Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-03-10

| Idlh 10 hAC yOui hc always uldAcS
difficulties where none exist, and as you
are his favorite daughter, doubtless he
will think you ought to be married first,
though am the Oldest"
Nora did not answer. She was ac.
custOmed to Lolla's outbreaks, which
were generally as unjust as they were
preposterous.
In this instance, too, poor NOra's
heart was too heavily wounded for her
to have the courage to allude to her
pain. Lola and Nora Treherne were
the two daughters of small country
squire of limited income. Their mother
had died when the girls were very young
and they had been brought up in a rather
haphazard fashion, with nothing but
their own instinct to guide them.
Lola made a friend of everybody,
while Nora, erring in a different direc-
tion made DO friends at all; that is, she
never con6ded the secrets OF her own
little world.
She was all packed up ready to go to
Clifton-wherc Aunt Lou lived-early on
the morrow. Thus, to her intense relief,
she would avoid a meeting with her
sisters declared lover, whom, in writ
ing her acceptance of her suit, Lola had
begged to come over 70 luncheon on the
following day.
Never before had she felt so thankful
as when the train that was bearing her
from her home glide1 out of the sta
ton.
Aunt Lou lived in a pretty house near
the Suspension Bridge, AMI there Nora
strove hard to think that she liked the
work she was called upon to do, and
was content aud at peace. Ii only she
could get off their wedding; if she could
90 back to her home and find Lola
married and installed as mistress in Sir
Reiguald's house she would then be able
to face life b-avely.
Meanwhile she had months re-
prieve.
Poor little Nora she had no combatiye
powers; resigned to her fate she had left
the coast absolutely clear, and when Sir
Reggie Breton arrived at the Squires
house to luncheon, it was to find Lola
alone in the drawing room awaiting him,
and the basket of roses, still in the
zenith of their beauty, placed in most
conspicuous position.
He looked round with a bewiidered
air, as if he did not wholly comprehend
the situation; but then he was so shy,
wnat else could be expectedl
$50 good of you to send those lovely
roses-they are divine. So like you to
remember ones pet flowers and put the
sentiments that accompanied them go
tenderly and prettilY."
THE fowers-ah, yes, the Gowers-I
have seen them all grow, and Simpson
knows how to arrange them" said Sir
Reggie, still looking about the room
with an uncomfortable hesitation Of man.
uer.
"Your sister" he asked at last, 'yOar
sister likes these flowers"
oMy sister though: them lovely. She
has gone on a visit to Aunt Lou at
Clifton; she went yesterday"
"She saw the flowers aud went"
Lola nodded her head.
"Ahw muttered shortly by Sir Reggie,
aud then a long pause.
Even Lola was nonplussed, and began
to think there must be some misSake.
"Oh, l see--yes--shc thought"
What she thought he did not say, per.
haps he did not know; at all events, he
was too shy to express it.
Lola, however, was not afflicted with
difidence, and as this big fish was wrig-
Cling at tue end Of her line, she intend
cd to land it, if possible.
"She thought, / suppose" she went
On, still laughing little res:raiue1ly,
"that you and l could settle arrange
lnents best without her"
"Exactly. Yet do not quite see why
she should go away. Perhaps it would
be better if came again another day"
"Certainly not. Papa expects you to
luncheon, aud atterward you can have a
nice long talk with him, and after the
talk you eau come and sit in the garden
with me-"
They went into luncheon. The Squire
was aggressively hospitable in his efforts
to set Sir Reggie at his case, for be was
we'll aware of the BarOnet's proclivities,
which he by no means lessSened By his
tremendous attempts to "draw him out. D."
Eventually, the two men adjourned to
the smoking room, where Lola had or
dered coffee and where she would GER
taiDly have made third party but for
the important issue that she hoped would
be the result OF their conversation.
Not that she felt, by any means, as
assured about the future as she had been
before Sir Reggie arrived that morning.
He was so strange, SO undecided, that it
would not surprise her if he did not
speak to her father at all, aud il he did,
what would he sayl And Lola grew
white and faint from n sudden pain
,rh;cb tbis ouerv seemed uuexDectedlv to