Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-02-14
=" ONE OF THREE"
ny JKssn~ForHERGILI,
--lsaaor Of" hobatton." +" The wslaad.," ETC

BY JESSHSFOTHERG1II,
author Of !" I1obatton.r /" The wslaad.," ETC.
CHAPTER xvIT.-Cosr1suED.
For two months, January and
February, the time dragged on, and
Margaret found herself still in her old
country house-still UNIV ling to leave
it. She had succeeded in getting Mrs.
-Lascelles to promise that when the
weather was milder, and the spring
more advanced, she would come to
-Beckbridge, and bring Rupert with her;
but one morning she got letter from
the lady in which she said:
'Nil1 You think me very. selfish if 1
beg you to come to us, if only for u
short time? Rupert is far from well,
and he pines for you-at least. he thinks
ii you were only here he would be bet
ter. 1t may be delusion. God knows.
but would fain give it the chance of
proving reality. Do try to come. 1t
will be dreadfully dull for you--even
more SO than of old. You know how
small our circle is. Doubtless Rupert
has told you that John Mallabarr is
away, and no one has the faintest idea
when he win ret1ru- We think it must
be some love affair; some one, perhaps,
whom he met in London, when he was
once will not be here to make any va
zriety for you. You need not even see
Louis Baldwin. He does not come here
as he used to come. can not approve
of his treatment of you, and had to
tell him so. These are great induce
ments. my dear, for a Young woman like
yourself, are they not? And yet l ask
you-come-for my boys sake, if not
for minen
In few days Margaret was at Black
ford Grange. It was with o feeling akin
to mournfulnesss that she looked around
as she alighted at the station, and saw
Mrs. Lascelles standing on.the platform,
waiting to meet her, and realized the
difference between this arrival and her
first one; between this sad raw day of the
later February, and that beaming after
noon at the end of May. She was al
most silent as they drove to the Grange.
she could hardly tell whether Joy or
sorrow was the stronger when they had
entered, and Mrs. Lascelles clasped her
in her arms. and Damaris rushed for
ward to greet. her with what was, for her
vehemence. But when she stopped over
Ruperts couch, and saw his pinched
and frostily wistful face melting into
tears and smiles, and heard his s.Now l
am content" then she knew, and said
to herself: "I am also content" ~ -
1t was the end of February-wild,
blustery weather; when the tempests
lulled, cruel frosts set in; and when the
frost gave way, the storm again broke
loose, and SO there was a great anti
phon of the elements, ''deep calling
unto Deep winds bowling, skies freez-
ing. i
Margaret thought she saw q distinct
change for the worse in Rupert S health.
Though he revived somewhat after she
came, and loved to have her sit with
him. talk with him, and read to him.
he was vet so weak and ailing as to be
constantly under Louis Baldwin's care.
But Louis and Margaret never met.
She seemed to have almost an in
sstinctive knowledge when he was in the
house; and when she knew of his pres
.ence there, she usually retreated to her
own room Rupert was distressed at
the estrangement, but not even to please
DEAR She said, ..there are some things
which can not be overlooked, and Mr..
Baldwin has said things of that kind to
me. We will not talk about it, John
Mallabarr was, of course, away.
Margaret wasAvery glad to find that no
one had the faintest suspicion of the
tourney he had taken to Beckbridge.
She resolved that no one ever should
know of it, from her.
She did not fear to meet Louis; she
did not dread the encounter any way.
She experienced deep inner unwill-
inpness even to behold him-a sIrong
-repugnance to looking at him. or be-
inr Obliged to speak or listen to him.
-The man who has been on the rack,
even if he recover from his wounds. is
not likely to be animated by strong
desire to gaze upon the instrument of
his suffering. Louis words had racked
Maroaret's soul, and that the more in
-tensely because she knew that through
it all. her regard for him still existed
always would exist. She never spoke
of him-neyer; mentioned his D anne, nor
asked one question concerning him;
and even Rupert, after one or two flu
tile efforts. ceased to speak of him to
her. Yet one day, coming in from
short walk, she saw Louis horse standing
before the porch, and knew from that
that he must be visiting Rupert. For
the moment she forgot. That glossy
brown "Dreadnought was on old friend
,f hers, and she patted his side. and
xlrd HE nose and exclaimed: