Puck — March 6, 1878 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

PUCK.:° “T used not to believe in love at first sight,” he said gayly: ‘I always pronounced it a ro- mantic fiction; but I’m a convert now. Do you know that on that eventful morning, when you first broke upon my dazzled vision, I had a presentiment that you were my fate?” “« And therefore you refused luncheon,” said Gertrude, ‘‘ and devoted yourself to your leader instead of tous. I was not at all clear then that you did not despise us.” “i was facing my doom. You might have discerned as much by the touching tribute I afterward paid to the fleeting pleasures of bach-" elorhood. But, Gertrude, I've had to nurse that presentiment of mine through this past week. Couldn’t you have put me out of my misery just a little sooner ?” She shook her head. “Father stipulated for a week, and he has been good to me. 1 could not torment him.” “If he hadn't been good, if he had been one of those stony-hearted parents of whom one hears tell, should you have given me up?” “No; but I should—” She was interrupted by George’s entrance. At sight of them he stopped short, and said hurriedly: “T thought uncle Philip was here.” “Don't go,” exclaimed Lovel retaining the hand Gertrude would fain have withdrawn, “You wouldn't congratulate me this morning, old fellow. Perhaps you'll be good enough to do so now.”” “T suppose I may ?” So George made answer, advancing to Ger- trude with an outstretched hand; but the good wishes that should have followed his warm grasp were slow in coming. “<T owe you a great deal,” she said, by way of breaking the embarrassing silence.“ You brought us together, you know.”” “ Yes;" then turning to Lovel, he demanded sharply, “ Does she know 2” “No, she does not,” responded Lovel com posedly, but with a tinge of irritation in his tone. ‘¢‘Ihe moment had not arrived. ¢ short time we have had together has scarcely admitted of such complete revelations.” “In that case I certainly won’t interrupt you;” and without another word George d- parted. : “What does he mean?” asked Gertrude ia amazement, as the door swung to behind hiny What can make him so odd?” “T will tell you what he means. No, I wont, I'll show you;” and releasing her hand, Lovel rose, and without touching his crutch walked lightly and rapidly across the room, vaulted over a high-backed sofa, on which he had spent many an hour, and then facing about came back to her, and this time knelt down by her side, She looked at him in a speechless, breath- less amazement. “That is pretty well for a cripple, isn’t it, dear ?” he asked with a laugh that was not en- tirely mirthful. “T don’t understand,” she said, gasping, and involuntarily lifting her hand to her head. Lovel caught it, and held it between his own “tw Don’t look so bewildered, my darling. 1 didn’t mean to scare your senses quite away. Gertrude, 1 am no more lame than you are. Never have.been.”” “Never have been!" she repeated slowly, as if trying to take in the meaning of his words. “Except once, when I sprained my ankle and had to hop about for a month or more. That's how I became sq expert. I believe I might earn a livlihood if 1 joined the begging fraternity.” “But why—but how?” she murmured, as | though unable to frame her question. * “Why have I stumped about with yonder ‘crutch instead of using my own limbs? It's rather a long story, dearest, but you shall hear it; though I am afraid some part of it mayn't please you.” ; “Go on,” she said; ‘tell it me—all of it!” Well,” proceeded Lovel, in a would-be careless tone meant to cover some lurking un- easiness, ‘to begin at the beginning, as the children sayy you must know that a while ago, when George happened to be dining with me in town, he launched out in praise of you. inquired why he didn’t marry you. He said that two voices would have to goto that. I told him, foolishly enough, that a man could always win a woman if he meant to do it, and that I’d back myself to succeed. Whereon he was kind enough to observe that he didn’t con- sider me a fair test. So said I, more in jest than earnest, ‘Suppose then you handicap me, and let me go down there blind or lame to en- ter the lists.’ He laughed, but somehow the notion took ‘hold of mé then and there. What he said of you made me eager to see you, and a wild scheme always had an odd sort of fas- cination for me. I'd a good deal of trouble in bringing George round, but I did it, and down Icame” “And if, when you had seen me, you had not approved of me," Gertrude inquired, with her eyes cast down, ‘what did you propose to do in that case?” “In that case,” pursued Lovel, still trying to keep up his light tone, ‘1 should have packed up my traps and returmed, crutch and all, to my peaceful retreat in the Albany, and nobody would have been the wiser or the worse. But Dame Fortune willed it otherwise. I came, 1 saw, I conquered! No; rather, | was con- quered. After that Sunday when you played to me and we held converse in the gloaming, I was held here by cords invisible that I had neither will nor power to break. Gertrude darling, if 1 have cheated you, ‘you can have your revenge, for 1 am wholly in your power now.” He paused a minute, and then went | on: “And now confess: don’t you—all things | considered—prefer to be the wife of Eric Lovel whole and sound, rather than of Eric Lovel hopping about on one leg for the remainder of his days?” She did not answer him immediately, and | he moved to get a better view of her averted face. ‘Then he saw that she was very pale, and that there was a look in her eyes that he had never seen before. “1 shall never be the wife of Eric Lovel,” she declared very calmly, withdrawing her hand almost forcibly from his. A sudden qualm came over him, but he tried, not quite unsuccessfuly, to hide it. “Are you so very angry?” he asked gently, even pleadingly. “Well, you have a right to be. It was a poor joke at the best; and many’s the time that I’ve been prompted to drop my character and make a clean breast of it, as George would have had me do.” “George!” she exclaimed ironically, he might well wish it; but his wishes came late. interposed Lovel has- tily; “the blame is all mine. Again and again he has repented his promise to keep my coun- sel. But I could not give him his release till I had made sure of you. I was caught in my own toils, and saw no way of escape.” “And you thought,” Gertrude sail, speaking with cold deliberation, you thought to make sure of me,as you say, by a deceit like this. You thought to earn my-respect, my love, by trying on me an insulting experiment. Why, even now—not many minutes ago—!"" “1 know—I know,” he exclaimed. ‘1 don’t attempt to defend myself. Some evil’ spirit moved me, I think; but it was so sweet to hear that you were blind to any defect in me.” “Blind indeed!” shé assented bitterly. “But you have opened my eyes*now, and in time. It is only a pity you did not try your skill on worthier-game, Your success does you very | little credit; for I am only an inexperienced girl, and easily deluded.” : She hadrisen from her seat, and now she stood by the mantelpiece, her hand pressing hard the marble-slab, her eyes sparkling as she looked full at him, He sat silent, for she had almost taken away his breath. He had not guessed that she‘could utter such cutting sarcasms. He had never dreamt of rousing in her a resentment like this. “T unsay every word of love I have said to you,” she went cn, her tone changing to one of passionate indignation, “No power oh earth should make me marry younow. A man who has acted as you have done deserves noth- ing, nothing but contempt.” She was trembling in every limb, but not from grief—rather from strong excitement. “If you would only hear mel’ he entreated; but betore he could say more she stopped him with an imperative gesture, “Twill nof hear. You have told your story; no excuse that your ingenuity could possibly coin, could mend or alter it. If 1 had not heard it from your own lips [ should have said it was impossible a gentleman could have done as you have done. I do say so now. No gentleman would make a woman, any woman, the victim of a contemptible trick.” His pale face flushed. “You have good reason to be angry,” he said, in a low voice. “I own it freely; but these are hard sayings, and very hard for me to hear from you.” ‘They are not one whit too hard ‘They do not tell you one tithe of what is in my mind just now. But you need not hear them. [ only ask you to go,.and, if there is so much grace left in you, to keep out of my way henceforth. Give me at least a chance of forgetting that I fell into the trap you set for me.” “ Gertrude!” he exclaimed, starting impetu- ously forward and holding out his hands to her, “forgive me. Tell me you don’t mean ail this. If you marry me, I vow—” «Marry you!” she repeated, in an accent of burning scorn. _ ‘‘ You! Do you think I would marry a man wnom I despise from the bottom of my heart ?” , His outstretched hands dropped. ‘‘ That is enough,” he said, in an altered tone. “T won't force you to tell me any more home-truths. I am going.” He had turned away when she spoke to him again, “You have forgotten something;” and she pointed to the discarded crutch. ‘‘ You had better take it: it will be an amusing memento of your conquest!"” Silently he picked it up, Silently, without a word of farewell, they parted. 3 (To be concluded.) Very few of our great statesmen have that calm, intellectual look so noticeable in the mule. — Phila, Kronikle-Herald. A Keokuk negro was fined twenty dollars the other day for putting a white man off a flat car and into the middie of next week. So much for, Buckingham. —Hawkeye. Wuat is the difference between a bad prom- ise and Dr. Mary Walker? A bad promise is more honored in the breach, and Mary is less honored in the breeches. — Worcester Press. A New York lawyer is making arrangements for the cremating of his body. We do not — know the gentleman’s name,‘ but most will be satisfied with GE that he is | a New York lawyer.—D. : comicbooks.com