The Bottineau pioneer., 1893-09-30

4 F4 .
/ tifls cut features, and a complex
a as ssolorless-as ivory. But just now
1 sloe-b black eyes glittered with an
oppression Of malicious cunning. which
\ distorted her whole countenance.
i Il did not mean to boast, Beasie, :
answered the gentle looking girl to
whom the remark was addressed; "you
asked me il l, were afraid Of the Black
Mill. / said that was not, and what I
| said is true ss .~. .
II dare you to stay there alone after
! nightfall for even one hundred and
twenty minutes Miss Elmore persist
ed jeeringly.-
TT would be absurd to do such a
thing for mere bravado," Nellie replied
with gentle dignity
Miss Elmorc laughed with unrcstrain-
ed insolence, and glanced significantly
toward 4 couple of her own intimates
who We're standing near her.
1T is just as Erie kevestan says"
she sneered. ''You have very bad
haoit of Dragging, Nellie, and bragger
Is sure to be the biggest coward Of all"
| "Oh, Beasie!' exclaimed one of her
friends, shocked by her ill-bred taunt.
| You need not have told her that, you
know, Bee," said the other, appearing
distressed at her insulting behavior.
II don't care" Miss Elmore petorted
| pettishly. IF Nellie were not coward
she wouldn't submit so tamely to the
charge of cowardice-especially from
Erie Keyestan," she added with veno-
NOUS meaning.
1t was taunt sufficiently stinging to
goad q proud and sensitive spirit to al
most any rash action.
"Oh, well,' said Nellie, trying brayely
to hide the smarting wound, IF you
really insist upon such folly. will so
to the old Black Mill tonight an hour
before midnight and stay until an hour
after"
And we will call for you on our way
back from the garden party said one
OF Miss ElmOre's companions,
A moment later they were gone, and
Nellie Jardine stood alone under the big
sycamore before the village school,
where they had oyertaken her,
Every nerve in her body qniyered,
ana her eyes burned with the scalding
tears which she would not have shed
though she had died ut her tormentor's
feet
Although she had seemed to ignore
the rude allllsion to Erie Kevestan. it
was only her marvellous command over
hersef which had prevented her from
crying aloud in her pain, as the en-
venomed shaft pierced her tender young
heart.
How could Erie Kevestan, whose pas
s1onate glances and caressing whispers
seemed only yesterday to declare ~;
reverent love for her-how could he
r1dlcule her to another?
How could anybody, even an ordinary
associate. be so double-faccd. false,
tOngued?
She blinked back the rushing tears
as she looked foI Il moment after the
vanishing trio.
Miss Elmore. turned, beheld her still
standing there, and smiled wickedly.
Little fool she muttered exultantly
to herself, Il will make her so ritlicu-
lous that kevestan will despise her.
Then shall lure him back again.
Miss Gilmore was the adopted daugh-
ter and acknowledged heiress of Nellie
Jardine's own aunt.
s-Nelle had been bereaved of both par-
ents some years before, and being penni-
less, she earned her maintenance by:
serving as the under teacher in the
] sfG1 school. gs@%
sAeil& ,}rtla,s Sssslt that her father had
ieen s.eaiggsf tsSyg his sis Fl. ...ses.Was
gessTs olftee ttls:fn lsss, and ygh, III By
sf tti,ts
| ssFsf igs sslsaiiF estate. W. ssat.ss..
ise lie eofsg tifal so,sEtt III 81 s
sier afosiy Ero. airs sstssa sssSsss IL
/ flts haa eyer t,ffsf..d ss ffslp nef
In any w.. 81 i .s 4. ss
In a small village is moi aiways
possible to avoid undesirable people,
and Nellie often met ler aupt's adopted
daughter.
Beasie always affected toward her a
naughty liberation, which Nellie either
ignored or reqpited with courteous dig
nifty.
When Erie Keyestan settled in the
village as the purchaser OF the finest
property for miles around, he had
shown some little polite attention to
Mrs. Elmore's handsome heiress. II.
| AMI then he met the young teaeher,
and from the moment he locked IN to
! those dove-like eyes Of tender baue his
/ heart was no longer his own. z z
/ Miss Elmofe could no longer allure
him into her grand drawing room, MOI
| into d seat beside her as she drove hel
| stylish eauipage through the village
4 street. l4
Every thought of his brain, eyer,
emotion of his heart. belonged to q lit
tie maid with q dainty, White-pQsgs4ac,
and hair like threaded gold, Withstap
/ n
/ 1t was for this Miss Elm0re hatet
! her. @ sss
4 There was no betrothal as yet be
tween the lovers, They only knew the.
loved; and each felt that such lore
SO sweet, so dear and so mutely elo
4 auent- needed no utterance to be under
stood by the other {.
q TO the lonely girl her lorer was th
light Of her life S Without him sh
g should cease to live. She might exist
she might breathe and move, but tn
& soul within her would be- slain.
How can believe he made d moe
OF me? How can + believe any thin
base of him knight, my spiri,
! mate s'' she walled dumbiy as she WALL
ed slowly toward the old mill
The Black Mill was a. ruin, wit
sagging walls and sl1nken roof, tufte
3 with grass and moss, and overgroW
s with WOOdbine and wild Ivy from q
base to- its tumbled chimneys. s@a
There was q rumOr, credited by SON:
and secuted by others, that il wa
i, haunted. s 3s 4