Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-02-18
CHAPTER III.

pore me, holding my hands tightly cla>ped
In his, and speaking in clear low voice.
CHAPTER XI.
''When went away. Nellie" said Mark,
II did love you with al my heart. Do
you remember how my father teased us,
Ind called my love lads love?"
''And said it would IDEAS soon," re-
marked.
1T was lads love, Nellie, but it was
honest, eager and trne. You filled my
beart, and had no thought save for you.
I would have given up going to India. but
my lather was not willing. Would to
heaven that had! l lett England, Nellie,
IN the hope of returning at the end Of four
years and making you my wife My
fathers death was blow to me. should
throw up my appointment. shall tell
you the candid truth. Nellie; | will not
hide one word, one thought from you.
During the first year of my absence, loved
you as truly and dearly as ever. You
tere never out of my thoughts by day or
year-.-ah, Nellie, if l wound you, | wound
myself more deeply!---the second year l
found myself thinking more my work.
] had been promoted, and the difficulties
pr my profession engrossed me. | thought
less OF you but | loved you just the same.
own that some little GOODNESS crcpt into
ny letters, that at times l missed mail;
put my heart was true to you. One thing
that had an evil influence over me was the
constant chatting OF my comrades. 1t
was strange that the cry of lads love-
should be used in India as it had been in
England. They laughed at the number of
letters that came in your dear hand writing.
sent awav. They said that it was lads
love, that in few years time l should
laush at it, that all the boys suffered from
It, and, though at times | blu>hed over it,
yet my heart was always true to you;
Nellie'
He stopped and looked into my miserable
lace. l could not keep my, lips from
Quivering, and my eyes were heavy with
dnshed tears.
"Nellie," he said, "have you heard any
news---anything about mc?"
mot one word since you wrote last" I
'Then," he said, with some little hesita-
now"
"Your own, suppose" was my listless
reply.
eyes, my own, but it is a new one. Is it
possible, Nellie, that you do not know who
am and why l am here"
No suspicion OF the truth came to me; in
deed nothing was further from my
thoughts.
elbow can l know" was my impatient
answer. Il have never heard any one men
ton your name.
He was silent for few minutes and then
continued slowly
II know not which part of my story is
The hardest to tell. 1t was in the beginning
Of the third year Of my absence from Eng
land that strange event happened 1t was
1ounexpected, SO bewildering, that for
bome time l seemed to lose my senses; and
you know, Nellie, that was in many re-
9pects what my father called me-merely a
lad. l was SO dazZled and bewilde ed that
I forgot all l ought to have remembered.
Ny first thought was Of you. and I
ought to have written to you; but let two
Or three mails go without writing, and
Intended to surprise you. I had to 60 to
England atonce, and l knew that could
reach you as soon as my letters could. l
did strangely careless thing:1 left no
address, fo:gettiI;g that you would prob,
soon see you. Nellie, do you follow me?
Do not look at me with such sorrowful eyes,
You see that up to this time, the third year
of my absence, l had done nothing speci-
ally worthy of blame. l had been shy and
Delt-conscous about my love, when ought
to have been holder and more courageous.
had allowed my time and thoughts to be-
come engrossed in my profession at the ex-
pense OF my love; and set sail from India,
btill thinking more Of your surprise and
DELIGHT than of anything else. But, Nellie
! have not told you what the strange event
was. Can you not help me, Nellie? Can
England and to your
Elbow should l? You may tell me
pafely; nothing can hurt me now
Mark. I have realized the fact that
you are married. nothing more remains -
~ hate myself tor having to tell it," he
said. his face flushing; "but, Nellie, | was
only lad, and the news completely bewil-
when we were together ! asked you about
your friends and relatives? You replied
that you were almost alone in the world;
and told you that, while had some very
wealthy relatives and some very poor, KNEW
but little of either. There had never been
eny correspondence, nor even heslightest
acknowledgment Of any kind. My father
was most peculiar man; he did not like
his poor relations. His dislike was not
caused by their poverty, but because they
bad offended him many years before, and
he had never forgiven them. As to the
proud to seek to know them; nor could he
allow me to speak of them; they took no
notice of u.s. nor we of them. Lord Sew
Srne---Baron Severne is the proper title
ofSeverne Court and my father were sec
ond cousins"
In one moment saw IL all.
"You are Lord Severne, Mark" I cried:
''Yes, it is so, Nellie am Lord Severne,"
he said gravely.
"And Lurline-your wife is named Lur-
line" said.
Yes, my wife is named Lurline. Now
you understand. / did not know that you
were here, Nellie. never dreamed of see
ing you when came out this morning.
am here as Lady Yorke's friend and guest;
Iurline is with me.
He stopped, thinking perhaps that I
Words were useless.
''Now you know what has happened,
Nellie" he continued. ''In the third year
0f my absence this news came from Eng
landlord Severne of Seyerne Court was
dead, the brother who should have sue
oeeded him was drowned in returning from
Italy, and the two sons of his brother, the
heir, died from fever ct school-two gener-
1Aions swept away. Ny father, had he