Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-09-14


| Nerulam formal tender of his hanc
and possessions, looking quite sur
prised, too, when she got up and tolt
him that she regretted he had made Sc
great q mistake, such an alliance being
impossible.
Impossible - he repeated: "impos.
sible, that you can never care Tor me p
And Percy, whose belief in himself
was immense, looked at her in abso,
! lutte establishment.
Under happier auspices Birdie would
have laughed; IS it was, she turn,d
from him with a sort Of disgust, mere.
ly saying very quietly:
please leave me; | would rather be
alone"
A hot flush rose into Percy's face as
she spoke This son of the people
imagined that Birdie, being the daueh.
ter of. a great house, was tiouting him.
and he resolved to be revenged
Poor Birdie! Of the social chasni
that lay between them she never
thought; only Of how utterly incapable
a man like Percy wa to supplant
Lucius in her aching heart.
Bitterly angry with himself for evok-
| ing it, and with Birdie for offering what
he was pleased to call MI insult, he left
the arbor without another word, walk.
ing rapidly along the path toward toe
house. When he WAS about halfway
some sound attracted his attention and
he looked round. Lucius, stroling
back, gun in hand and alone, had
reached the arbor and stopped; another
second and he passed inside and out OF
! view.
$3.50, my lady! Please leave me
would rather be alono' OF course
you would. Bat you will not carry on
your little games at Abbotscrathie if |
can prevent it"
IN less than FIVE minute: Amelia,
| forewarned by Percy, was creeping
along through the brushwood to the
back of the arbor in order to lean, il
possible, herself unheard, something OF
what was going on between her hus-
band and Birdie Nerulam.
IL would never have come if | had
known; but, oh Lucius thought |
could have borne it. Why did you let
her invite us?'
"My darling, did my utmost to pre-.
vent 1t; hut she was very positive, and
well you babe me marry her, and
well, you see, l did not think you
would care so very much"
"Oh Lucius, should have made no
sacrifice for you if | had rot really
cared, but thought ] was Drawer. II
only Lady Constantine would be per
suadeu to take me home"
"My poor, poor, sweet love, Birdie -
was ali the man could murmur.
There was no consolation to offer
now
"You must not kiss me Lucius-
well, only this once, my love. Now go
! cannot bear it if you stay longer-l
cannot indeed. Besides, 1T is not right
to yourself or her"
He took her in his arms for mo.
moment, left on her lips one more for
hidden burning kiss, and was gone
not toward the house, but down the
| hill on to the moors where, with nature
regining in wild beauty all around him
he could fight unchidden with his rag
itg love.
In the arbor, for a long space, th,
soft, buzzing lazy summer sounds were
disturbed by BRIDES sobs; while out
sioe, with nothing between them bu
the thin, bark. covered, wooden par
tiuon, sat Amelia ON the ground among
the underwood, her head on her knees
which were surrounded 10y her olaspec
hands. She had heard it all, and wa
thinking over it bit by bit VIVA
should she do2 The future, which bu
an hour ago had seemed 50 bright t
her as she believed in Lucius Filzger
AIDS love, had suddenly become dim
med by n mist which looked eternal
She could not gather about the SUNNI
OF her own north country hills. StlI
she must try and find her way through
it; and AS she sat there motiOuless
listening t. the sObs within, and think
ing more earnestly than she had eve
thought in her life before, depth @
feeling was awakened in Amelia
heart for which no one knew her onl'
in the lighl comedy Of life would hav'
given her credit. She was the first {,
move-very carefully, lest Birdl'
should bear--and to go slowly TO thu
house. She met Perry at the door.
"Well, what was up in the arbor? -
Nothing. believe you purposel!
sent me on wid-goose chase. Luciu
has gone down toward Raeourn'
farm"
What an invaluable article is stupid
in the proper place!
Two hours later the husband ant
wife met at dinner. Birdie had one o
her usual bad headaches No ont
could have guessed tina. Amelia ha,
learned the truth; only perhaps Luciu
J noticed that she was even more tende
and womanly in her manner than sh'
had ever been before.
For many days Birdie lay i'll NJ
stairs IN . darkened room. Ameli,
never intruded herself unbidden int
the sick girls presence; but all tina
love could think Of and attention carr,
out she gave 10 Birdie, and with n,
demonstrative outbnrsts. Nor did SD,
ever tell Lucius that she knew augh
Of the past, but helped him quietly
with soothing tenderness, to bear the
anxiety and irritability produced b.
Brides illness. Amelia had seen he