Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-09-28
EH WAs' mOLESW0RIH

But, my dear child, when / saw you
at home a few months ago you were
looking forward with pleasure to com
ing. What has changed you? What
has disappointed you?"
II am not suited for anything but a
quiet country life-that is ALL said
| Miss Fforde.
But, then, Maisie, afterward, you
know, you viii have to come to town
and have a house OF your own and all
that sort OF thing. 1t is necessary for
you to see something # the world to
prepare you for"
"Afterward isn't now, Cousin Agnes.
And | am doing my best, MS papa
wished" said the girl weariedly. do
let us talk of something else. Really,
sometimes | do wish | were any one
but myself
"Maisic," said her cousin, reproach-
fully, you know, dear, that isn't
right. You must take the cares and
responsibilities of a position like yours
along with the advantages and priv
leges of IT,"
Il KNOW" Miss Fforde replied, meek
ly enough; but, Cousin Agnes, do tell
me who was that very funny-looking
old man with the long fluffy beard
whom you were talking TO for some
time
"Oh, that, my dear, was Count Dali
miati, the celebrated so-and-so. and
once launched in her descriptions Cous-
in Agnes left NIaisie in peace.
Two days later came the afternoon
Of Lady Valence's garden party. 1t
was N of the garden parties TO which
Everybody" went--Despard Norreys
for one, as a matter of course. He had
got more qualification and less annoy
ance out OF his second meeting with
Miss Fforde; for he battered himself
he knew how to manage her now
that little girl in black, who thinks
herself so wonderfully wise, forsooth!"
Yet the sting was there still; the very
persistence with which he repeated to
himself that he had mastered her
showed 1t. His thoughts required to
her more than they were in the habit
of doing to any one or anything but
his W immediate concerns. Out of
curiosity, merely, no doubt: curiosity
increased by the apparent improbable
ity of satisfying 1t. for no one seemed
to know anything about her. She
might have dropped from the skies.
He had indeed some difficulty in re-
calling his personality to the two or
three people to whom he applied for
information.
"A girl in black-at the LesIies' mu-
steal party? Why, my dear fellow,
there were probably a dozen girls in
black there. There usually is a good
sprinkling of black frocks at evening
parties" said n of the knowers of
everybody whom he had selected to
honor with his inquiries. what was
there remarkable about her? There
must have been something to attract
your notice"
mo, on the contrary" Despard re-
piled, she was so remarkably unre-
markable," and he laughed lightly. 1T
was Dnly rather absurd. l have seem
ed haunted by her once or twice late
lg, and yet nobody knows anything
about her except that her name is
Fforde."
''Fforde," said his companion, chat
does not tell much. And not pretty,
you sayg'
Pretty, oh, yes. No, not exactly
pretty" aud a vision of Maisic's clear,
cold profile and-yes. there was no
denying it-most lovely eyes, rose be-
fore him. More than pretty he
would have said had he not been afraid
of being laughed at. II don't really
know how to describe her, and it is
of less than no consequence. / don't
suppose / shall ever see her again."
and he went on to talk of other mat.
tiers.
He did see her again, however, and
1t was, as will have already been sup
posed, at Lady Valence's garden party
fhat hn did Gu IL xxr. Z. :, COLL l,.g 80
course. The weather, with its usual
consideration, had changed that very
morning, after having been, for May,
really decently mild and agreeable.
The wind had veered round to the east
and 1t seemed not improbable that the
rain would look in, an invited guest,
in the course of the afternoon.
Lady Valence declared herself in dc
spair. but as nobody could remember
the weather ever being anything but
highly detestable the day of her gar
den party, 1t is to be hoped that she
in reality took 1t more philosophically
than she allowed. Despard strobe
about feeling very cold, and wondering
why ne had come, and why, having
come, he stayed. There was Il long
row Of ~conservatories and ferneries
and glass houses of every degree of
temperature not far from the lawn,
where at n end the band was play
ing. and at the other some deluded
beings We're eating ices. Despard shiv-
cred; the whole was too CHASTITY. A
door in the center house stood invit-
ingly open, and he turned in. Voices
near at hand. female voices warned
him off at one side, for he was not
feeling amiable. and he FASTENED in the
opposite direction. BY degrees the
pleasant warmth, the extreme beauty
of the plants and flowers amid which
he found himself. the solitariness, too,
soothed and subdued his irritation.
IF l could smoke" he began to say
to himself, when, looking around with
a half-formed idea of so doing, he
caught sight amid the ferns of ferni-
nine drapery. Some one was there be-
fore him-but a very quiet, mouseiike
A somebody who was
standing there mo..oniess. gazing at
the tall tropical plants, enjoying. APP
parently. the warmth and the quiet
like himself.
That girl in black, that sphinx of a
girl again--by Jove!" murmured Des-
pard under his breath, and as he did
30 she turned and saw him.
Her frst glance was Of annoyance;