Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-01-04
" ONE OF THREE"
nv JEasK FoTHKR0uL,
AsaAor ~ "T1Oldtioa," "TAs Weaclds,- Esc.


CHAPTER XIv.-CoNrINuED.
"Most certainly not" he answ cred.
and dismounting quickly, he slipped the
bride over his arm. and suited his pace
10 hers.
" Rupert is better to-day?' he asked,
and then, for the first time. she noticed
something peculiar i'm his tone-a curt
abruptness which IL was long since he
had used toward her.
"Ycs, thank you,' she replied, al
most mechanically. The darkness
gathered more rapidly; the drops were
falling faster THE storm Is upon
me, Margaret had said Her words
were about To- be- fulfilled. and that to-
The uttermost His next question was:
What induced you TO go so far ON
such n threatening day?'
because wished TO be alone. and
hardly noticed where was going. |
was thinking If something | heard
about this morning"
Indeed. Oddly enough. | also had
'ome news this morning. which has oc-
supied my thoughts great deal"
Had you9 That is n curious conci-
1ence."
Yes. | will tell you what my news
was. OF course YOU will use Your own
discretion about coniiding yours to me.
! had letter from man who was n
tcllOw-studcnt of mine nj Paris. lie
lOld me that former acquaintance of
ours "A very slight acquaintance. Mau.
rice Biddulph. hy name-had Just rot
engaged to be- married"
"lndcedl' said Margaret. family,
her heart sinking. and surprise over
coming her nc the tone he was taking.
yes, and what makes She coincidence
still more remarkable is. that he is
Engaged 90 u lady whose surname is
he same rs your own-a Miss Marion
Percival.
"Ohr'
did you ever hear Of Mr.. Biddulph.
Or OF hdt Miss Pcrcival?'
yes"
you may have known them. per-
lapsP"
''Ycs, know them very wen.~
Miss Percival may he related TO
youP"
mot IN tho least"
THAT Ia curious. She has been stay
NJ ut the house ~ friend, IL seems.
,lose % where Mr.. Biddulph lives.
The lady who owns the house Is called
Miss Barrington-Margare Barring
;our'
''Yes, know. am Margaret Bar
ringtour'
From the moment after finishing
my friends letter. | felt sure OF that.
since was quite certain YOU were not
Miss Pcrcival. You are the Miss Bar
1ngton who Il n great heiress, and who
'eeently came of age; the young lady
whose freaks are rs understandable as
ier beauty Is great, and whose de-
termination To carry out her freaks is
% strong as To override all obstacles
and scruples; who does not consider
means in the least, so long as she gains
Ter euds"
''She may be all that. for anything I
;are. am she"' replied Margaret,
ifting her head to its utmost height;
naddened more by his tone than his
words, and looking superb In her def
)nce. Since that was the tone he chose
o take. let him! She was glad he had
Inflated 10 ut once. before she had
stopped. or uttered one word Of excuse.
None should be extorted from her now.
She would brave il all out to the bitter
md. and II he. TO use Mr.. Lasceles' ex-
preston, chose To ''tear her heart TO
IisOss.n his own should be riven
sunder at the same time; for even now,
n tho gathering twilight. she saw that
= he looked searchingly at her after
us last words his face was pale as
leaih; his eyes sought hers with an
iarnestness not free from usefulness.
rs she looked at him she felt that she
owed him, intensely. that whether he
we're the worst or the best of these
hree suitors. he was the one who alone
rad won her. She loved him, but--she
bought Of Mrs. Percival and her lord
Ind master--not with the love that will
% trampled under foot, or rebuked I'M
Ieard. or accused unjustly. Perhaps
|ouis had forgotten-perhaps with all
us cleverness he had never yet found
mt that with a few tender words, a
whispered inquiry; "Had I anything to
10 with your remaining here?n he
night have led her whittier he would,
night have heard from her lips whntso-
ver confessions he desired; but that in
.nswer TO such words Is he had already
Uttered, she would make her face as OF
tone, would harden her heart like
'rass, and out of sheer grief and pain
would let contempt aud defiance run
lot BE that as II may. he had taken
ais part and committed himself; and
With the extraordinary fatuousness
characteristic Of a man in such crisis,
ie now proceeded TO make bad worse
" saying:
II viii net deny that have for some
TINE beep convinced that you were not
ne Psr.on you represented yourself to