The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-20

ment, llt1e0 1er neau lTOm SuO uOoh ohS
bad been reading, paying little atten.
ton to the confidential chat which had
been going on, as usual, regardless oil
her presence.
For it seemed to be a cardinal point
in the rich young widows creed to
treat her hired dependents as ii they
were mere sticks or stones.
Leslie could not feel angry with the
charming girl who always championed
her cause so sweetly--''spoiled her, "
was Mrs. Harding's version of it; but
there was a proudly reproachtul look
in the large, deep gray eyes that shot
such a swift glance toward the speak
er. and a hot wave of crimson dyed
Leslie's fair face to the very roots OF
her rich, tawny hair.
Fannie laughed mcrrily in answer
while Mrs. Harding shot a look at the
lovely companion from her bright
black eves-an insolent look of mingled
dIluStlllCuI III NloN"Ah'
'NYhat an idea! You do take up
with such ridiculous notions, Fannie, -
she remarked, with her ever-ready
shrug, and a short, derisive laugh, that
was meant to crush in the bud any
similar motions" that might possibly
exist in Leslie's mind.
The girl, however, did not deign to
notice the intended slur. She sim
ply said, with an appealing glance that
went straight to Fannie's kind heart:
Il trust you will leave my name out
of such discussions hereafter, Miss
Remington"
And then, in her proud, quiet way,
she rose and left the % with an ali
Of graceful dignity that a queen might
have envied.
Ten minutes later, with her large
white Swiss-covered hat shading her
flushed cheeks, and her book in her
hand, she was pacing slowly up and
down the beach; but her mind and
heart were too full of excited thought
to. permit her to read, or ven to notice
the lovely scene which the sunset was
painting on the still surface of the sea.
Calmly as she had borne it, that
subtle, barbed thrust of Mrs. Harding's
had gone straight to its mark. 1t had
stung her to the very soul. 1t came
home to her now for the first time,
with a thrill of bitter shame, how com
pletely Hugh Mansfield had realized
her perfect ideal of manhood and how
often his image had, of late been a
part of her sweetest day dreams.
Several times, in the first two or
three weeks following their arrival,
they had met by chance-once during
enc of Leslie's early morning s~trolls,
when the dew was yet glistening in the
hearts of the wild flowers she was
gathering and the wood was ringing
with the trills of a thousand iuttering,
silver throated birds.
The young mans quick, firm step, as
he came striding down the woodland
path, switching the dew off the grass
with his light cane as he walked, start
led her so that she let fall the hatful OF
sweet June roses she had gathered, and
they lay scattered on the dewy grass
directly in his path.
With a graceful apology he stopped
and assisted her in gathering up her
fallen treasures; then, when he had
seen the last velvety pink blossom safe
ly replaced in the wide trimmed straw
hat, he had gone on his way with her
few modest words of thanks, uttered in
a voice marvelously low and sweet,
lingering pleasantly in his ears.
Leslie did not dream what a lovely
picture she had made that morning in
the eyes of the young millionaire
standing there in the tender light that
was still half shadow under the leafy
boughs, her soft white gown prettily
defining a 1.-the and graceful form, the
bare head crowned with rich coils Of
tawny hair that waved in silky rings
over a broad, white forehead, and the
wide straw hat, with its fiuttering pale
pink ribbons, filled to the very brim
with blushing, dew wet roses.
Nor did she know that he had secretly
carried one of those same roses away
with him as a souvenir Of his meet
ing with the lovely wood-nymph. as he
called her in his thoughts.
Later, only a few-days ago, had come
q formal introduction given by Mrs
Harding, and most reluctantly, as Les
lie clearly OWNED by the cold, har,
glitter in the widows black eyes ane
the slight, but scornfnl, emphasis Will