The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-06

| my Ol our CAUSE,
II am afraid you must class me with
the ignorant, =" says Mona, shaking her
pretty head. 81 know nothing at all
about thistles, except that donkeys love
them,n
us this, can this be premeditated, or
IS 1t a fatal slip of the tongue? Lady
Rodney turns pale, and even Geoffrey
and Molly stand aghast. Mona alone is
smiling unconcernedly into Lady Lii
lass eyes, and Lady Lilias, after a
brief second, smiles back at her. 1t is
plain the severe young woman in the
Sage-green gown has not even noticed
the dangerous remark.
"Gou must come again very soon Ia
see me, she says to Mona, and then
goes with her all along the halls and
passages, and actually stands upon the
door-steps until they drive away And
Mona kisses her hands gayly to her as
they turn the corner of the avenue and
then tells Godfrey that she thinks he
has been very hard on Lady Iilias. he.
| cause, though she is plainly quite mad
| poor thing, there is certainly nothing
to be dlsliked about her.
CHAPTER XIV.
| 1t is ten days later-ten dreary, inter
minable days, that have struggled into
light, and sunk back again into dark
| ness, leaving no trace worthy of remem-
bSance in their train.
To-day is cool, and calm, and bright
Almost one fanCies the first faint breash
| of spring has touched ones cheek
| though as yet January has not wended
to its weary close, and no smallest sign
| of growth or vegetation makes itself
felt
The grass is still brown, the trees
barren, no ambitious fowret thrusts
| its head above the bosom of its mother
| earth, except, indeed, those "nOures
white and rede, soCh as men Callen dai-
! sizes, that always seem to beam upon
| the world, no matter how the wind
blows.
Just now it is blowing softly, deli
cately, as though its fury of the night
before had been an hallucnatiOn Of the
| brain 1t is "a sweet and passionate
wooer, says Longfellow, and lays siege
to the blushing-leaf" There are no
| leaves for it to kiss to-day: so it be-
slows caresses upon Mona as she wan
| ders forth, close guarded by her two
Over the meadows and into the wood
| goes Mona, to where a streamlet runs
that is her special joy,-being of the
garruous and babbling order, which is,
perhaps, the nearest approach to divine
music that nature can make. But to-
| day the stream is swollen, is enlarged
beyond all recognition, and, being filled
with pride at its own promotion, has
forgotten its little loving song, and is
rushing onward with passionate roar
to the ocean.
A loose stone that has fallen from its
home in the mountain-side above up
rears itself in the middle of this turbll-
lent stream. But it is too far from the
edge, and Mona, standing irresolutely
on the brink, pauses, as though half
afraid to take the step that must either
land her safely on the other side or else
precipitate her into the angry little
river.
AS she thus ponders within herself,
Spice and Allspce, the two dogs, set up
a simultaneous howl, and Immediately
| afterwards voice says, eagerly
Wait, Mrs Rodney, let me help you
| across
Mona starts, and, looking up, sees
| the Australian coming quickly towards
her.
You are very kind. The river is
greatly swollen, " she says, to gain time.
Geoilley, perhaps will not like her to
accept any civility at the hands of this
common enemy.
IN OF 50 much so that cannot help
you to cross over in safety, if you viii
only trust yourself to me, replies he.
Stlll she hesltates and he is not slow
To notice the eloquent pause.
rs 1t worth so much thought?' he
says, bitterly. 1T surely will not in
Jure you fatally to lay your hand in
mine for one instant
YOU mistake me-" says Mona,
shocked at her own want of courtesy,
and then she extends to him her hand,
and, setting her foot upon the huge
stone, springs lightly to his side.
Once there she has to 90 with him
down the narrow woodland path, there
being no other, and 50 PAGES on, silently,
and SOrely against her will.
Sir Nicholas has sent me an invita-
tlon Tor the 18th, he says, presently,
when the silence has become unendur-
able.
Yes" says Mona, devoutly hoping
he is going to say he means to refuse it.
But such deyout hope is wasted.
II shall go,' he says, doggedly, as
though diyining her secret wish.
IL am sure we shall all be very glad, ~
she says, family, feeling herself bound
TO make some remark.
"Thanks!" returns he, with an ironi-
cal laugh. How exceedingly well your
tone agrees with your words"
Another pause. Mona is on thorns.
VIII the branching path, that may give
her chance OF escaping a further tete-
d-tete with him, never be reached?
80 Warden failed your" he SAYS,
presently, abiding to old Elspeth's
nephew.
" les so far" returns she, coldly.
ut was a feeble effort" declares he,
contemptuously striking with his cane
the trunks OF the trees as he goes by
them.
Yet | think Warden knows more
than he cares to tell, says Mona, at
q venture. Why, she herself hardly
knows.
lie turns, as though by an irrepressl-
BILE impulse, to look keenly at her His
scrutiny endureS only for an instant.
Then he says, with admirable indifrer-
ence.-
You have grounds for saying so, of
courseYn
Perhaps have. Do you deny [ am
IN the rightY' asks she, returning his