Telegram-herald., 1889-10-24

ference - long that scarcely feel as Il
cared enough about myself 70 take ad-
vantage Of the offer Then l cannot
bring myself u taink Of selling Clare
mont, though / know that = penniiess
man has no right u the luxury Of senti-
mental attachments II were ia Egypt
Is would not matter - me that some up
start speculator owned the Old place
Il think IL would. said Miss Nil
bourne.
No, IL would not, was the obstinate
reply Il should take care 70 hnd a
Iotos as soon ss l reached the Nile. Who
ever eats Of that forgets his past life,
you know. l have scant reason for
wishing 70 remember mine. he added
little bitterly.
Memory Is certainly more often =
sting than a pleasure, said Miss Nil
bourne. 1T is strange" she added,
that we should both have thought of
obtaining fOrgetfulness through the
same means When Mr. Brent asked
me- ~hsI 10 should bring me from Egypt,
| said lotos Of the Nile. II he fulhlls
his promise. will share il with you"
Il am not sure that l cara 20 be in
debted even for forgetfulness 70 Mr..
Brent, said Victor Clare. ungratefully.
He was sorry the moment after for
having spoken 80 curtiy, and would have
made amends by promising 10 accept a
dozen lotoses IL she desired 70 bestow so
many upon him; but Miss Milbourne had
already turned 70 her neighbor on the
other side and plunged into converse
tion. lis il not strange that Egypt
should be waking from her sleep OF cen
turiesF she said; and-while the gentle
man whom she addressed took up the
theme readily-Mrs. Lancaster rose and
sauntered round the group TO where Vic
tor Clare was lying.
Come, Monsieur Incidence, and take
a walk, she said. II think the police
mans motto is right-Keep moving.
When one stops TO think about anything,
even about the heat, il makes 1t worse"
Now, however comfortable q man
may De, if he is hidden TO rise by a
| pretty woman who stands imperiously
over hinzs the chances are that be obeys.
So il was with Clare. He most assured
~
ter. and quite as assuredly he did want
TO stay just where he was, with the hem
Of Eleanor Melbourne's dress touching
him and pervading sense Of her pres
ence near; even when she encouraged
stupid people to expose their ignorance
on the Egyptian question. Yet he found
himself walking away with the pretty
widow before five minutes had passed.
81 know you are not obliged TO me-"
she said when they had gone some dis
tance. But your divinity is talking
commonplaces, or listening TO them,
which amounts TO the same thing; SO l
fancied you might spare me ten minutes.
I want to know If that was q mere asser-
ton for effect minute ago. or il you
are in earnest in thinking of going to
Egypt"
Il never talk for effect" said Victor,
with a hauteur that was spoilt by
slight touch Of petulance. 81 always
mean what say and l certainly am in
earnest in thinking of going to Egypt"
May l ask why?"
Il am surprised that you should need
| to ask. Ones friends usually know ones
affairs at least as well as ones self
sometimes much better. Everybody who
| knows me knows that am poor man"
Not so poor that you need go to
I Egypt in search of fortune, however"
said she. stopping short and looking at
him keenly. Confess" she added.
that you are about to expatriate your
self in this absurd fashion because
Eleanor Mlbourne means to marry
Marston Brent"
Your acuteness has carried you too
far" said he. laughing. but not quite nat
urally. Miss Milbourne's matrimonial
choice is nothing to me- have thought
| Of this step for some time. Gen. --s
letter is a reply to my application
forwarded months ago. Yet now that
| the answer has come" he went on, Il
scarcely care to grasp the advantage it
| offers. Indifference has infected me like
\ poison. | feel more inclined TO rust
out on the old place than to sound boots
and saddle again"
But why rust OUT she asked. inn
| Detuously. Are there not careers enough
open to your Then. after minute:
Are there not other women in the world
! besides Eleanor Milbourae?"
Perhaps so. alittle doggedly. There
are other stars in the heavens besides
Venus, but who sees them when she IS
above the hoTizons"
"How kind and complimentary you
I arer said Mrs Lancaster with a slight
+ tone Of bitterness in her voice.
Forgive me, said he after n minute.
+ Il am fool on this subject. and. like
: fool. I always say more than / mean.
/ No doubt there are other women in the
world even more beautiful and more
/ charming than Eleanor Milbourne. bat
they are nothing to mo.
In other words. you are determined
to believe that the grapes above your
reach, instead u being sour. are the
I sweetest in existence"
AT least harm only myself BY such
an hsllucination. If it il an hsllucina-
ton
/ A" But you NAV harm yourself more
i then you imagine. said she with a ner-
vous cadence in her voice. For the
/ sake of hopeless passion fJT a woman
7 Who has no more heart shan nv fan you
Y viii sacrifice more than you are aware
/ of-more. perhaps, than you can ever re
I gain.
She laid her hand-a pretty. white
7 hand, cleaning with jewels-on his arm
az the last words, and it was fortunate,
( perhaps. that she could not teu with
( What an effort he restrained himself from
shaking it impatiently OF A quick feel