you desire : my answer must be a decided refusal of your suit.' 'Do not say that 1' ho burst out, in an agonised tone. * Oh, my darling, you nvuat nob ruin my life with* one fatal blow. Let me wait — ever so long, if I may only hope that, some day you will be mine.' . ' 1 cannot let you hope,' Gladys replied, greatly agitated, c what I have said must be final. Ido not love you — I can never become your wife.' 'Perhaps you do not love me noio, bub you can learn to do 'so ; I will teach you. I will be very patient ; I will not pvess you. Oh, Gladys, my beautiful, brownhaired darling, do not break my heart ! do nob ruin my life \'. A quivering A sigh burst from the young girl's pale lips. No one can tell how painful the interview had become to her, for she saw that he was a lover in deadly earnest, and that his affection for her was deep I and • true. ' ' She impulsively reached out her hand and laid it upon his arm. 'Mr Mapleson,' she pleaded, ' pray do not importune me further ; for,jtruly, 1 can give you no other answer ; my feelings can never change; 1 do not love. you — I can never love you.' < He seized her hand in an eagfer, trembling grasp, and bent his proud head until his forehead rested upon it. 1 Why do you say that ?' he pried, ' bhab you can never love me? You do nob know. I will serve for you — I will prove my devotion ; oh ! give me time, Gladys, before you discard me utterly, and no .slave ever served more faithfully for the coveted gift of freedom than I will serve, in kny way, to win you, my fair love. 5 \ ' No, no ; please say no more, it is useless,' she murmured, brokenly. He, raised his head and looked eagerly into her face. ' Therecan be but one reason for such a_ persistent refusal, such a decided answer,' he said, in a low, concentrated tone ; ' you have given the wealth <of your tove to another !' Even by the dim lighb ol the moon which came struggling in upon them through the network of vines upon the balcony, he could see the vivid colour which shot up over her cheek and brow, and dyed even the fair shoulders, beneath their gauzy, covering at this direct charge. ; He grew pale as deabh. 1 'It is true! I know it must be true!' he said, in the tone of one who hast suddenly been calmed or benumbed Oy a terrible shock. I ' You never could have resisted an ap peal like mine,' he went on, between his tightly-shut teeth, 'if it were not so. \Tell me,' he continued, growing excited acain, 'isit so ? have I guessed rightly ?' I There was so much of concentrated passion in his voice, and such an autM;itotive ring in his tone, that ib aroused^sjrrie- ( thing ot resentment and antagonism" in" Gladys's heart, in spite of her sympathy for him. _ -1 She turned and faced him, standing straight and tall and calm before him. I ' You have no riglit to speak in this ray to me, Mr Mapleson,' she said, with, qiiet digniby, ' and I am under no obligabio i to explain why Ido not favour your suit. Phe chief reason in any such case, I think, is that persons are not congenial to uch other.' ' Do you mean to tell me thab I amjikob congonial to you, " Miss Huntress ?' ibhe young man interrupted almost fiercely. [1 ' You have it in your power to be a w pleasant friend, Mr Mapleson ; but nW c than thab you could never be to me under any circumstances,' Gladys answered coldly. Her tone more than her words drove |im almost to despair.' ' I! ' Tell me is it because you love anofchw ?' he persisted. > , t - Ij, *1 could not truthfully give that aspe reason,' - II ' * That does not answer me." . Do you Uve someone . else ?' 1,1 „. • Yes,'» answered the beautiful girl briefly , and proudly,, ' , -v"' '|p . ' Are you betrothed ?' M ,\ , - H < Gladysjif ted her head haughtily. " II ' Mr MaplesonV she said, ' I question y4|r, right" to interrogate me in this authoritative manner,, but if a plain answer, will cpnviiue you 'that theretcan be no^change Jin my di -; 'cisio'pf 5 I v am'fyUliij'g jt6\acknb|dedge to-ylp tliab Xam '/pledged, to another;. '.'-*<» "^ , J 4 >i 1 ; \ To^offrdy 'Huntress ?'f,33yeret : Maples|h 'deman^e^hbatHeiy?? ■/'- r 3 ; -' -•' "-i \&

' r^Ayes^to^Og'offrey^' r she^ repeated, -with ' howf clear it"was'to her. f '-- " % " - - -„^_ -' r J ' AKbhe,confession-.fche,young mah dropped > the isaridii Kat l\e had clung to in spite of her efforts/ toV' release J ? ify !as if it had been a ,cocil of firei all, the' evil ,in his nature aroused by this triumph of hisenemy over!,hitn. ' TKa6 low-.borh beggar !' he J hissed. :'SirV;: .'-y. 1 'He shrank >for- an instant beneath "the words as.if she had smitten him. Then his passion swept all before it once more. ' He has opposed and thwarted, roe from the first moment of our meeting. He. offered me an indignity , once, which I have never forgotten or forgiven ; he has robbed me of my honours at college, and now he has robbed me of you ! I—lmie. — him ! and he shall yet feel the force of my habred in a way to make him wish that he had never crossed my path.' ( To be Continued. )