The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-11-03

"
again with that sweet, tremulous smile
lighting his dark face. but all women
are not SO mselfish. Your father is
but forty eight-not an old man, by any
means-not too old to be fascinated BY
handsome face, if, indeed, any man
ever is"
"But She che could not care for him.
Why, she is mere childp'
"Althea, did you never hear of poor
young woman's marrying rich old
man? he asked, laughing; ''because if
you never did. you are the only one in the
world who has not. And did YOU sup
pose they always cared for the old fell
lows? Not theyr'
''But 1 really do not believe papa
thinks of marrying again. He has
never seemed to think OF it. and man.
ma has been dead more than fourteen
years"
~ do not think he has an idea of
marrying at present But you can see
as well as / that he is pleased and
flattered by this girls attention and
Difference. only mentioned this at all
to put you on your guard. There is no
one in the house upon whose Judgment
l can rely. save you: and anyway it is
very natural that ] should come to you,"
smiling that peculiar smile again which
always broughtthe color to Althea Mont
ford's face.
1 trust in and depend almost wholly on
you. As far as Fannie is concerned
get no 81 mpathy. She has the strangest
faculty for seeing virtue, as she calls it,
in everybody. She UiN not believe in
ANYTHING else. and one might as well
talk to a stone as to try to convince her
against her will"
''And Victor is under the spell, too!
Really" he laughed, II am astonished
that am not smitten. But fort that
is occupied is not easily taken. l can
account for it in no other way
Victor! You do not mean that he
notices her, particularly? Why. we all
know he has been in love with Blanche
Arnold these five years. think he
wasn't quite sixteen when he first began
to blush and act awkwardly in her pres
ence."
Blanche is to marry her cousin. /
understand, the valiant young mariner
the Captain-elect of the Silver STAR"
and he laughed light, mocking laugh.
81 do not believe it." she cried,
haughtily. Il do not believe a girl with
Blanche Arnold's pride would marry a
Yankee sea Captain in preference to our
Victor.n
''Soltly. You forget the fellow is her
own cousin" he interrupted; land be-
sides, you know what you said a little
while ago. Perhaps she is foolish
enough to be unselfish, as well as some
one else"
The proud face softened. and she
made no further remonstrance against
conduct.
Possibly Alfred DeVries had some
cause for his suspicion of Stella Blake.
No other servant had ever taken special
pains to please and conciliate Mr.. Mont
ford. No other servant had ever sat in
the library alone with him of an even
ing, and played chess and domnoes till
ten O'Clock. But Miss Blake did both.
Mr.. Montford was not particularly fond
of society. He knew that he did not al
ways make a good appearance-th that is.
an elegant and refined appearance. His
position seemed too much for hint
was greater than he. So he gradually
himself. and charitable people
called it English reserve" and some
not so charitable said there was some
thing lacking in his make up" Per-
haps both We're right. But let no one
fancy Gilbert Montford an imbecile. or
foolish, or less bright than good many
whom they may happen to know, and
who pass current as very passable sort
Of people, not intentionally laden with
brains, perhaps, but very passable. One
thing was always noticeable about Mr..
MontIord: A sort of unconscious servil-
ty, rs if the position he bore and the
garments he wore had been made for
some one else, and had fallen to him by
seemed to fit him exactly.
You have seen such people, perhaps.
whose place in the world seemed more
an accident than a design, and wondered |
why such and such an one, who would |
i'll the place admirably, had not been |
born to it. There are so many things |
n the world we cannot understand, |
you know.
There was. in the east wing of Mont
crd House, 4 small, ofiice-like room,
which communicated with the library
n the main building by a long. narrow.
lark passage. The room was usually |
Kept Clean for there were kept the |
Siontford family records for generations
pack; the deeds and titles of estates
which had been handed down and pre-
served with religious care for nearly |
wo centuries. Then there were later
of railroad stock,
Mortgages on real estate, ETC., etc. The
DOM was plainly furnished. A green
md black blocking" covered. the
loor, and a round mahogany table in
he center of the room with two leather
covered officc-chairS before it, and
| heavy mahogany writing desk, and a
'abinet of the same material and make,
constituted the movable furniture
There were shelves across one corner
IN which was piled Old. yellow news
'apers, creased and dusty; and several
volumes of old books which
lad been stored there evidently to get
hem out OF the way, as they certainly
ontrasted rather unpleasantly with the
bound volumes in full Tur-
ey" which graced the library shelves
Now, there was certainly nothing one
Tould naturally consider attractive to a
Dung girl in this nlusty little store
DOM, or "office-room,' as it was
allied. There were no pictures. no
id or curious relics. or bits OF antique
craftsmanship, no books among the
volumes of adventure or
omance; nothing. in short, in the place
hat a girl of Stella Blake age and evil
ent tastes would be likely to look at.
But one evening. while the family
-ere at tea, in the dull. wayering light
T a grey November twilight, Stella
lake crept carefully up stairs to the
brary, through the long. dark passage,
D the . office-room'' door, and. taking