The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-05-16
THE MAN ON THE LEFT.

lhently toward you"
Has hep
Who is it?"
l cannot tell. Ihave not see n him, ;
Suppose you look ?"
lprefer not. Icame to see the play.
Is not Helen Fanchet snperb2"
$3.50. wish you would tell me who
mat gentleman IN the left is. I am
sire he knows you, and he is strikinely
handsome"
AT present the stage interests ne.
besldes, If man are ruds enough to stare
at strangers there is no occasion for us
to initiate them.'
You ladyslip has no curiosity? ?.
Not any;I exhausted itsometime
ago
Herlady ship was not telling the truth:
sac was Intensely curious. but it pleased
har nj the time to pipue the Honorable
Selma Dorset. The strange sympathy
that makes rs instantly conscious of a
familiar glance, ever ina crowded build
i'g, had solicited her regard Just as Sc
lina had advised her OF it. If she had
not been asked to look toward her left
she would probably have done so: as it
va. she resolutaly avoided any move
neat in that direction.
The play finished in u tumuit of ap-
p2anse. L&aT bate Talbot forgoteyerv-
t9iHg "a aer excitement, and rs she
stood zap flushed and trembling. she in.
adFoitaatlY turned toward the left. In
%stant'y she recognized a presence with
which she ought TO have been familiar
enorgl.
The gen.lcnan bowed with an extreme
respect. Lady Kate acknowledged the
coGn':soy in Il manner too full of astonish-
nent to be altogether gracious, and the
elaborate p~oiiteness Of the Recognition
was not soitancd by any glance imply
ing q more tcnaer intimacy than that of
mere acquaintance.
My lady vas silent all thewav home,
ard for some reason Selma was not dis
posed to Interrupt her ruverie. 1t did
not seem to bo an unpleasant one.
Hates face had q bright flush on it,
and her eyes held i'll them a light-a
Light that resembled what Selma would
have called hope and love, if my lady
had not been already married, and her
destiny apparently settled.
Selma, when you have got rid of all
that lace and satin, come to my room;
l have something to say to YOU"
Selma nodded pleasantly. She was
sure it concerned the gentleman on the
left. She had no love affairs of her own
on hand or heart at present, and, being
neither literary nor charitable, her time
went heavily onward. A little bit of ro-
nance, especially ii connected with the
cold or proper Lady Talbot, would be
of all things the most interesting.
She was speedily unrobed, and, with
her long blonde hair hanging loosely
over her pretty dressing gown. she
sought my lady's room. Lady Talbot
sat in a dream-like stiffness, looking in-
to the bright blaze Oh the hearth. She
scracely stirred as Selma took q large
chair beside her, and scarcely smiled
when she lifted one of her loosened curls
and said: "What exquisite hair You
have, Kate! True golden"
Eyes, it is beautiful. I know that,
of course"
"Of what are you thinking so intent
ly"
"of the gentleman on our left to-
night"
"Ah, who is he? He seemed to
know YOU"
"He ought to know me much better
than he does. He is my husband, Lord
Richard Talbot"
"Kate!"
ut is true"
81 thought he was in Africa, or Asia,
or Europe, or somewhere at the end of
the world"
"He is now in England, it seems. 1
suppose he just arrived. l have not
seer him before"
where is he staying, them"
81 presume in the left wing of this
mansion. I noticed there are more
lights than usual in it tonight. His
apartments ore there"
"Now, Kate, do tell me all, dear.
You know I love o romantic love affair,
and I am sure this is one"
"You were never more mistaken, Sc
lima. There Il no love at all in the af-
fair. That is the secret Of the whole
position. I thought as you were stay
ing here this weel1. and might probably
see or meet my lord, it was better to
make all clear to you. People are apt
to associate wrong with things they do
hot understand"
"To be sure, dear. I suppose Lord
Richard and you have had little disa-
ereement. Now if l coule only do any
thing toward areconciliatlon, [ should
be so happy, you know"
mo, Selma, there has been no quar-
rel, and you can do nothing at all be-
tween us. / don't want you to try.
just be kind enough to ignore the
whole circumstance. Lord Richard
and L understood each other nearly tuor
years ago"
"But it is not four years since you
married?"
"Just four years-yesterday."
"And my lord has been away"
"Tnree years, eight months and eigh-
teen days, SO far as l know"
"WelI, this is o most extraordinary
thing, md very, very sad, l must say"
ut might easily have been much sad
der. l am going to tell you the exact
truth, and I rely upon your honor and
discretion to keep tho secret inviolable.'
"My dear Kate, I would not name il
for the va,o'd."
scarcely II years old, my father sent 70
me to his study. I had known TO,
months that he was dying. He was the
only creature that / had to love, and
loved him very tenderly. I must men
ton this also, for it partly explains my
conduct that the idea of disobeying hin
in anything had never presented itsel.
to me as a possibility. This night
found him with his lifelong friend, the
late Lord Talbot, and the present Lord
NV husband. I vas % shy, shrinking
girl, without any knowledge Of dress o
o. -... A:.a:l on,l ano ln ,.n u a ~