Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-12-17
CHAPTER VII.
ALL IS Pam IL LOVE AND Wan

CHAPTER VII.
ALL Is FAIR n LOVE AND WAR
4 expect TO hear a good deal about
Colonel AccringtOn before old age makes
me deaf, " graciously observed her grace
the Duchess Of CarisbrOOke to that fair
queen Of mode, Mrs. Dellamere, on the
occasion of a garden party held at her
villa in Stafford few weeks after the
Crecy Festival He is such sad dog,
they tell me, real vaurien," pursued
the dowager; ~but what of that? an at
tache must be all things TO all men, and
he is born diplomatist l can see that
he intends TO carry that borough over
young Arden's head-he had better re-
turn from his wanderings If he means
to represent Stafford. That would be
hard hit against the monastlc Inchcape,
for he has set his heart upon Edgar's
election. Well, 10 the victor belong the
spoils-I care not which winsi"
Mrs Gellamere, who was supporting
the tottering steps of her hostess
through the bright parterres of autumn
flowers, crowded with brilliant guests,
drank in this eulogy of her old time
lover with a proudly swelling heart;
her tread grew statelier, her glance
swept around the gay scene more conf
IDENTIFY. Alas, for woman's too constant
heartl
nc DuCAt55 f4AAd WAS u mere uOll-
house, as befitted her lone and lorn con-
dition of widowhood, she said; but it
was surrounded by fine old gardens, the
pride of Stafford, and there she was fond
of holding grand reviews of the beauty
and fashion of the neighborhoOd. To
day all our friends had mbled-the
Crecys, Deliameres. mother and daugh-
ter-and not until they were some time
there, and no escape possible without a
scene, did Colonel Accrington saunter in
among them on the arm of his uncle and
present host, Rear Admiral Archerfield,
with his admirer Lucius Leicester in
close attendance.
Mrs. Crecy's pleasure was gone; the
wrath of wronged EngelOnde Inchcape
ever stood between her and Richard
AccringtOn; but as she only suspected
him, and had no proof against him, she
had not even opened her mind to her
husband, who accordingly ran to greet
their old acquaintance with beaming
cordiality. Auberon Crecy and Love-
day Dellamere, who had been engrOssed
with their gay companions in some of
the amusements provided. became aware
of his presence by a subtle magnetism
the moment he approached, and fol-
lowed his every movement with reluc-
tant consciousness.
Colonel Accrington affects me singu-
larly," whispered Auberon in LOyeday's
dainty sea-sheil ear, "what do you think
of him?"
4 don't know what, but I think a
great deal about him, and 1 don't know
why, returned she. with an impatient
little frOwn. Nobody ought to have so
much power over others, it is a danger
Gus gift"
Auberon gazed earnestly upon the
fairy creature, so artless and so igno-
rant and said. imperiously:
beautiful little leOpards are not
proper objects for girls romantic
Dreams won't have you going within
reach OF his YelVet-sheathed claws
1.-THE only way to prevent it is to be
moe fascinating yourself, said Love
day, moving away with challenging
smile
Meanwhile the Duchess was pursuing
her conversation with Mrs. Dellamere
with her usual malice prepense.
ado you know why l have taken up
Richard AccringtOn?"
Il dare not con lecture, if it is not
from amiable courtesy To a stranger"
replied Mrs. Dellamere, placidly.
-Ha, hal l don't do things Tor moth
ing. / have Merrion Rae staying with
me this summer; she wants AuberOn
Creey. but L intend him fOr-hem-fOr
somebody else Merton Rae's q fine
girl, good blood, beauty, no mOney-she
She looked round at Mrs. Dellamere's
startled face, but caught nothing more
interesting than that first Jwitch OF sup
pressed anguish, succeeded by a COM
placent brow.
%An excellent match, should say,
observed she, with al the congealing
grace Of a finished manner; @let US hope
the lady will prove dOcile."
mo fear of that. once Auberon
Crecy's booked for the other girl,
chuckled the ancient eynie. Il hear
AccringtOn is buying that fine old place,
Sheldralk Castle, near Archerheld's
barracks. Twas in the family genera
lions ago, you know, and was squandered
away by clever scOundrel just like
Dick. I'm going to have him restore il,
furnish it splendidly, and take his wife
home He shall have the Rae. she's the
handsomest thing of the seasOn-every-
bOdy's daughters excepted, of counsel"
added her grace, with a court bow a
century old.
~He has returned with wealth then?"
said Mrs. Dellamere, languidly in
terested-
with a face like his for thati He did
something somewhere, and got cut at
the secret service fund, and so-he's
able to buy an ancestral castle and a
borough.
Thus the old gossip prattlei on. and
even she, suspicious as she was, could
not half comprehend the feverish in
terest with which Laura Dellamere
listened to the splendid fortunes of this
once obscure man whom she had madly
betrayed in her fatal ambit on TO wed
vita Dellamere, the old, cold, brutal
husband who was dead.
She had broken AeeringtOn's heart
Tor thought she hadl as ruthlessly as
she had broken her own; and had borne
proudly ala the disgusts and bitternesses
OF life since; aye, even during that sick
ening time when the man she had loved
seemed to come back to her with timld
and tender adoration-Only 70 fly IKE
mailman from England for love OF Lady
Inchcape
But he has come once more, All. why2
She Is so weary OF regret so famished
for = true love. that she dreams beWil-
dering dreams where al seems possible.
and almost believes IN the mystical mi
lliment OF her lies unaeknoWledged
hope
It's the third time Of his conlnE-
Fortune has special 5'essing Tor Ham-
Der Three
ee|qnsi AeeFlRgtoR had ne1 sss1 isis