Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-02-23

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Of ron 7 should not belieye theua. he
said very low but positively. IsisI
who know Jon and not the eid.ly
Ethrong with whom Jon have heeu cast
through weary anbsarable years.'
sYeu knew The child and not HE
WOMAN. They are two distinct be.
ipgs. Woa't you try 10 realize thai ?.
Very handsome and con,entsd This
happy man looked a. he smiled and
shook his head without the shadow Of
. doubt bat Monica. gIancing up in
his kandsome facs. felt the arrew sink
deeper stsll ia her own troubled heaf,
This y what calFuniawfal monor.
oly.' interrupted Luke Luxlord. as he
taps his friend on the shoulder light.
ly. Why. Claude. you will be re-
duced to fragments innumerable if this
continues much longer. Besides, sup.
per IS the present diversion, and il
happens to be my privilege to escort
Miss Montdevills to e very tempting
repast.' Then a little aside, he adds
meaningly. Look here. old fellow, so
much for being a chronic old bachelor.
you see. Well, / must inform Har.
ry, for misery loves company, you
know
But Lukes insinuations lost effect
for once, as day after day found
Claude Darlington a visitor to Mrs.
Harveys mansion, until that suspi-
cious lady becoming greatly alarmed
resolved to speak to Monica positive.
ly. Really she considered her better
informed. and felt quite injured to re.
alize that her instructions had been
broken.
The gay season wanes and but few
of the Summer idlers are left 20 emil.
ven Windsor Town. Even the hotels
seem quite deserted. Claude Caring.
ton thinks of this with regret and de.
cides to know his fate before Monica
is again lost in the gaieties of city life.
is preferable to suspense.
If he must be forgotten, let it be at
once and forever.
II is cloudless evening in linger.
ing Autumn. and there still rests over
land and sea a breath Of the Sum.
mer's gladness, as if to cheat the tin-
wary into the belief that Winter sicy
hand would never have power to-
blight the Joyous world Of nature.
Outside the low, wide windows roses
and chrysanthemums Of every hue still
mocked the skeleton trees, while great
heaps of gaudy leaves make colored
upon the dying grasses. They
have fallen. these graceful tremblers,
through which the wooing zephyrs
played hide and seek with the chang
ing sunlight throughout all the Sum-
mers live-long day; and row the bois-
ferrous Llasts must soon scatter them
far asunder. Some arch thoughts fit
through the mind Of Monica as she
the dainty flowers fall one by
one as each little ripple Of air shakes
the roses from their stem.
With q sigh she turns back to her
dressing case, upon which two bou-
quets rest within their silver recepta.
cles. One is bunch Of crimson buds
as deeply dyed as the hearts own
blood. The other, some snow white
lilies, surrounded with their frame
work Of delicate ferns. Even the
plain card which accompanies the lat
ter is typical of the sender. The 9TH
er forms a marked contrast with its
highly scented monogrammed embel-
lish securely pinioned with diamond
fastening. Which of these flowers
shall she wear Tonight is a question
which troubles her more than any.
thing which has ever been her privi-
lege to decide. For months past she
has worn only the spotless blossoms
which he has sent, but as it must stop
sooner or later, why not tonight? II
would tell him without words that at
last his offerings had been ignored,
while Sir Reginald Norton would
know too his question was answered
without further deliberation. Twice
she tried to fasten the ruddy flowers
on her bosom, but they fell from her
hands, and lifting the others she
pressed them unseen to her lips.
1t must be done, nevertheless, she
spoke aloud, and walking very stead.
lily to a distant drawer hid away the
unoffending lilies amidst many other
similar treasures. How loud seemed
the click of that dainty lock as she
turned the KEY, and how broken her
desolate heart.
OH ii Claude Darlington could
have but seen her tksn, how muca suf-
fsrino would have fsl,een shared ,herA