The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-04-12


To the girls infinite rele. Lady
Elizabeth did not reply. and. when she
next spoke. IL was upon common
place subject. Milly. studying her
handsome face coyertly. and perhaps
more closely than she had ever
done before, thought what rigid.
stern. unbending resolute face 1t was
how cold the eyes. how lnfexib
the firm lips--and felt scared at the
idea OF Ovens secret love-afa.r. He
would need al his courage. she
thought, when he asked Lady Eliza
beth Ormiston TO re Give Aaron Blair's
daughter rs his wife. His SCI ret
could not be a SO ret lolg, since MiHy
felt pcrfectly certain that Owen had
gone over TO the Thatched Cottage Tor
the sole purpose of then and there ask
ing Lily TO marry him.
She was right, Owen Ormiston had
flung doubt and prudence 10 the
winds, and had ridden of with that
determination firmly fixed In his mind,
Nothing should deter him-n0body
thwart him. II Aaron i air stoimed.
he must storm; II Lady Elizabeth dis
inherited him, why, she must--that
was al about IL. He felt in an heroic
mood, nobly braced up TO meet all the
possible exigeLcics OF the situation.
for the sake of--getting his own way!
Poverty? Well. they might be poor
most probably they would be; but,
after all, he should not mind that.
Aaron Hlaf,. .vao noor. cot xvbora Ntsaa
there more pleasant place than the
Cottage? What could be more idylic
and delightful than life wi h Lily in
the midst OF such a < orious rose
wilderness as thatP lie knew nothing
OF poverty beyond It's name he had
no clear conception OF what IL meant
or what it involved; but in his then
exalted frame OF mind he felt able TO
grapple with il. master 1t. triumph
over IL. and make Jest OF 1t. This
mood was at its height when he drew
rein at the Thatched Cottage, and and
Toss began TO bark az him vociferous-
~ through the bars OF the white
gate.
He had never before been TO the
morning, and when he had fastened
his horse under the tree by the gate,
as he usually did, and entered. he
hesitaled. doubtful as TO where he
should find Lily. II possible, he want
ed 10 see her before coming face TO
face with Aaron Blair, for those curt
words of dismissal ranklcl In him
keenly yet lie decided TO try the
garden before the house, and. passing
down the rose-walk where they had
so often fingered, he caught u glimpse
OF her dress in a little arbor NJ the
end He advanced eagerly, and then
stopped short with feeling OF dis
may; for Lily's golden head was bowed
on the little rustic table, and, al
though she was quiet and made no
sound. he felt sure that she was cry
ing. As she sprang TO her feet with
n little startled cry, hearing his foot
steps. he saw her great gray eyes
glistening with tears and her lips
quivering pitfully.
Lilly, what's the mattcrp" He had
seized her two hands in Il moment; he
had never called her by her christian
name before, and he did so now uncon-
sciously in his concern and dismay.
What Is itp Is anything wrong?n
1--WE are going away
She betrayed her feelings as simply
as n child. She was comforted in
moment by his mere presence there
beside her--bY the touch, the voice,
the face which she had SO forlornly
tried in the past night to make up her
mind that she was never TO feel or
hear or sec any more. She had been
trying TO imagine a life from which
all thoughts OF him were shut ruth
lessly out-his place blank and va
cant; and now here he was beside her,
looking into her face, holding her
hands in "a warm clasp. She did not
know TINT the look OF hali-frighicned
shy cntreaty which she gave him was
also SO innocently and pathetically
expressive OF fondness and trust.
Owen had half lost his head al
ready. and the sight OF her distress
was all that was needed TO make him
lose 1t altogether
Five minutes afterwards, Aaron
Blair, coming down the gravelled
walk between the roses. knew that he
had delayed too long and made his
move TOO late. He was "a man of
strong will. OF immense power OF self
control, for. although his brown face
whitened. the grim lines OF his jaw
and chin grew rigid. and his nails
set themselves deeply into his hard
palms, yet he forced himself TO stand
still for moment and watch them