The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-22
FOR HER.
A LOVE STORY BY MARY ANGELA
DICKENS, GRANDDAUGHTER OF
THE NOVELIST.
CHAPTER /.

| CHAPTER I.
"Katherine, you really s"e terrible
personl Do you know that you've
nearly walked me to death2"
1t was late in the afternoon of a
dull November day, not pleasant
time for walking, certainly in London
or anywhere else for thaS matter. Nor
are those London streets which consist
of "good houses" particularly cheerful
spots to walk after dark, since passe-s-
by are few and far between, and the
lighting arrangements of the most fee.
BILE desc ption. On this particular
evening the paveme1ts were muddy,
the air raw and disagreeable, and alto
gether the two ladies who were walk.
ing along at bri pace world have
seemed more in their proper place in a
hanson cab. They were both of them
well and handsomely dressed, and had
general air about them of belonging
to that class which do go about in
hanson cabs on the smallest provocl-
ton.
The lady who was addressed as
Katherine, who was walking with a
curious air of satisfaction 10 the sense
of movement aud of oblivion of her
surroundings, started as her omp auion
spoke, "No osense, Eleanor" she said,
"you cant be really tired. We have
not done so very much
1t was strange voice, rather d seper
than most women's, with a ring about
it that seemed to indicate an unusual
strength of character, accustomed, IN
consciously perhaps, to dominate
where it touched. But it was not a
hard voice, very far from that; it was
wonderfully musical and sympathetic,
and the impulsive way in which she
spoke deprived her words of any touch
of harshness.
"Not done much" echoed her com
panion, "not done much! My dear
Katherine. are you absolutely untirable7
We've only been out since one O'Clock,
and we've not sat down at I'll except
in shops. l never knew any one 80
restless.
They were curiously restless eyes in
to which the speaker was looking,
though the rest of the face was study
enough, aud Miss Grahame's voice as
she answered was very gentle. Il am
sorry, Eleanor. Have really knock
ed you upf Well, here we are aud
some tea will do you good, won't It'll
Well have it.
She stopped abruptly. They were
Just going up the steps of well-kep,
house, and as she spoke the door was
opened suddenly ard a man cam,
out--a tall man, with sensitive, hag
gard Ease and deep black eyes, which
might have been very fine if it had no
been for a certain strange expression
of desperate craving which seemed t,
lurk in them. As he saw the tw,
ladies he, too, started violently, and hi
lips whitened and contract d suddenl,
and very curiously. He came quickl,
down the steps toward them.
"Miss Graheme," he began, in ;
voice which was at once eager and res
trained. 81 was afraid i should mis-
you altogether. l called about al
hour ago, and IL thought Nigh
wait. How do you do, Mrs Adderley,
this to the other lady whose manne
and countenance had changed, appar
emily at the sight of him, from its ex
; preston of plaintive amiability to on
of uneasy and indfnite dislike.
"How do you do, Mr.. Leigha" sh
said coldly, and he turned again t
Miss. Grahame.
7 "May I-may come back later on,
he said, sin about an hour?'
! "Wont you come in nowf' Th
9 deep voice was low and very swee
! and Mrs. Adderly's as she heard
= grew colder aud colder still. "Mrl
Q Adderley and l have been shoppin
3 together, and now she has come bac
with me to have some tea; won't 20
come in again and have some, tooi"
"Not now, thank you," he said, a
ways with the strange undertone i
his voice. Il have an appointment
but if may come back-'"
81 shall be very glad,' she hesitate
second and then gave him her han
and passed on into the house, 1t VIZ
not large house; as Miss Graham
's had no near relations and lived thei
alone there was no reason,why it shoul
:. be. But it was beautifully furnishe
q and the drawing room, in which t.
u was waiting for the two ladies, presen
y ed picture of dainty comfort, at Ii
: sight of which Mrs. Adderley gave
heavy sigh of relief. 1t was deligh
fully lighted by several softly shade
lamps and sweet faint smell f,
flowers filed the warm air.
But strange shadow seemed
have fallen between Miss Grahame al
% her visitor. For some minutes Meth
" of them spoke. Miss Grahame hi
given her hat and cloak to her mai
and was standing by the tea-table pou
ing out the tea, with curious preo
cupied expression in those restless ey
of hers. Wonderful eyes they were
n large and deep and changing, not on
in expression, but absolutely in cole
almost with each thought that pass,
through her mind. For the rest, b
face could hardly be called beautif
Z. the features were not sufficiently re
a. ular. But no one who looked Al
ID once could fail to look again and aga
1t was always very pale, not with t
= psllor of i'll health, but with a natul
whiteness, against which the dal
delicately penciled eyebrows, and Ion
curling eyelashes, showed even dark
than they really we're. The lips We
J, full and firm, and about the whole fs
u even in repose, there was ouIio
g suggestion of latent passion a
power. She was a woman of perha
two or three and thirty. She rous
herself at last, and turning suddenly
Mrs. Adderley, almost az though 8
had forgotten her presence, made sol
trivial remark about their afternoo
!, work. But Mrs. Adderley did 4
" " answer her. She was slipping her t.
- with serious and rather doubtful ,
ey preston of countenance.
"Katherine," she began tentatiyel