Part 25 (1/2)

”You may be sure your confidence will never be betrayed,” said Roderick, and murmuring his grat.i.tude the young man went on.

”It was Miss Annabel Armstrong who put her against me from the first, I feel sure, though I must never bear a grudge against a lady. But you know, Roderick (I know you will never betray a confidence), Miss Annabel hates me. I proposed to her once, shortly after I came to Algonquin. It was just a mad infatuation on my part, not love at all.

I did not know then what real love was. But Miss Annabel--well, she is a lady--but I, I really couldn't tell you what she said to me when I offered her all a man could, my heart and my hand and all my property.

It was awful! I really sometimes wake up in the night yet and think about it. And she never forgave me. And I don't know why.” He paused and drew a deep breath at the remembrance.

”And I know she poisoned Miss Murray's mind against me--but I shan't hold a grudge against a lady. Now, Miss Murray herself was so gentle and kind when she refused me--what? I--I didn't mean any harm.” For his sympathetic listener had turned upon him.

”How dared you do such a thing?” Roderick cried indignantly.

”I just couldn't help it,” wailed Alfred. ”You couldn't yourself now, Roderick;” and Roderick was forced to confess inwardly that likely he couldn't.

”Well, never mind, go on,” he said, all unabashed that he was taking advantage of the poor young man merely to be able to hear something about her.

”I just couldn't help it. But I only asked her twice and the first time she refused so nicely, I thought perhaps she'd change her mind. I never heard any one refuse a--person--so--so sweetly and kindly. But this last time was unmistakable, and I feel as if it were all over. I am not going to be trampled upon any more.”

”That's right,” said Roderick. ”Just brace up and never mind; you'll soon get over it.”

The young man shook his head. ”I shall never be the same,” he said.

”But I have pride. I am not going to let her see that she has made a wreck of my life. But I thought she might have had more sympathy when she had had a sorrow like that herself.”

Roderick felt his resentment rising. He did not mind listening to poor Alfred's love stories, but he did not want to hear hers discussed. But before he could interrupt, Alfred was saying something that held his attention and made him long for more.

”But she is all over that now. She told me herself.”

”All over what?” Roderick could not hold the question back.

”Caring about the young man she was engaged to. There was a young man named Richard Wells in Toronto, you know, and they were engaged. When she was away for her holidays last summer, I was so lonesome I just couldn't stand it, so I wrote to my cousin Flossy Wilbur and asked her to find out how she was or her address or something. And Flossy wrote such a comforting letter and said she was staying with her married brother, Norman Murray--he lives on Harrington Street, and Floss lives just a couple of blocks away on a beautiful avenue--”

”What were you saying about Wells?” Roderick interrupted.

”Flossy knows him and told me all about it. I had a letter just last week. He met another girl he liked better--no, that couldn't be true, n.o.body who once saw her could care for any one else, I am sure. But this other girl was rich, and so he broke the engagement. If I ever meet that man!” Afternoon Tea Willie stood on the side-walk, the electric light s.h.i.+ning through the autumn leaves making a golden radiance about his white face. ”If I ever meet that man I--I shall certainly treat him with the coldest contempt, Roderick. I wouldn't speak to him!”

”But you said she didn't care,” suggested Roderick impatiently.

”Not now. But Flossy said her poor little heart must have been broken at first, though she did not show it. She came up to Algonquin right away. I saw her on board the _Inverness_ the day she came and I knew then--”

”How do you know she doesn't care about Wells?”

”Oh, when Flossy wrote me that last week, I went to see her at the school--I don't dare go to Rosemount--and I asked her to forgive me for proposing to her. I told her, or at least I hinted at the tragedy in her life, and I said I wanted to beg her pardon on my knees for troubling her as I had done,--and that I couldn't forgive myself. Oh, she just acted like an angel--there is no other word to describe her.

She asked me at first how I found out and then she said so sweetly and gently, that she thanked me for my consideration. And then, just because she was so good--I did it again! I really didn't mean it, but before I knew what I was doing, I was asking her again if there was any hope for me. And, oh dear! oh dear! she said 'no' again. Gave me not the least hope. I was so overcome--you don't know how a man feels about such things, Roderick. I was so overcome I burst out and said I felt just as if I would have given all I possessed to meet that Wells man. I said I could just treat him with the coldest contempt if I ever met him on the street. And she answered so sweetly that I must not worry on her account. She said she had cared once, but that was all over, and that she was glad now that it had been so. And she added--and I don't see hew any one with such eyes could be so cruel--she said I must never, never speak of such a subject to her again, and that if I ever did she would not let me even come near her.

So it's all over with me. I am not going to follow her about any more.

I have still been coming down to Willow Lane, but I am coming no more after to-night. This is the end!”

They had reached the office door and paused. Roderick's sympathy seemed to have suddenly vanished. In the very face of the other young man's despair, he turned upon him ruthlessly.

”That's a wise resolution, Alf,” he said distinctly. ”And I'm going to advise you strongly to stick to it. You keep the width of the town between you and Miss Murray from now on, do you understand?”

”What--whatever do you mean?” stammered the boy, aghast at the cruelty of one who had seemed a friend.