Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-24


time, though she didn't know it.
By-and-by, when the coaches Were NOV
ing on at walking pace, the iron man
asked Valerie:
WAS not that Mr.. Charters you bowed
TO a little while agos"
He had heard of Louis from Mrs. Lang
ley, though not of encouragement between
the young man and Valerie.
Yes" she answered, nonchalaDtly.
My lady was somewhat offended by the
tone.
He scarcely looked pleased to see you,"
continued Lawford; was it because you
were hereby me?"
Valerie opened her great eyes on him
with a stare of comical surprise.
why should he, or anyone. mind that?'
she said, with that determined nai2ete
which is sometimes very az Lravating in
lovely woman, but very witching all the
same. Il might have been with anyone
else The Duke of - offered me his box.
seat; and poor little Emily almost knelt &c
me TO go ON his
"And yet" said Lawford, lowering his
tone, you gave me the preference"
simply" with shrug, because if
went with the Duke the Duchess would be
jealous; and heartily dislike Emily"
Lawfortl'S brow darkened.
Am only a pjs GlIcr them" he said.
you should take blessings as they come"
said Valerie, gravely, "and not inquire too
closely why they come Mono more,
please. One positively can not be serious
on the bOX-seat of a coach; though l verify
believe you would be serious at a carnival"
And you serious at nothing" returned
T NrJ oh To
lerie in a selfish, narrow fashion; or, mora
correctly, he was daZzled and infatuated,
and wanted her beauty to crown the edifice
of his wealth-and shed. by its fame, kind
of halo over himself.
His gentle blood and goOd-breeding saved
him from being snob in the worst and
most vulgar sense; but there is a kind of
snobbery which may be found among
well-bOrn men and women, and is more or
less offensive to fine senses; and to this
class Aston Lawford Belonged; a pride, not
of wealth, but of those things which wealth
procures-hs pictures, his horses, his
establishment generally The iron enter
ed into his SOUL Max Beauregard said of
him once; and, it may be added, the witty
paraphrase in application, but not of words,
was somehow repeated to Aston Lawforl,
and then he never for-avc it.
Now you are cross, said Valerie, very
coolly, and Struggling her shoulders; but
nwardly she quailed. Was she going too
far with this man? She had never sup
posed that he really cared for her. Could
it be that he did-that she was trifling with
him?
And you-crueln' returned Lawford,
lowering his colors at once. Valerie would
have respected him better if he had been
less really to yield. As it was she answer
ed by another shrug, and bowed with un.
necessary CnprCSScmCat 10 larry Dallas,
who was on horseback among the spect;l,
tors.
Some of the coaches, among them Law
forl's and Gerald 3 'aurcgardS, drove
down TO the Crystal Palace for lu"c seon,
and there, rs everywhere, Valerie Ii , b ut
Was the centre of attraction. If HON re
AMI flttery could make happiness, she
ought to have been sublimeIy happy.
Lady EliuOr remarked to her huSbaui t:!at
the g.ri tl.r;ed 0utrageouSly, aud he smile |.
''W hat can be expected" he said, "Wnen
a girl is 50 fascinating, ana men ma le stcl
a fuss with her? But 'Outra9eou1ly' is
strong term. Is the Lewforl affair set.
tled2"
Her aunt told me yes. Valerie has gone
almost too far to recede; besides, why
should she, unless some duke or earl came
forWard-and there are none eligible at
present.
And when Gerald and his wife returned
to Whitehall Gardens, Max threw down
the book he had been holding, but not
reading, the last ten minutes, and asked
them, smiling, how the meet had gone of?
'Splendidly!" said Lady ElinOr. why,
have you heard nothing about it,"
Il was at the War Office" he answered,
until three O'Clock, and then | had lot
of letters to write, 50 came straight home.
You seem tired, Gerald he added, to his
brother.
81 am; you know how little [ care for
London life. | shall take myself off to Alb
bots Leigh very soon, and leave you tc
take care of Nellie"
Then Lady ElinOr began to tell all about
the meet and the luncheon, and of course
Valerie came to the front. How she look
ed what she wore, how everyone said it
would BE- "a match" with Lawforl; how
she flirted, and all the rest of it. To which
Colonel Beauregard listened with due
amount OF interest, and gave no hint that
he was on the rack the whole time; and
Lady ElinOr afterward said complacently
to her husband:
cit is lucky Max doesn't seem to have
taken fancy to Valerie Herbert He
wouldn't get over it as most men get over
disappOintments.'
If she had seen Max Beauregard when
he was alone again-seen the gray agony
of his face, heard the whisper: Goa, Heav-
en-! oh, Valerie! my love, my love!'-her
shrewd ladyship, who tlattertd herself that
few men or women could deceive her,
might have owned that one man, at least,
knew how to keep the pcnsicH Strciti be,
hind the UOltO SCutO.
CHAPTER XXIV.-'I CANNOT MARRY Your