American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-27

more than you are aware gilmore, per
haps, than you can ever regain"
She laid her hand-a pretty white hand
cleaning with jeweis-on his arm at the
last words, and it was fortunate, perhaps,
that she could not tell with what an etfor,
he restrained himself from shaking it i'm.
patiently off. A quick feeling of repu1-
sion came over him like an electric shock
! As ii was, he had sufficient command of
himself to speak carelessly. II was never
quick at reading riddles,'' he said. Il
am unable to imagine what sacrifice l
should make by INDUCING the hopeless
passion for Miss Milbourne with which
you are kind enough to credit me-"
with which | credit your" she re-
peated eagerly. Gam | wrong, then? If
you can tell me that Victor
But he interrupted her quickly: You
| ought to know, Mrs. Lancaster, that this
is thing which Il sensible man only tells
to one woman; but, since you seem to
take an interest in the subject, there is
nothing which l need hesitate to acknowl-
edge in the fact that, however hopeless
my passion for Eleanor Milbourne may
| be, 1t Is the very essence of my life, and
can only end with my life''
| 1--WE all think that when we are young
and foolish, and very much in love" said
Mrs. Lancaster coolly-"but l think you
are more than usually mad. If she is not
already engaged to Marston Brent, she
will be as soon as he returns. / know
that her family confidently expect the
match, and in any case Eleanor Mil
| bourne is the last woman in the world
whom a penniless man need hope to
| VIM
81 know that as well as you do,' said
Clare. Il have no hope of winning
her, and 1 am going to Egypt next
| month";
AS they emerged from the shrubbery
| they were both a little surprised to see "a
carriage standing in the full glow of the
light from the open hall door.
who can have arrived?' said Mrs.
Lancaster, not sorry, perhaps, for diver
| sion. Il did not know that Mrs. Brantley
was expecting any one"
"Who has come, Ellis?' Victor said
carelessly to a young man who emerged
from the house as they approached.
"Marston Brent" was the answer.
| Mrs. Lancaster, whose hand was still
on Clare's ARM felt the quick start which
he gave at this information, but she was
a discreet woman, and she said nothing
until they were standing ON the verandah
steps and he had hidden her goodnight
saying that he must ride back to Clare
mont.
Il understand why you will not re
rash resolution about Egypt-above all,
| do not commit yourself to anything"
The result of this disinterested advice
| was, that as soon as he reached home,
after a lonely, starlit ride of six miles,
Clare sat down and wrote to General -,
| accepting the position he had offered, and
promising to report in Cairo as soon as
possible.
After this it was several days before the
future Egyptian soldier was seen again at
The Willows. 1t was when he re-
turned weary and depressed from an
excursion that he found a note from Mrs.
BrAntley awaiting him.
DEAR MAJOR CLARE ut RAM, Why have You
forsaken us? We have looked for you, wished
for you, and talked of you for days but you seem
TO be determined that shall learn the full mean
over to dinner today think you have played
hermit quite long enough. Truly yours
The first person whom he saw when he
entered the well-filled drawing-room of
the Willows was the pretty widow, in ra-
diant looks and radiant spirits, not to
mention radiant toilette of the lightest
possible and most becoming mourning.
"What have you been doing with your
self?" she asked after the first salutations
We're over. You have at least been charita-
BILE in furnishing us with topic of CONVEX
satiOn- | scarcely know what we should
have done without the Victor Glare dis
appearance as Mr.. Ellis has called it,
during the last week"
81 am sure you ought to be obliged to
me, then" Glare said, flushing and laugh
ing.
"Opinion has been divided concern
ing the mystery of your fate" she went
on.
"How kind ones friends are, to be
sure, especially when they are in the
country, and have nothing in particular
with which to amuse themselvesi"
But what haze you been doing.'
Il have been very busy making my final
arrangements for leaving the country"
answered he.
you are really going, then ~ she asked,
after minutes silence.
Il wrote to General - on the night l
saw you last, accepting his Offer" Glare
answered.
"And you will sell Claremont ?"
81 have no alternative
She said nothing more but he saw her
hand-the same white, ieweled hand that
had CLEANED on his arm in the Starlight
go to her throat with a quick, convulsive
movement.
you might stay if you would" said
she, with that tremulous accent which the
French call tears in the voice.
No, l could not stay" said Glare, reso-
lutely. 81 have no money, nor any means
of making any in America
This ended the discussion. Even Mrs
Lancaster, fast and daring and willful as
she was, could not say, II have money
more than l know what to do with-take
it" Her eyes said much, but Glare
did not look at her eyes. A minute long
er passed in embarrassed silence. Then
somebody came up, and Victor was able
to walk away. AS he crossed the room
he saw Eleanor Milbourne, for the first
time since his arrival.
After dinner Mrs. Brantley claimed his
attention. 1t seemed that there was plan
under discussion for showing the sole lion
of the neighborhood-a hill of considera-
bic eminence known as Farley's Mount
to the guests of The Willows. But it was
distant twelve miles. What did Major
Glare think of their starting early, break
ing the ride by rest and luncheon at Clare
mont, then going on to the mountain,
making the ascent, and returning by
moonlight?
at will not do at ALL" said Victor.
"Twenty-tour miles is too much to be I'M
dertaken on "A July day by a mere party
of pleasure. You would break your
selves down and see nothing.
propose an amendment: Take two days
instead of one, and spend night on the
mountain. If you have never camped on
a mountain, the novelty is well worth ex-
periencing, and these midsummer nights
have scarcely any length, you know.
Then the sunrise is magnificent"
That is exactly what we will do" cried
NJ $. Brantley, clapping her hands with
childish glec.
Meanwhile, Eleanor Milbourne was