Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-02
with a friendly nod the young fellow

4
house-it was place he had known IN
old days-thus avoiding all risk OF COM
ing across any OF the guests. By a pain
behind the stables he made his way
slowly into the woods, and in about half
an hours time he found himself where
these ended at the highroad, along
which his sister must pass. There was
stile near, over which, through a
field, lay a footpath 10 the church,
known Whereabouts as the old church,
and here on the stile Mr.. Norreys seated
himself to await Mrs. Selby.
eve managed that pretty neatly,
he said, trying to imagine he was feel
| ing as usual. 81 wonder who that feE
i low was. He seemed 10 have heard
| Maddie's name, though he did not knew
her."
He was perfectly clear In his head
now but the pain in it was racking. He
j tried not TO think, but in vain. Clear
er, anu vet more clearly, stood out be-
fore his minds eye the strange drama
of that afternoon. And the more he
thought of it, the more he looked al ~
approaching it from every side, tine
more incapable he became Of explaining
Miss Ford's extraordinary conduct
| The indignation which had at nrst
blotted almost all other feeling grsdua
| ly gave way to his extreme perplexlty'
"She had no sort of grounds Tor
speaking to me as she did," he reject
ed. Accusing me vaguely OF un-
worthy motives-what coulo she
mean?" Then a new idea struck him.
"Some one had been making mischief,
| he thought; that must be II, though
what and how, I cannot conceive. Ger
trude Englewood would not dc 1t in
tentlonally-but still saw that she
was changed to me. l shall have II out
with her. After all, l hope Madeline's
letter has gone"
And vague, very faint hope began
to make itself felt that perhaps after
all all was not lost. II she had been
utterly misled about him-if-
He drew deep breath end looked
round. 1t was the very sweetest mo-
ment of summers day existence, that
at which late afternoon begins softly
and silently to fade into early evening.
There was an almost Sabbath stiffness
10 the air, a tender suggestion OF nights
reluctant approach, aud from where
Despard sat the white headstones OF
some graves In the ancient churchyard
were to be seen among the grass. The
man felt strangely moved and humoled.
III l could hope ever TO win her." he
thought, 81 feel as IL had 1t in me TO
be better mani am not at all selfish
and worldly, Maisie-surely? But what
has made her Judge me so cruelty? 1t
Is awful to remember what she said and
to imagine what sort Of an opinion she
must have had Of me to have been able
to say it, For-no, That was not my
contemplate cOnceit'-and his face
flushed. "She was beginning TO care
for me. She is too generous TO have re-
membered vlndictively my insolence, for
insoence it was, at the first. Besides,
she said herself that she had been get
ting TO like and trust me as friend.
Till to-day-has the change in her all
come from what 1 said to-day? No girl
can despse man for the fact Of his
caring for her-what can it be? Good
heavens, 1 feel as if l should 60 mad!'
And he wished that the pain In his
head, which had somewhat subsidized,
would get worse again, If only it would
stop his thinking,
But Just then came the sound OF
wheels. In another moment Mrs.
Selby's pony carriage was in sight. Des'
pard got off his stile and walked slowly
down the road 10 meet her,
$50 faithless-" she began-for, to
tell the truth, she had not attached
( much credence to the story which had
reached her of the frightful headache
but she changed her tone the moment
she caught sight Of his face. "My poor
boy, you do look ILL" she exclaimed. II
am so sorry l would have come away
at once il / had known"
at doesn't matter" Despard replied
as he got into the carriage; but did you
get my message?"
"Oh, yes; but I thought it was just
that you were tired and bored. What is
the matter, dear Despard? You don't
look the least like yourself"
~ fancy 1t was the sun this morn
ing" he said. ''But it's passing off,
think"
Madeline felt by no means sure that it
was so.
~ am so sorry" she repeated, ''and
so vexed with myself. Do you know
who the young man was that gave me
your message?"
Despard shook his head.
1T was Mr.. Conrad Fforde, Lord
Southwold's nephew and heir-heir at
least to the title, but to little else"
$50 l should suppose" said Norreys,
indifferently. "The Southwolds are
very poor"
"How queer that he knew your name
II YOU have never met him before" said
| Mrs. Selby. But I dare say it is
through the Flores Carriers; they're such
great friends Of mine, you know, and
they are staying at Laxter's lii as well
as the Southwold party"
Eyes" Despard agreed" he had evil
IDENTIFY heard OF you"
"And OF you, too, in that case. Peo-
pie do not chatter In the country. The
Carriers are dying to get you there.
They have got the SouthwOlds to prom
ise to go to them next week. They
the Carter girls-are perfectly wild
about Lady Margaret. l think it wonld
be better taste not to make up to her so
much; il does look as If it was because
she was what she is, though l know il
isn't really that. They get up these fits
of enthusiasm. And she is very nice
not very pretty, you know, but wonder
fully nice and unspoiled, considering.
"Unspoiled?" repeated Despard. He
was glad to keep his sister talking about
Indifferent matters. l don't see that
poor Lord Southwold's daughter has
any reason to be spOilt."
''Oh, dear, yes-didn't you know?
thought you knew everything Of that
kind. 1t appears that she is tremend.
| nns hairass. I fnrpat the fgnras The