The Forrest City times., 1891-12-25

take . month over . move, there's good boy.'
 Roland looked up. lima leaned back, clasping her hands behind her head, and met his eager look with one of indiffer- ence.
 "You see," he said, M am not thinking of the game"
 "Then wish you would, or shall read book while you are meditating."
 .llma, why are you % crueli"
 His tone and look startled, even fright ened her; but she was too young to know how to meet such an advance. She turned pale, but her eyes flashed angrily.
 aDon't be foolish, Roland, or"
 sI am not foolish, Ilma," he interrupt ed. sI mean what ssy-I do indeed"
 "well, then, am foolish, and don't know what it is that you mean, and I don't want to know. will sweep up the men If you will not finish the game prop erly."
 .Ilma, will you let me explain another time!"
 "Yes-no-how can stop youf Do move your queen, or shall take her."
 Roland turned very red and obeyed in silence, though he bit his lip till the blood almost came. In three moro moves he was chcckmated; and lima declared he de- served Janic's condemnation.
 "Play game Of drauyhts, lima; that won't take long, and it's quite early in the evening""
 "Not now, Rol-presently."
 "Thcy don't want you over there. They are playing at something"
 But, eycn as he spoke, Darrell crossed the room; and the next moment he was bending down to llma.
 aAm too inpatient May not beg now Tor n little music"
 How different this man from blunt coun- tryticd lsoland--the soft sweetly ly-modulat- ed voice, the crisp refined accent, the tone hall.plcading, wholly deferential, the man. uer that forbade denial because 1t made a favor of acquiesccnce! Was Roland so blind that he could not see how the young face lighted up as it was turned to Dar- relI? Was his ear too dull to catch ring in the girls voice that was not in 1t when she spoke to her Cumberland cousins
 "What shall play" she asked, rising at once.
 "Play some of the pieces you played from memory at the Court the other day."
 "somer' said lima, laughing. "You mean one.o
 "Do you offer wineglass of water to . thirsty man, Ilmas You know you would never tire me with music. You might be- come weary of playing, but should never be tired of listening"
 lima went to the piano and played, and Roland came near--not that he cared for classical music or understood 1t, but he could not bear to leave lima alone with Sir Philip Darrell.
 Cuddanty Roland u0ficed ftat the dam ask rose was gone.
 "Ilma," he said, as the girl struck the last chord in q morccau of Schubert's, "where's your rose?"
 Ilma started and looked down at her dress.
 al don't know" she answered.; "1 did not take it out. must have dropped it."
 "Perhaps while you were playing chess," suggested Sir Philip.
 aNo; I saw it when you left the table," said Roland.
 .It must be somewhere about the foor;" and lima looked around her. "Neyer mind, Roland; you'll have to give me an- other"
 Just then Rose drew near.
 "Roland, we want you for whist; aunt Rachel has no partner. Come along.e
 Roland could not we'll refuse; he could not make a pretence of wanting to hear classical music; so he was fain to be vic- tim-and never was there a more unwill- ing one.
 "Will you play that last piece again" asked Darrell as soon as he was gone.
 lima complied, and while she played, Sir Philip, who was looking down, caught sight of something lying near his foot. It was Hollands little-cared-for rose. He did not pick 1t up Ut once; but when lima had finished playing, he raised it and placed it on the piano before her.
 ..Your rose,n he said. sI wonder that did not see it earlier; it fell close to me-"
 "Thanks.o There was no pleasure in her face. She took up the rose as if she hardly knew what to do with 1t. "The stalk is broken off," she said with per. plexed look. "I can't put 1t back in my dress; it's not much good now," and she let 1t drop on the piano again.
 Sir Philip Darrell bent forward with . quickly drawn breath, and his deep gray eyes flashed.
 .sYou have not always so treated the gift of d hower," he said.
 crimsan = the rose itself were Ilma's cheeks and brow; n eyes, haif turned to him, had seen the look in his, her ear had caught-uay, to her very heart had rung the tone in his voice. Yet she knew nothing and felt nothing clearly. She had q sense of losing some safeguard, of hay. ing some veil or mask torn from her. She saw how Darrell read her conduct about the flowers he had given her; but she could not, in that bewildering moment, tell whether he was right or wrong. She could not think at all.
 Darrell, man of the world with . wo- mans subtlety of perception, saw that this child who turned from him and knew not how to answer him had given him more than her lips could have told him, than her own heart, half child's, half woman's, could have told herself; and back on her soul came the surge of the reaction. The daring words he had spoken should never have passed his lips. Had he said too much to draw back in honor! Nay, if she loved him, of what use to draw backi It would be too late to save her. sIfv H. ma was still child in many things. How should she give to him, he asked himself again, in so short time, such love as he gave to her? At least he could test it, at least he could find out by absence if he had won woman's heart, or only the girlish love that was more Of the imagination than the heart.
 Quickly ali this flashed through Sir Phil ip Darrell's mind-so quickly that there was scarcely moments pause before he laid his hands lightly on the keys. as though he was speaking of some piece of music to her, and, forcing back from eye and lip all that made his heart beat so wildly, said earnestly
 al should not pain you, lima; let nay words pass-not as a Jest--no--I wounded