The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-10-28
CHAPTER XII.

It gave additional Zest to the beau
tfful widows pursuit Of Alan when she
saw the first look Of pain on Hya-
cinth's face. To win the love which did
not belong to her was n triumph; to
find that she made a girl younger than
herself Jealous was another, and ever
so much nor enjoyable.
Hyacinth uttered no word Of reproach
to her lover; with her keen woman's
instinct she perceived that he was not
one who would like a woman's re
proaches and tears. He told her how
annoyed he was to find that Lady
Fraser was his companion instead OF
herself. She asked him if he enjoyed
his ride, and he laughed heartily as he
answered, YES" He repeated some of
Lady Fraser's wittiest speeches, as
though they had amused him very
much.
Lady Fraser is very WITTY" said the
young girl; and he did not see the
wistful expression in the eyes that he
had likened to cornfowers grown un-
der the ardor Of the French sky.
He thought her very silent. After a
time she laid her soft hand on his.
II wish that I were witty, Alan,' she
said.
80 you are, MY darling" he laughed.
mot 20 witty as Lady Fraser" she
said. y
Il should not wish you to be witty
after the same fashion. Lldy Fraser
is what we call chic; you are original
and poeticaf, which II Tar better"
Are you sure It is better" she asked.
Yes; there is no doubt about it," he
answered; and the words pleased her.
But the same morning, in her coquet-
fish way, Lady Fraser caused a little
scene about a spray of apple blossoms
that she had gathered. She came into
the dining-room at luncheon time, her
face bright with the fresh morning air,
her eyes brilliant as the sunshine itself,
the spray in her hands.
Look" she said, to the gentlemen
who crowded round her-"was there
yer such q beautiful spray as this?"
She held it SO that all might see the
dainty exquisite color: and the pic
ture of that dark-eyed woman, with
the spray of apple blossoms in her
hand, was one never to be forgotten BY
those who saw it. They listened, too,
in wonder; she had so many pretty
fancies about it. She could say q hun
dred quaint and picturesque things
where another would have been silent.
ITO whom shall / give it?' she said,
looking round with dark, laughing eyes.
who deserves it most?"
Each gentleman urged his claim;
Alan alone said nothing. She turned
to him with a smile.
"You have not spoken" she said, Il
will give you the prize"
Their eyes met as their hands met,
while he took the spray of apple bios
SONS from her.
There was more than one look OF
wonder, more than one Significant
smile. 1t was so well known that Alan
was to marry Hyacinth that more b
one curious glance sought her face,
and saw that it had grown pale. She
laughed the impression away; after all,
it was not Alap,s fault that this dark
eyed woman admired him; who could
help it? She told herself that she ought
to be proud of it; she said to herself
that she would never be jealous.
Lady Fraser found out that afternoon
that there was no voice blended SO well
with her own as the young squire's;
they had been trying q duet, and she
had said to him, in an ecstacy OF de-
light:
what a superb voice you have, Mr..
Branston, and how strange that 1t
should blend so perfectly with mine!
Do try some duets with me, will you?"
II shall be only too pleased" said
Alan, for whom her ladyship's contralto
bod n wondn1fi1l charm.
The result was that the hour before
dinner, always hitherto appropriated
by the young lovers to themselves, was
spent with Lady Fraser, who sung
IKE a siren; while Hyacinth sat in her
dressing-room trying to understand the
terrible pain that was eating her heart
away.
what was it? Alan loved her-what
could it matter whether he sung with
Lady Fraser or not? He was not In
the least changed to her.
One evening, just before dinner, she
went into the drawing. room. She q
generally been first there, and Alan had
been accustomed to join her; he u 20,
he said iestingly, to see IL the flowers In
har hair were all right. This evening,
IN entering suddenly, she saw Lady
Fraser leaning back In her chair, Ola
monda shining in her dusky hair and
4 n~omepranate blossom on her white
breast. and Alan bending over her, talk
earnestly to her. She could not dis
caTn that it was a mere scene which
Tadv Eraser had put upon the stage, az
n were. FOR her benefit. She had called
her side, and was questioning
about Elmsthorpe Grange, when
F5vacinth saw him talking 30 earnestly.
she hesitated for half q moment, while
her fair young face grew pale. Lady