The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-05
Ills well to be gallant and gay,
TITS well tn he fananr on5 3fr

waiting for a glance; and she carried
from the vine as many roses as her slen-
der fingers could close around, vet
never noe turned her face toward the
spot under the locust tree, where the
young man leaned and watched her.
Was it mere caprice? John Mad
dern knew that his sweetheart was o
little c%apricious; but beauties were
always spoiled, he argued, with q tender
smile. ~
To-day there was q lurking uneasi-
ness in his heart. Leslie's rich old uncle
and his adopted son had com from
Florida the day before. Did handsome
Adrian Delafield see how beautiful Leslie
was? Her cousin, she called him.
Cousin, forsooth! That graceful, Span
ish-looking fellow, of seven-and-twentv,
vas no kin to the aged, eccentric, mis-
shapen dwarf, who, rolling in riches,
had taken a whim to adopt him as his
heir
One would think there would he a
rufiing of feathers in the dove cot of
the Lilies at the intruder, since Leslie
had always been considered Luther
Delafeld's heiress, and Leslie was her
grandmother's idol; but how the in
truder had disarmed all resentment
with his smooth tongue and charming
manners!
who was the good looking fellow"
he had heard him ask Leslie.
With that air of quiet indifference,
Leslie had replied, without q tinge of
tell-tale color:
"Mr. Maddern is one of our old neigh.
boris"
Old neighbor, indeed!
He had been wild about her eve1.
since the Darrells had come to the
Lilies. There had only been stately
Madam Darrell and the sweet, dying
girl, Aida, at tirst-these two and their
servants.
He had never known what allied Aida
Darrell, but she was fading, like q flower
from day 10 day. Before the year end
ed the young sister was called from
school to the funeral.
Hehad been commissioned by Madam
Darrell, with whom he was a favorite,
to meet her at the train.
What a flashing, impetuous, dazzling
young creature she was! They had soft
ened the blow for her. he did not
know that her lovely sister, Aida, need
ed no anxious thought of her young
heart-was beyond pain, in a casket OF
lilles-but her pitiful ignorance made
his heart ache while he wondered at her
beauty.
When he saw her again the bright
impetuosity was gone, the Young face
clouded with weeping, but the charm
the girl had cast owe him stayed. He
loved her.
After that she had remained at the
Lilies. It was two years ago. he had
come to know him we'll In all the changes
of that time. Did she care that he loved
her?
There was always q difficulty in get
ting Leslie t, be quite serious. but there
was a certain shy uplifting of the dark
eyes which he had come to consider
quite his own-a smile he believed to be
his only-and it is easy at tive-and-twen-
ty to hope.
Adrian Delatield did know that Les
lie was beautiful. having good eyes
and Il taste similar to most mems.
He surveyed the dark lustrous eyes
and peachy cheeks quite at his leisure,
and it was he who put it into Luther
Delafield's head that Leslie must 60 tc
the White Mountains with them in Au-
gust. Leslie accepted the invitation
with a girls love Of novelty, and Mad
anae Darrell consented.
She liked John Maddern, but she was
old enough to be wise, she argued.
People always needed money whenever
they married, and Leslie had better
marry where the money was. Compar-
ed to Luther Delafield's half a million,
john Madden was poor.
The latter felt all this, though not {
word was said; and he was proud, and
would not beg for Leslie's love, since
she, too, seemed careless and inditfer,
ent.
So, one fine summer day, the party
departed for the White Mountains, and
he held his peace with what grace he
might.
The trip was to be made as extensive
as possible, and Adrian Delafeld was
the most delightful of companions,
knowing the legend of every waterfall,
. A.. 1.o.4 o,,ar+, {6N 1ora1sou{ Nnf,,onfv
Such days of enjoyment, such hours
of sweet surprises, Leslie had never
known.
And one evening by Echo Lake she
looked up into Adrian Delatield's face,
and out of the fulness of her heart, in
nocently said:
aren't you happy?"
1t was enough. The young man
snatched the white hands.
II never was SO happy in my life.
Leslie! Who would not be, here will
you"
For one little instant Leslie shrank
from the vehement declaration.
Every heart knoweth it's own secrets.
and if there was q bondage all unac'
knowledged, it was a vague and sweet
one, and left the girl unsuspect1ng thai
her glad, free way might be perilous te
another man.
But her kind heart shrank from the
giving Of instant pain, and whether
Adrian Delafield suspected the truth OF
not, he vas no novice in women's hearts
and pursued his advantage.
Leslie could not he insensible to the
gentle Difference, the gallant protection
constantly offered her: and since the triI
gave Adrian Delafeld, in the accidents
of travel, every advantage, the chances
grew fast in his favor.
The lover present hid the lover absent
from her view. And at eighteen, per
haps women are apt to be inconstant,
Step BY step the nan of the world
advanced, until he believed he needed
only her promise to make Leslie his