The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-11-06
A MODERN KNIGHT.
BY EVELYN THoRP.

tSai oul, WHdb Will NOus Vail
the fact fantastic; call it absurd. But
as fact it remains. Useless to talk to
Mignon, useless to approach her. She
has her ideas, her very foolish ideas.
You say that you fell in love with her
before you knew who she was. That
your passion has waxed warm and true,
even while you have never spoken to
her. That such passion should be ro-
mantle enough to satisfy even her. tell
you, no. Are you descended from some
Crusaders Do you date back to the year
one thousands No. You have no
glamor about you you have no escutch-
con, to be gilded or otherwise. You are
PLAIN Rob Beckwith, an unadorned Amer
ican. Love you for self' You don't
know this young ward of mine. can
give you no hope. Keep away. That is
my beet advice"
This letter was directed, sealed, and
Mr.. Massey looked at it moment before
sending it,
Little fool! Where would she find
such husband as Rob2 But | care for
the boy too well to allow him to entangle
his affections for naught. She would
never have him. Better let him know
the truth from the first"
i
The band was playing and the wind
stirred softly in the acacias. The people
who had Just sauntered out from the table
d hote of the Hotel du Nord wandered
leisurely to and fro. Little Miss Fitz-
gerald watched the whole foreign scene
gloomily, the cankerworm of home-sick-
ness eating out her heart as it had done
ever since the Umbria swung out of her
New York pier three months before. She
was sacrificing her own inclinations IN
coming abroad to her niece, that adorably
pretty girl, whose eyes now rested on the
human Kaleidoscope before her with
lest as keen as Miss Fltzgerald's lack of
interes. was apparent.
But now Miss Fitzgerald said tenta-
lively.
II. your guardian-if Mr.. Massey
comes abroad in fortnight, suppose,
iiignon, he will prefer to return again
cefore the autumn? Do you think you
would be willing to return with him, my
Sear2n
There was no reply, for a flush that
was like the reelection of some sunset
cloud had suddenly dyed the girls lovely
cheek. A tall and dark-eyed young man
approached the chairs where the two Ia
dies sat.
''Do you know this young MANI
qreried bliss Fitzgerald, struck by
something insistent in the strangers
glance.
"No, aunt" said Mignon, averting
her face.
But when the music was over and the
ladies arose, there foated toward them a
certain little cosmopolitan widow whose
acquaintance they had by chance made
in travelling.
Dear Miss Fitzgerald, I want, cried
this lady, "to introduce a most charming
fellow to you-Count Holm. He speaks
English as well as you or l. Do let me
make the introduction.
And before Miss Fitzgerald could find
breath she had raised her hand beckon-
ingiy, and the tall and dark-eyed young
man OF half an hour before was bowling
to the ground before the little spinster
and her niece.
Count Holm proved worthy of the en-
dorsement given him. Even little Miss
Fitzgerald, whose dread of foreigners
was ingrained and inveterate, was COM
PEELED to admit that she had never
supposed German Count could be SO
nice.
'sThere are times when he seems to
me just like one of our own young men
at home, j" observed the little lady in the
course of few days.
"He does not seem that to me at all -
asseverated Mignon with unusual quick
nese. Anything but that!'
Her aunt turned her eyes upon her in
mid surprise. What had come over
Mignon2 Prone to dreams and sun
dry exaltations such she had always been.
But now there was something more
About the lines of her mouth and ewes
there had come an intensity, wistfulness
ana sar-awayness that had not been there
before. She started at unexpected foot.
sleeps She flushed OF grew pale with
c'it visible reason. She studied German
poetry by the hour. Count Holm trans.
lated its appealing sentiments for her in
amazingly faultess English-faultless
save for a very slight accent--and SHE
listened with lowered eyelids and fut
tering color in her cheek.
Her little aunt's words required to he
few days later as she found herself
walking with the young man through tn,
sun-fecked woods, up toward the ole
castle that dominated the town from it,
shaded heights. All about them was ,
warm scent of pine, and he was talking
slowly, softly, bending his graceful dark
head.
Long before knew you | lovet
you, he was saying, and though she tried
feebly to stem the current of this pre-
cipitious declaration, he continued:
''You think these mad words? Yo,
doubt my sinceritys | know that the
American race is slower and calmer in it.
affections; that it repudiates our warmer
passions and gives them no faith. But
ali! how wrong you arel If 70,
knew
owe are rot all of that mind" threw
IN the girl, beneath her breath.
"Ahl if only you were not If vol
could believe that loved you, even be-
fore ] he'd spoken word to you, with q
most true, most faithful, most en-.
during passion! You resume the whole
world to me! The light of sunrise and
of sunse. fingers for me in your eyes
Yes, / love youl Will you turn me away
because, forgooth, as conventional stsnd
ards go, am still a stranger to you to
day."
The words were eloquent, but the
voice and the eyes that looked into hers
were more so. Like an Americana No.