Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 285: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

COLONEL MAPLESON’S STORY. 281. fortune—everything—if she would become my wife; and I meant to, by another year, or as soon as [ could sell to advant- age. I told her, also, that 1 could not come on for her, as my interests at the mines would not admit of my being absent long enough for that, but I would meet her at Kansas City, Missouri, where we would be immediately married, and then proceed to our simple home among the mountains of Mew Mexico. I begged her not to say anything to any one where she was guing until after our marriage, when I preferred to announce the fact myself, I sent her a route carefully mapped out, and a check ample for all her needs, begging her to telegraph me the day and the hour that she would start. You have the telegram she sent in reply there,’’ Colonel Mapleson said, turning to Geoffrey, and glancing at the package which still lay on the table beside him. ‘“T have always kept that precious bit of paper,’ he resumed, “for its contents made me almost wild with Joy when I received it. Iset out immediately to Join my dear one, reaching Kansas City only a few hours previous to her own arrival. I had everything arranged, however, and we drove directly from tke station to the house of a prominent clergyman of the city, where we were married in the presence of his household, and three hours later we were on our way to New Mexico. “But I knew it would never do for me to take my wife to the Morena Mines, where I was known by men who were aiso from the South, and through whom the knowledge of my marriage would soon travel back to Virginia. Only a short time previous I had bought out a man in another district, getting his claim for a mere song, and not asoul in the place knew me. I re- solved to take Annie there, make just as pretty and comfortable a home as I could for her, call myself William Dale, going back and forth from one mine to the other, as my business demanded it, until I was satisfied to sell out altogether and return to Vir- ginia, proclaim my marriage, and give Miss Everet the other half of her fortune. But when I confessed this to Annie, as of course I had to do in order to assume her name, she was very un- happy. She was not lacking in spirit either, and made me almost despise myself for the part I bad played. ‘* ‘T would never have come to you if I had known this,’ she said, ‘I hate deception and double-dealing of whatever nature, You might have told me frankly how you were situated, and I would have waited and been faithful to you until you could have openly made me your wife.’ ‘* “But you would not have allowed me to take care of you,’ I replied. ‘* ‘No,’ she answered, flushing; ‘my pride would not have yielded to that, but I could have done very well for myself for a while, and waited patiently until it was right that we should be married.’ Ebooks =) Ai (6) (6) =)