Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-07-12
when they are we'll: That would be tho
most wrctchcd part Of it ALL"

when they are we'll? That would be the
most wrctchcd part Of it ALL
* s. *
Leah Fourier is singing " 81 tn savais,'
and Arthur Ashton is leaning ever the
piano, looking into her magical eyes with
an expression-wcll, which would mean
Il good deal with some men, but which is
merely graceful courtesy, Margaret
tries to believe, with Arthur Ashton.
She has been at Liwyn-y-mawr fort
night now, and has found Leah Fourier
almost as constant an inmate of the house
as herself. But then, as Arthur said, the
girls are mad about her, and there Ger
tainly is an cnchantmcnt somewhere III
her glowing face before which few are
able to stand. g Bien sur. tn III aimcrais.''
she sings, and Margaret knows that the
words would sound cold and passionicss
from her own lips in comparison. Is it
wonderful that there should be response
in Arthur Ashton's eyes,:
The song is ended, and Margaret Fen
WiCkS f0ncee strolls after the singer into
the conservatory.
If were you, Margaret, should go
after them, really says Arthur's eldest
sister. half laughing. Leah would flirt
with the footman, believe, if there was
nobody else in the way. 1t was Just the
same when poor Charlie was at home"
Margaret tries to smile. and to keep
her wistful eyes turned away from the
conservatory door, but she cannot help
specializing little rs to the difference
between "poor Charlie :" and his brother.
As to Leah herself, she can hardly torn
a calm, rational opinion, 80 different is
this Leah from the girl with the wild
eyes, whose poor uncertain fingers she
had helped to find their old familiar
places on the piano at Horewood five
years ago. She feels rather than knows
that the past is not all a blank in Miss
Fouriers brain. but no word of recog-
milton has passed between the girls, and
it is plain at any rate that nothing of that
dreadful episode in Leah's life is sus-
pccted by the Ashtons. To Margaret her.
self. as she looks on the others proud i'm
perious beauty, it seems as if her remem-
brance could be nothing but Il dream :;
and yet it is almost pain to her to think
that so much of her pity in those bygonc
days was wasted.
Ten minutes, quarter of an hour goes
slowly by, and Leah saunters back into
the drawing room, with spray Of
mailcnhair in her hands, and the passion
of her song still half-slumbering in those
deep mysterious eyes.
Mr.. Ashton is going to be kind
enough to see me home," she remarks
generally for cverybody's information,
and Margaret feels the same sudden chill
that had come to her the nj ght before for
the first time, when her lOTcr had under
taken the same surely unnecessary duty.
! 1t is almost 4 relief to her to remember
that this is her last evening with the
Ashtons, and the next day Leah Fourier
may take all the foetmcn in Wales into
the conservatory with her then.
Nevertheless. the chill comes back TO
| her heart more Enthusiastically than ever
next night, for Leah Fourier, and the
conservatory, and Arthur Ashton are all
left behind. He found that he could
take another weeks holiday, he told her.
aud she could not be selfish enough to
| propose that he should spend two days
in travelling, merely for the sake Of tax
ing her home. So their goodbye was
said at the little Welsh railway station
but something fell out of his pocket g. he
was taking her ticket, and She could not
help seeing that it was bit OF maiden
hair fern ftwas a pity that it should be
crushed under strangers foot before lie
could recover it-but then there was more
in the conservatory
-Four, five days without letter, during
which time the chill never left her heart
and then there comes what she has been
looking for He asks her if she is good
enough. unscltish enough, to forgive him
and adds. Of course. that he can never
forgive himself. Margaret knows now
wonders if there is anything left for he,
in the world. or if it is all made up OF
such questions and such replies. Their
she remembers that her father had sale
there were 10000 reasons why no ono
should envy Leah Fourier
:! Well, Leah is his. body and soul, rca
sons and all, if he chooses to take her
and Margaret wonders whether the frs
will make up to him for all the others
Would he choose if he knew Of the CORR
dor at Horcwood, and had seen the lip:
he loved cloying themselves with sweet
meats that soft compassionate hand:
thrust by stealth within their reach
She puts away the thought from her Will
4 shudder, calling upon God not to temp
her to come between him and his happi
ness. II it can all be hidden from him j
would he sin in her, of all women il
the world, to say 4 word which Nigh
dasl, the cup from his lips. She woult
drink her own cup instead, and try t,
sweeten it by the thought that the mar
she loved was happy with the girl TO
whom she had once felt so divine
pity.
The months 90 quickly enough by, nov
that Margaret no longer counts how man,
there arc between the seed and blossom
OF her happiness. and she knows tina
Arthur Ashton must have brought hi
bride back with him by this time to hi
London home. Does she sing ''Si t,
savais'' to him now. Margaret wonder
or does each know the intensity Of tn
others love by heart and find it sntti
cient! Margaret sllud'icrs as she remem
bcrs that there is still secret bidder
from Arthur Ashton in Leahs mystcriou
eyes-a secret which she alone can read
and would give half her life to he abb
to forget. Would it ever happen that h
should come to her and curse her TO
having hidden itfrom him, to revenge her
self!
That she is rcvcnged, God knows hov
unwillingly, Margaret sees the first tim
she holds Arthur AShtOn's hand in her
again. He has written to ask her if III
may come to her and satisfy himself o
her forgiveness, and her love is dcat
enough in her heart for her to be able t,
tell him 'yes." She has even ceased t
wonder at the drearincss Of her own life
and is vaguely conscious. rs he takes he
hand, Of the same great pity for hin
and the woman who had supplantcd hcr
that filled her heart as she went dow
the staircase at Horcwood, leaving tn
cold corridor and the locked door benin,