Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-10

una. . Tor a moment overspreads her face
at this question.
As she remains silent, he repeats il
more eagerly.
lou Know my hours-l always ride
IN the evening during this hot weather
six to eight. Ishall probably do 80
Tomorrow"
"Io-morrow!' Vane's handsome face
oetrays evident disturbance. II am
safraid l shall be out of town. Very
relation"
why :stoop to prevarication, Sir
Keginald?" Blanche has risen now.
ana her dark eyes are flashing. "You
are your own master. See, mamma is
reckoning to me. Good night. You
will find it cool and pleasant IN the
river tomorrow" And with this mart
ing, shot she is gone; leaving Vane,
looking decidedly foolish, and what is
worse, ~unpleasantly conscious that he il
looking so.
"By George!" he soliloquizes, AZ he
lghts a cigar during his walk to his
club. elbow savage she can look when
she ,pleases! Yet I don't know but that
l admire her all the mora flare-up
shows off those magnificent eyes and
the very fact of jealousy betrays an in
terest in my movements. Still, the
widow is decidedly pretty-and 1 have
oeen down on my luck lately and sadly
need a windfaal. And I really believe
she is fond of me, dear little soul.n
And Sir Reginald Vane's reflection,
not leading him to any satisfactory con-
cluslon, the next afternoon finds him at
Waterloo, taking a return ticket to
T%wickenham.
Five minutes walk from the latter
station brings him to a charming little
villa. with green lawn sloping down to
the river, while from beneath a weep
ing-ash a dainty little figure, emerging
from the depths of a chaise or.gue,
comes with hand extended to meet
him.
In her cool, white summer draperies
and with the Pickering sunbeams light
ing up her great childish blue eyes
and waves of pale gold hair, Mrs. Fair
fax is as pleasant an object on a blaz-
ing July day as any mans eye could
wish to rest upon. So Reggie Vane
thinks, as with a sigh and murmur of
satisfaction, he sinks into a seat by her
side, takes off his hat, and helps HIM
self unlimited from the fragrant pile of
Strawberries in the basket neara 1t hand.
"Frightfullyhot in London, is not 1T"
asks his hostess, alphabetically. Given
here, Queenie and l have been able to
do nothing but lounge about in the
shade and eat strawberries. Where is
the child, by-the-by?"
A tiny counterpart of herself, giving
promise of even greater beauty, here
comes up, and presents a little hand to
Vane; but when he attempts to kiss her
she shakes her yellow curls over her
face and struggles away.
"Why, Queenie, what have I done?"
he asks, half-offended, yet too languid
to go in pursuit of the baby coquette.
The mothers silvery laugh rings out
merrily. "You forgot to take away the
rose she gave you when you were last
here. Never mind, Queenie, you must
forgive him now"
"And won't you bring me another in
token of pardon?" as the rosebud
mouth meets his half-reluctantly.
Queenie hesitates, but is finally con-
quered by that winning voice and
smile, and goes off in quest of the de-
sired gift.
"And now, Monsieur" says the little
woman, leaning back on her cushions,
and surveying her visitor through the
large innocent blue eyes, chow has the
world been treating you since we last
met? Come, give an account of your
self. Where were you last night?"
"Dined at the St. Elmos'. Stupid
affair, and intolerably hot-and no one
worth speaking to-"
"'Miss Elliot was not there?" This
in a careless little tone of inquiry.
"No. l took in one of the girls of
the house, who had not two words to
say for herself"
"And so left the field open for your
eloquence! Come, Reggie, don't be
cross; take some more strawberries. l
want you to amuse me now you II
here. Where did you 60 afterwards?"
"Toacouple of stupid Enthusiastically
a barbarous institution in this weather.
Lady Heatherington's rooms were toll
erably cool, however"
"And you enjoyed yourself therep 1t
is hardly like you TO honor an evening
rout, when there is no dancing-unless
some special attraction tempted you"
"And how could that be, when you
were at Twickcnham?"
"Wel meant, my friend, but hardly
so gracefully expressed as l should
have expected from you. Queenie, dar-
ling, run in and ask why they don't
bring tea"
"Here it comes-and-confound i'll
another visitor. Why can not that butler
of yours learn discretionp"
because / prefer to exercise my
own," replies Mrs. Fairfax. And the
little figure is drawn up, and the baby.
face takes an expression for a moment
which warns Vane he has gone too far.
"Who would have thought" he muir
murs into his beard, "that the little
pussy cat could show such claws?"
Meanwhile Mrs. Fairfax has risen and
moved forward toreceive her new guest.
The servant mumbles a name which she
does not catch, and she lifts her pretty,
appealing eyes in some perplexity tothe
strangers face.
Something she reads in that grave,
bronzed c~ountenance that brings back
old Notwithstanding a time long
passed away, before poor Jack Fairfax
won her with his hasty, impetuous tale