Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

114 PLEDGING HIS WORD. in your tone. I could not answer, so I laughed it off, and an instant later another partner claimed me. I chose the crowded, noisy ball-room on purpose. A week later you asked me to marry you, and you know what I said. I wished to tell you of this, but my pride prevented it; this Florence Delmar stood like a phantom between us More- over, I reasoned that when you had gone you would pass out of my life, just like anybody else. LBesides,’’ slowly, ‘‘in Brussels I left a young count who hopes I may marry him some day, and when I first returned to America I ‘shought I might, and so, after all, I concluded it would be as well if I did not see you any more. That was my other reason. ‘The poor boy cares for me very much, and lam sure would be really wretched if I were to disappoint him. He gave me Bebee!”’ Arthur had risen to his feet while she was speaking, a cloud on his brow. | ‘‘This letter, as anonymous communications always are, is an outrage, if I only knew——”’ ‘“You deny that any such person has a claim upon you?”’ she said, almost timidly, as though ashamed of the doubt which the question implied. ‘‘T pledge you my word—I know no other oath—that no one in this world has the least shadow of aclaim upon me,”’ he replied. ‘I should tell a falsehood if I were to deny that I ever knew this person, promptly, but I can explain——”’ Her clear eyes met his earnestly. ‘‘No,’’ she rejoined. ‘‘Your word entirely satisfies me. I ask no explanation. I trust you fully and entirely. Let this subject never come up between us again. I repeat, I came to the conclusion, after serious consideration, that I was wrong to suspect you of duplicity. I do not believe I should “ie | E@NNIElOOOKS.,Eo)