Nevada County picayune., 1892-02-25

she dragged the elderly fance away
from his betrothed.
Turn about is fair play" he said
soberly. "Diana, will you take my
ARM"
She would not refuse it, though he
observed her hesitate. In minute
they were walking along the gravell-
ed drive, on into the frost kissed
garden, along the winding paths
shining in the moonlight. Finally
in that very arbor where he had met
and kissed Dolly, Rupert suddenly
stopped and threw at hi. companion
a look that turned her pale cheeks
even paler. A cry of anguish, long
stfled, uncomfortable, burst from him
in few desperate words:
"Diana, why have you treated me
so? came back to you, after five
years toll for us both, faithful, low
-
ing, ardent, eager-and you froze
me with a look. In one cruel
moment you allowed me to see that
your love for me was dead. 1t is
late to speak to you now, but must
ask you why you treated me so
cruelly?'
tits late, as you say and you
seem to have easily comforted
yourself. "
"Ah, now you are bitter Would
you like it better if you had crushed
all life and hope out of me; You
tried hard enough! Little Dolly
liked me and wa. sorry for me-
| WAS grateful to her-I shall try to
make her happy; but there will only
be one love for me in this world,
Diana"
Rupert"
The passionate ring of pain in her
voice thrilled him with Wonder.
Diana"
1T is wicked eeeilful-terrible
for you to say this to me now
Rupert, | was within hearing of your
every word when You came back
that day, met my sister on this very
spot, mstook her for me, kissed her
for me-and then-loved her for
herself"
"As heaven is over US, Diana, you
do me strange injustice. | did mis-
take Dolly for you and l admired her
because she was like you. In my
heart | laughed at her girlish vanity
and condemned her seliishness in
! five minutes / saw that her soul was
not like her body, the image OF yours !;
when | found you, at last, my very
heart melted in speechess love at
the sight Of the grave, noble, beauti-
ful girl whom l thought my own /;
you know how you received me,
Diana-how you shrank from me
II seems so strange to me that you,
of all wunvn, should he cold and
worldly for il is his money alone
for which you must be marrying this
other man.
He stood and looked at her as if
trying to understand and read the
beautiful woman who had bailled
/ him.
He looked haggard in the moon
light--unutterbly sad and hopeless.
Her dark blue eyes searched his
for a moment, then her white face
was buried in her hands.
1T is all mistake on both sides, :"
she whispered. II was too proud
too sensitiYe-and Dolly was artful.
| thought YOU liked her hest that
was forgotton-merged in this fresh
er charm--that you would be glad to
be free. And so | spoke but it
broke my heart. Oh, Rupert, why
dc | tell you this now! 1t is too
late Oh, Dolly cruel cruel Dolly"
"Oh, Dolly! cruel, cruel Dolly''
Knocked voice, but it was not
Rupert's.
And then Diana raised her startled
face from her hands and looked
about.
There, close beside her stood her
naughty sister, recklessly laughing.
"lt's the very strangest thing"
she went on, unblushingly. "Of all
condolences it Is the luckiest-that
Mr.. Burleigh should just have been
! telling me that it was me he first and
last only wanted, though my sister
was awfully nice and all that; and
II Iiko his money-and now !
have come to ask, may | have him
Diana? "A far exchange is no rob
berry, they say, and it will be such
fun to surprise every body"