Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1885-07-30


any more. She kissed her daughter,
apd went of to her guests, rejoicing.
Meta would not have sent for him
only to reject him, she felt sure. And
as for the doubts which the daisies
had suggested, if Lady Mary did not
believe her daughters protestations
as entirely as Meta would have wished,
she believed in the healing power of
time and the evancscent nature of
human emotions, with fullness of
conviction that Meta herself would
probably never attain to. She turned
for moment and looked at the girls
white clad figure with tender ma
ternal pride, and then she went on to
the house and into the drawing room,
glowing with satisfaction and good
will.
Lord Castleman was standing by
the table with face tina was becoming
anxious and grave, but he flushed into
eager anticipation as Lady Mary came
into the room.
"You bring mo good tidings,' "
he cried joyfully. 81 see it in your
eyes
"She will see you," said Lady Mary,
bcaming with smiles. you will find
her in her favorite corner by the con-
servatories. l."
He pressed her hand, and went, see
ing everything little mistily
through the sudden dazzle OF new
hope; but pleading his cause with as
much humility as though ho had not
just seen Lady Mary, and drawn his
own deductions from the encouraging
interview
And Meta sat with dOwncaSt eyes, and
listened to his tale in 4 silence he felt
to be still moN encouraging; but when
he would have taken her hand she drew
it back.
wait" she said; there is some.
thing | should like to show you
first
She took from her pocket q faded
leather case and opened it with fin
gers that trcmbled little in spite of
her efforts to keep them still. Inside
we're the Christmas cards with the
pretty frosted daisies, and the robins
that used to be so seldom absent
from Christmas cards, but that
had, perhaps a special reference
in these. and with them letter
that was little frayed about tho
edges now.
Lord Castleman stared. as he might
perhaps be excused for doing.
what are these?' he sad Par
don me; don't understand, "
at was very foolish-and it was all
five years ago" faltered Meta, "but |
thought You ought TO know"
He understood now, and his brow
lowered Ominously. lie was all Lady
Mary had called him-he was well
born and distinguished, a polished
gentleman, and an upright man, but
he was not large sOuled. The contcs-
sion that Meta had made, with pain
he could not even understand, moved
him to no generous sympathy; it only
wounded his vanity and stung his
pride. lie took the cards and the let
ter from her, and tore them into a
thousand pieces, and then he turned
upon his heel.
miss Lakewood, ] have the honor
to wish you good morning." he said,
with stiil little bow. "I appreciate
your candor, but you will understand
that Castleman does not care to be
second to any other man.
He went away with his head in the
air, knocking over his chair in his ag-
itation, and Meta was conscious Of a
very unheroic feeling of relief. To
please her mother, and to save her
own pride, she had brought herself to
think that she might accept Lord Cas-.
tlcman, but the sense of relief showed
| her how great an escape she had had.
How long she sat where he had left
her she never quite knew. Her eyes
were on the torn and scattered frag-
mcnts that were all that remained to
her of her girlhood's dream, and as
she sat and mused her face was grave
and sad-but it was sadness in
which Lord CaStleman had neither
part nor lot.
Tho opening of the garden door
reused her at last. And then-for
life is sometimes kinder to us than our
deserts or our imaginings-shc lifted
her eyes and saw some one coming up
the walk-some one whose coming her
own pride had come near TO making a
curse instead of blessing. For the
some one was Robin Lindsay, come
back at last to explain his long alb
sence, and the untOward fortune that
had till now made it impossible for
him to come and ask for the Margaret
who was still to him 'the one flower
in the world"