Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-21

quickly to be noticed. And Claudia
was smiling softly and regretfully
into bis gloomy, dark face.
"Surely 1 WILL" she said in silky
tones. "But we shall be doubly dis
appointed, because this time we were
to have nobody but just our own
select selves. That Lorne girl is
away somewhere on one of her queer
and dreadful unconventional RAM
bles, and everything is always nicer
when she is gone-everybody al
ways feels so constrained and en-
barrassed when such people thrust
themselves into any little gathering.
And with that evenomed trust the
fascinating Claudia turned, blew
him a gay kiss from her finger-tips,
and SO fripped off toward the Moss
clffe house.
The poisoned shaft struck its
mark and ranked sorely.
Somerset had grown strangely
changed and aged, during these
days.
His dark eyes had strained look:
his fine face was white and hag-
gard, and marked with lines of pain.
At Ciaudla's malicious speech
those strange eyes flashed indig-
nantly; an angry red flush kindled
upon each haggard cheek,
He resumed his walk with an ex-
cited and unsteady stride.
ut is such pity" he repeated,
in the wretched, haunting old re-
frain. ut is such sad pity that a
refined and sensitive girl, fitted by
every accomplishment, and every
splendid quality of mind and spirit
to sit at a kings right hand, should
be subjected to sights and con-
tumely on account of her unfortu-
nate birth. Ah, my darling, 1
would lay down my life, if by 80
doing could shield you from thisW
Something Of his own incons ST
ency must have struck him for a
moment.
For suddenly he started as It
stung, and his look changed.
"What a pitiful coward I have
been," he murmured. HBut 1 viii
be so no longer. 1 can shield you,
my beloved, and 1 will. You
shall be my wife, my Theo-if in
deed, as have sometimes dared to
believe, your priceless love is mine.
He had reached the rivers bank,
absently unmoored his boat, and
was rowing aimlessly down the
stream.
His decision had already light
ened his burden of distress; his dis
tracted mind was becoming calmer.
But he was still too perilously en-
crossed by his own reflections.
Suddenly there were shouts Of
warning from the water, and clear,
ringing cry from the bank.
But the warning was too late.
Somerset's atom of a boat had COL
lided violently against the bow of q
rushing sloop.
The boat lurched to one side, half
filed with water, theu righted it.
self, rocking fearfully.
Somerset had struck his head upon
something at the instant Of the col
lsion, and he vas lying senseless,
his body across the bow and partial
ly dragging through the water.
Any instant the rocking boat
might overturn, and the insensible
man drop like store to the bottom.
The sloop had gone some distance
before she could stop, shift her sail,
and go back to the, rescue. And
the numerous craft, darting hither
and thither, were too far away to
help him.
There was second clear and re-
sounding cry from the bank. And
then dainty figure In ivory-white
flashed forth from the shore, cleav-
ing the blue water with long, swift,
graceful strokes.
Theo reached the sinking boat
just as the sloop had succeeded in
turning back and just as the sense
less man was slipping from the bow
helplessly down and downward
into the deep river.
In an instant Theo had grasped
him with one firm hand, and was
swimming back for the shore.
Before she reached 1t, and just as
she felt her own strength failing, a
couple of shells had overtaken her
and she and the now reviving
Somerset were assisted in safety to
the bank.
He could not help understanding
Claudia's trickery. And she had
really uttered no falsehood; she had
framed cunning speech without
mentioning names, by which she
could easily deny any intention Of
Aa.ntx,,nax hs..,