Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-05-25

ever such a maddening muddle!
Edna's hand rested consolingly on
her lovers arm, as his face clouded.
"Oh! it is not quite desperate" she
spoke chcerily. let us go over the
real facts Of the case. Raymond, and
be patient. Here I am, Il nobody, Il
girl from nowhere. l seem to have
been placed at the seminary here at
ten years of age without Il memory
of early childhood. Miss Chandler says
a mysterious gentleman brought me
here. paid ten years tuition and board
in advance for me. and-thats ALL"
Not 4 letter since-not visit since?"
Not even Il hint. Here I was left.
Was I an orphan. was l abandoned
here. or was the mysterious gentleman
my father, who, for lack of dead
mothers care. placed me here for safe
keeping. and going out into the world
to forget his sorrows or win i fortune
died with the secret Of my identity
locked in his boSom?'
And now?" murmurel Raymond. his
loyal heart boating With renewed sym
pathy for the friendless girl who
seemed to deserve all the love and care
he had vowed to her
Now. Miss Chandler says we must
wait. l am virtually her ward. She
dare not sanction our union Any day
my father. or whoever my mysterious
relative may be, might appear to claim
me. What would he say if he found
me married to 4 painter who won't
paint, an artist who talks more love
than art?'
Wait" calculated Raymond, impa-
tiently. For how long: The ten years
have two to run yet
Yes, but l am eighteen to-day-of
legal age. Miss Chandler says she YER
lily believes that some word or direction
will come soon.'
1t was IN Old story gone over now for
the hundredth time. but there WIS new
interest i'll discussing it. They talked
of their plans. Of their hopes. of the
golden future life seemed to pressasc
II must go now" spoke Edna ut last
why! l have been here nearly half
an hour. l wanted to tell you about
the reception tomorrow evening Mr..
Brinsley is to take me- He is Miss
Chambers cousin, and l want to please
her
RaymondS eyes showed 4 rising
token OF jealousy. but he WAS prudent
ly silent.
IF he does not 90 l shall write you
and you must be my knight-rrrant. I
hope he does not Goodbye. No.!
Beatrice is looking this way. Be pa
tent, Raymond, and above Ill. do make
some progress on that tiresome. never
to-be-tinished picture"
Sac was gone rs she had come like
flashing. dainty sprlte. Raymond
Marshall followed her with his eyes,
until the bushes shut out the remotcst
view Of hcr pretty, nodding cap.
Ilctrre. lie mllrmured, with a sigh
as he packed up stool and easel. WHO
could paint with such face haunting
every glance and thought? And she
bids me wait. Wait to be tortured
every time l see her in the company
of that fellow Brinsicy. or making IL
contidantr of Beatrice Mercer. How
l distrust ilcr.
Yes. Miss Beatrice Mercer was Il
thorn in the artists side. Why. he
could scarcely explain. She was pretty,
young, apparently devoted to his fan
Gee, but more than once he had caught
her eyes fixed on Edna with a latent,
baleful light, upon himself with a pas
sionate, pleading expression that mys-
titled. rcDu!scl him. he knew not why.
But ali this would soon end; ah. yes!
It must soon end. The mystery of his
flanccc must some time cease to be Il
mystery. 1t was not All unusual case
1t would probably have Il very prosaic
conclusion, with the long-lost father
returning and explaining that he had
placed his daughter in Miss Chambers
charge because she was mOtherlcss.
Tacn they would marry, and life
| would be worth living. and all the dis
tr2S&;nS tribes of the present would
vanish. 1t must be so. Edna had pre-
dicteu that word must soon come from
her mysterious relative.
Her faith as hopeful as his own,
Edna locked her arm through that of
her cOmpaniOn and did most of the
Chi tiel'ing the way back to the semi
! nary.
| Miss Mercer went straight to her own
! room. If Edna had seen her as she
threw herself on her bed and lay con-
/ vulscd in paro1ysln Of tears of rage.
| and emotion for over an hour she
might not yainly have guessed at the
! cause Of the varying moods of this
strange creature.
AS to Edna, she studied for an hour
and started to find her friend again,
thinking Of Itaylnond's handsome face
despite hera2lf, and Raymond's anxious
wish that the obstacles to their union
were remOved-that "word would
come" and the suspense of waiting be
alleviated.
''Oh, Edna, Miss Chandler wishes to
see you at once" spoke a FELLOWSHIP,
dent, as Edna crossed the hall
Particularly? murmurcd Edna, with
i smile.
Very much so. She sent me for you
and seemed greatly excited. Some,
thing has happened; don't know what
but she acted very much agitated."
, Yes, something" had happened and
Edna Deane knew what, few min.
. uteS later.
| Something had happened in way
! directly in accordance with hel
| thoughts and Raymond Marshalls i'm
! patient desires.
| Word" had come!
| CHAPTER II.