Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-01-17
CHAPTER XII.
NtA4fA 7 Nv At
NOT a TRACE. MY IAnN

CHAPTER XXI.
NOT TRACE, MY LADY,
Lady Lydia was a woman thoroughly dis
gusted with so-cailed society men. the ma
jority of whom she considered either insipid,
or hcartless; while she looked upon all as
more or less selfish.
Being girl of quick perceptions. she gen
orally managed to form a tolerably correct
opinion Of a mans character during the first
few interviews with HIM.
She was Il woman of strong physiuue
strong viii and strong intellect An only
child and the owner OF enormous property
she was the target for the flattery and sell
fishaims Of an hundred designing advent
urers. Many of her admirers were sincere
III their devotion, however, for her dispo-
sition and mental cndowmcnts were not one
whit inferior to her physical and pscuniary
attractions. But she never yet had seen
any one who had inspired her with any thing
like deep interest; and she was too sin
cere, and possessed far too much individ-
uality of character, to desire a match for
mere honor or convonienccs sake If she
ever thought Of marriage at all-and it was a
subject that rarely troubled her-her future
husband was clearly defined in her magma
ton as a man whom she could love, respect
and, perhaps, fear.
She, too. had been struck with the sad
ness and fine expression of Fairfax
countenancc on that eventful night at the
Warehouses;
When the man was under the influence of
any unusual or thrilling excitement, as he
was during that evening, his entire manner
was strikingly courteous, refined and digni-
fled. He never appeared to better ad-
vantage than when suffering pain, mental or
physical
With woman's eagerness to solve a
mystery, she desired to learn his history
She was convinced that there ,cas some
mystery connected with it, Why had he
been so disturbed at Natalie's appearancel
Then, again, he had actually ali but .'cutn
her-not Intentionally, she supposed; thus
making his action the more annoying, be.
cause Of his Observation-Disclosures
At any rate. whatever the cause, her
thoughts We're continually reverting to
Fairfax, and she found herself making the
resolve to see more Of him, and also to
fathom his relations with the Princess.
But fate, in the shape of Fairfax's willy
note, had forbidden her proposed conf
Dental little chat with Natalie upon this
eventful afternoon,
Only yesterday Lydia had written a
pleasant little note to her ''hy-away''
friend, Richard, inviting him toa dinner the
following evening, and begging him to
bring his friend Mr. Fairfax, if he liked !;
for whom she also inclosed note.
Cursing his fate and using some similar
associative expressions with regard TO the
headstrong and obstinate Fairfax. whose
ineXphcablc conduct was thus willingly
casting away so magnificent an opportunity,
Oxford sat down, grinding his teeth and
# in, /,
lite reply to Lydia, regrctting that Fairfax
had left for Havre the evening previous
with tho ntcntion Of sailing his oe.y dan
for America and that he himself was
Obliged ito depart in few hours for Paris,
whence he would soon leave either for En-
gland or for Switzerland"
This turn of affairs, while it na3yed
Lydia, only served TO make her more deter
mined, and during her ride to Dol, she
came to the conclusion that, if she would
gain any Roadway in learning the history OF
this young American, she must make her
gay young countryman the objective point
of her attack
At Fol of course, She found no Aunt
Blanche and no explanation of that lsdy's
non-appearance. Whcreupon the energetic
girl set about solving this nete mystery.
Dashing off hasty telegraph message,
she babe her c0achman hand it to the op-
orator in the depot. That Official the mo
ment he glanced at Lydia's signature, gave
the coachnan a note that he declared was
intended fer his mistress
Tearing open the letter, Lydia read:
''This is simply RISE to draw the Lady
Lydia out Of the way. Her friend, the Prin-
cess Natalie has been abducted Kindly
make known the news at Chateau Dor,
urging the uselessness of any search for
her The nclosed note is for Madame X .
To explain the letters having been in his
possession. the operator quietly handed
Lydia a large envelope, bearing the adj
dress Telegraph Operator. r. r. Station,
Dol" On slip Of paper inclosed therein
was the following request:
"Please hand this envelope to Lady Lydia
Broadacres, if she comes to the R. r. sta
ton. Otherwise, hold it for further direc-
tions.n
That was all, but quite enough to en-.
tighten Lydia.
Horror-strucs and greatly agitated, she
/ fastened back 10 the chateau.
fairfax once again was successful He
I had not planned for nothing Ere bidding
adieu TO the steward Of the ''Namovnan he
had placed in that reliable servants hand
an envelope, which you win post from
Havre,n he added II bore the postmarl5
/ of that mort. as lydia ohserYed.l
Uncertain whether or not she were the
victim of a cruel, practical joke, the poor
/ girl, in an agony Of suspense, kept urging
her coachman to speed the hcrses to THEN
/ utmost Although accompanied by heI
maid, usually great confidante, she reso
/ lutely kept the news TO herself, notwith
1 standing the anxious questions OF that kind
/ hearted body, who perceived that her young
! mistress was unusually distressed
| Lydia's lips were firmly compressed, her
| cheek was very pale, and determination ap
/ pcared in every lineament of her face
/ while that blue eye, hitherto so tender and
! melting. now glittered with baleful glare
! Of suppressed anger and distress.
1 The carriage actually arrived at the
/ chateau in somewhat less than two hours
/ The storm was fast coming on, and the
/ belated lovers, Dimitri and Catharine, sud
/ denly aroused to the fact of its rapid APP
proach, had also been making cxertions &c
! gain the shelter of the chateau ere its
breaking. They reached the gates Just
ahead Of Lydia.
The latter, subduing her agitation in or
binary tones inquired Of Catherine where
her mistress was. The maid, in surprise
and sudden alarm, replied that she supposed
the Princess had been at the chateau foi
some time, Lydia involuntarily exclaimed
THANK God / trust it is so, and began
to feel somewhat relieved. Her perturbation
might, after ALL be caused by some frightfu
| blunder. She must keep the entire affair
secret until further developments. Re
covering her selfcontrol she qutetly asked
Catharine to inform the Princess of her ar
| rival
After what seemed to her anxiety an age
she beheld Catherine returning with I
scared, white face.
''Oh, my lady, she is not here, and Dim
itri says Medji is nowhere to be found
either. Where o where can she be. AND