The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-11

| she was called upon to do, and was
content and at peace If only she
could get of their wedding; if she could
90 back TO her home and find Lola
married and installed as mistress In Sir
Reginald's house, she would then be
able to face life bravoay.
Meanwhile she had . months re-
pricve.
Poor little Nora had no combative
| powers; resigned to her fate, she had
left the coast absolutely clear, and
when Sir Reggie Breton arrived at the
squire's house to luncheon, it was to
find Lola alone in tho 6rawing-room
awaiting him, and the basket Of roses,
still in the zenith of their beauty,
placed in a most conspicuous position.
He looked round with bewildered
air as if be did not wholly comprehend
! the situation; but then he was SO shy,
what else could be expected?
/ Lola was fully aware that he was a
man who must be met halfway, or he
would retire altogether into the she'll
within which no usually dwelt-so she
gushed. Gushing to Lola Treherne
was not wholly lost art.
$50 good of you to send these lovely
roses-they arc divine. So like you to
remember ones pct flowers and put the
sentiments that accompanied them SO
tenderly and prettily."
THE howers-ah, yes. the dovers-l
t 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
manner.
Your sister, f" he asked, at last, ''your
sister likes these fowers!''
my sister thought them lovely. She
has gone en- visit to Aunt Lou at Cliff
ton; she went yesterday"
! "She saw the flowers and went?"
/ Lola nodded her head.
''Ahr' mutsered shortly by Sir Reg
gle, and then a long pause.
Even Lola was non-paussed and be-
gan to think there must be some mis.
take.
''Oh! see-yes-she thought"
What she thought he did not say.
perhaps he did not quite know; at all
events. be was too shy to express it.
Lola, however, was not afflicted
with dididence, and, as this big fish was
wriggiing at the end Of her line, she
intended to land it. If possible.
'She thought, suppose" she went
on, still laughing little restrainedly,
''that you and I could settle arrange
ments best without her"
Exactly. Yet do not quite see
why she should 60 away. Perhaps it
would be better if / came again
another day"
Certainly not. Papa expects you
TO luncheon, and afterwards you can
have a nice long talk with him. and
after the talk you can come and sit in
the garden with me-"
They went into luncheon. The
squire was agSressively hospitsbie in
his efforts to set Sir Reggie ct his ease,
for he was well aware of the baronet's
proclivities, which he by no means les
sened by his tremendous attempts to
what he called-''draw him out"
Eventually the two men adjourned
to the smoking-room, where Lola had
ordered coffee and where she would
certainly have made third but for
the important issue that she hoped
would be the result Of their converse
ton.
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 unde-
cided, that it would not surprise her if
he did not speak to her father at all,
and, if he did, what would he say?
And Lola grew white and faint from
a sudden pain which this query seemed
unexpectedly to have brought her.
Could it be possible, after all, that it
was Nora he loved? Had she, the In
fallible Lola, made mistake? She
took out the note and read it once more.
No, it was addressed and written to
her; there could be no mistake. Yet
why was he SO anxious to have Nora
there? She supposed he wanted the
little sister to back him up.
The interview in the smoking-room
was long one. and the farther it was
protracted the moro anxious Lola.
grew.
At last the clock struck four; if she
had not feared to be thought IN
maidenly she would have gone into
the snoking-room and broken up the
conclave, SO impatient had she be-
come. when she saw her father walk
ing towards the house from totally
opposite direction--and alone.
Where, then. was Sir Reggie? 1t
could not be possible that the proud
old squire had refused this good match,
because, forsooth, his son-in-iaw would
be richer than himself?
HAS Sir Reggie gomez" she asked,
as soon as her father was near enough
to hear.
Yes, have just unlocked the pad
deck gate for him. 1t is a much shorter
walk that way"
Lola could contain herself no
longer "You have not refused your
consent to the marriage, papa? You
Nave not locked Sir Reggie out for
ever?"
Not bit of it, not bit Of it. child
On the contrary, have told him that
shall be proud to have him for a son-in-
law"
Then why on earth has he gone
away?"
why should he stay? He is going to
Clifton by the evening train, l believe"
TO Clifton?"
well, isn't Nora there?"
Mora! You mean that Sir Reggie
wants to marry Nora?"
There was such sob in Lolla's voice
that her words were barely conpre-
hersibls.
The squire looked at her rather con-