Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-02-20

those around ner. carrying ugnJ. ana
joy. and laughter, and merry music
with her as she goes"
You speak like a lover" says Lady
Rodney, with an artificial laugh. DO
YOU repeat all this to Dorothy? She
must find it very interesting.
Dorothy and are quite agreed about
Mona, replies he. calmly. ''She likes
her as much as l do. AS to what you
say about her encouraging Lauderdale S
attentions, it is absurd. No such evil
thought could enter her head"
At this instant soft, ringing laugh,
that once heard is not easily forgotten,
comes from an inner room. that is care
fully curtained and delicately lighted,
and smiteS upon their ears.
1t is Monas laugh. Raising their
eyes, both mother and SOIL turn their
heads hastily land quite involuntarily)
are SO situated InaI Iney can see INTO
the curtained chamber ard mark the
picture it contains. The duke is bend
ing over Mona in manner that might
perhaps be termed by an outsider slight
IL eTnpreSSe. and Mona is looking up at
him, and both are laughing gayly.-MO-
ma with all the freshness of unchecked
youth. the duke with such a thorough
and wholesome sense of enjoyment as
he has not known for years.
Then Mona rises. and they both come
to the entrance of the small room, and
stand where Lady Rodney can over
hear what they are saying.
''Oh. so you can ride, then" says
Lauderdale, abiding probably to the
cause of his late disaster.
-,
used to ride the colts barebacked at
home"
Lady Rodney shudders.
sometimes l long again for mad,
wild gallOp straight across country,
where nobody can see me,-such as |
used to have" goes on Mona, half re-
gretfully.
And who allowed you to risk your
life like that?" asks the duke. with sim
pie amaZement. His sister, before her
marriage, was not permitted to cross
the threshold without guardian AZ her
side. This girl is revelation.
No one, " says Mona. 4 had no need
to ask permission for anything. l was
free to do what | wished"
She looks up at him again with some
fire in her eyes and a flush upon her
cheeks. Perhaps some OF the natural
lawlessnesS of her kindred is making
her blood warm. So standing, however,
she is the very embodiment of youth,
and love. and sweetness, and so the
duke admits.
Have you any sisters?" he asks,
vaguely.
NO. Nor brothers. Only myself.
"I am all the daughters of my fathers house,
AMI all the brothers tOo""
She mods her head gayIy as she says
this, being pleased at her apt quotation
from the one book she has studied very
closely.
LnO uunO IvoUo no nCdu IIorIO.
DO you know" he says, slowly, star
ing at her the while, you are the most
beautiful woman | ever saw"
"Ah! so Godfrey says" returns she,
with a perfectly unembaTaSSed and
pleased little laugh, while great CLEAN
of tender love comes into her eyes as
she makes mention of her husband S
name. But | really am not, you know"
This answer, being 50 full of thorough
Inconsistencies and childish Hdirde
has the effect of reducing the duke to
common sense once more. and Of max
ing him very properly ashamed of him
self. He feels, however, rather out of
it for minute or two. which feeling
renders him silent and diStJud. So Mo
ma, flung upon her own resources, looks
round the room, seeking for inspiration,
and presently finds it.
"What a disagreeable-lOOki man
that is over tnCre!' she says; the man
with the shaggy beard, mean, and the
long hair"
She doesn't want in the very least to
know who he is, but thinks it her duty
to say something, as the silence being
protracted grows embarrassing.
The man with the name? That is
Griffith BiOunt. The most objection
able person any one could meet, but toll
Grated because his tongue is so awful.
Do you know Colonel Graves? No!
Wen, he has a wife calculated to terrify
the braveSt man into submission, and
last year when he was going abroad
BlOunt met him, and asked HIM before
rOomful if he was going for pleasure,
or if he was going to take his wife
with HIM Neat, wasn't it? But |
don't remen Der hearing that Graves
liked it"
1T was cry unKnd," says Mona;
land he has hateful face"
"He has says the duke. "But he
has his reward. you know: nobody likes
him. BY tie bye, what hOrrid bad times
they are having in your land.-ricllS of
hay bur ing nightly, cattle killed. every
body !oycotted, and small children
snearf iL'
ITO be Contjnuedl