The Penn's Grove record., 1885-01-24

~ - ~ SAe%E
''healthy and strong and itch, with <
the knowledge that schoOlmasters and
learned dons could iEstil into me-thir-
ty-two years old, and this little cross of
bronze is all that | can show as the re
suit of my life's work o temporG, y
AZORES 7" And then the halt-laughlng
manner gave place to an il-suppressed
sigh.
Nevertheless his colnrade looked at
him with enviOus eyes. He would have
given his ears almost for that little cross,
with its simple words For Valor.' All
that he could show for his LIES work
was an injured constitution and a pile
Of bills.
Captain Lucas's Colonel was proud of
his subordinate ofiiCer-had set him
often, In days gone by, in the post OF
danger and honor, and now, in tho pip
ing times of peace, did his best to pro-
cure for him his well-merited promo
ton but still the kindly old mar
looked at his favCrite sometimes with
anxious eyes.
what makes Lucas laugh so in that
hard bitter way 2" he would muse
sometimes over the walnuts and he
wine. "What made him fight in that
mad way too, when we had the trouble
with the hill-men in india And there's
a recklessness in those blue eyes of his
sometimes that | don't like at all. /
wish the man would marry and settle
down"
There was pretty much the same feel
ing about Lucas among all his brother
officers and friends and he himself ac-
knowledged in his own mind that there
was something wrong in his life. Even
when the mirth and gaity were at their
highest, when his pulse beat fast IN re-
| Spouse to the music and the motion OF
| some delightful dance, or when the song
was loudest and the champagne ali Ike
water, a sense of something lacking
would creep into his unwilling MN
Ay, and when the autumn Il was
bright, and the autumn winds were
keen and invigoratiEg, when the hounds
made deep music in the uplands, n
Woien bore him with tireless stride
over the dewy fields, even then black
Care Sat grlmly behind the horseman.
Two years before he had met Lord
Dacre, Earl of Wolstenholme, and his
family in Norway, whittier he himself
had gone for the fishing. The EarPs
family was II well worth knowing,
Lady Dacre, for all the pride which had
come down to her undiminished from
a long line of noble ancestors, was a
sensible lovabie woman who brought up
her family in a wise affectionate way
which left nothing to be desired. Her
four tall daughters were renowned Tor
their beauty and sense far and wide,
and her only son, young Talbot Dacre,
a large. limbed yellow-haired %y0ungster
al Oxford, had not done badly. The
two eldest girls, Lady Mary and Lady
Grace, were engaged the third was
Lady Isabel, whose sweet grave face
with It's wIld-rose flush, violet eyes, and
hair of sunny brown, had brought Cap
tain Lucas to her feet almost without
struggle.
He was thirty then, Lady Isabel one
andstwenty and, though they never
entered into any binding engagement,
it was understood by their respective
families that the ''young folk" were
well content with each other, and would
bring matters to a more definite condi-
ton when they pleased.
Captain Lucas new cared then what
his future fate might be he was quite
content to live in the golden present
and let all other thoughts go unheeded
to the winds. What was all the rest of
the world to HIM, with ITS cares and
troubles, as he wandered towards the
hills which lay around the little Norwe-
gian village2 His arm was round his
love and her sweet voice was in his ear,
the grass was green and soft beneath
their feet, the chestnuts were bursting
into fragrant bloom on every side, and
the springtide breezes were abroad.
He had not seen her for more than
two years; and now, in the bitter WIN
try weather, when he came down to
Wolstenholme for a day or two, she had
reminded him of his old vows to obey
her slightest wish, and called upon him
to prove his truth by giving up all
thoughts of wedding her, give back the
few short letters he had received from
her, and forget all the fond words that
she had spoken under the chestnut
trees.
Two years before he would not have
stood thus, awkward and angry, with
two or three feet of space between him
and Isabel ; his arm would have been
round her waist and her small sunny
head upon his shoulder. But now times
were changed and he thought sadly of
the shadow that would come over his
life now that the greatest brightness it
contained was to be taken away. 1t
was only In Lady Isabel's presence that
he felt quite at rest 1t was only the
thought of her matchless face with its
steadfast fearlessness of expression that
restrained him sometimes from drink
ing deeply or SHINING in some grosser
way.
1t was the thought of this that
weighed most heavily upon HIM just
now ; without this tie to hold him back.
there was no knowing to what end he
might come, and he turned to the girl
who held his fate In her hands for n
last appeal.
"You give me no reason, Isabel, for
the word that sends me away a blighted
hopeless man,"
my reasons have weight enough for
me, Captain Lucas, though you will
pardon my not giving them. l have
pondered this step for a long time now,
and am sure that it is for the best.
DON'T trouble for me, Dick, for really
| am not worth thinking about" she
said with a %momentary return TO the old
fondness of manner. you know we
we're never really engaged and you
will soon forget all about me, won't you,
Dick I"
but there was . look upon Captain
Lucas's face which she had never seen
there before. He was standing erect,
taking no heed of his surroundings,
gazing out as is to pierce the fast gath
ering darkness. The blue eyes that
had given back her smiles so brightly
in that by-gone spring were as black as
night now, his dark straight brows were
knit, and his face was deathly pale, ok.
cept where the tulwar wound showed
red from ear 70 throat his hands were
clenched till the nails pierced the flesh,
and to all that she said he answered not
a word.
81 have one thing to ask you, Dick,
before We part" she said, laying her
banI ns1aa ra1ra ,tRap HE arm kIf IA a