The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-26

/ she turns them from the st9ge, and looks
into the stalls below. There. she sees
hint
| "Veraw
Inc voice comes to her vaguely. indis-
| tlnctIy, as II Were through hazy mist.
II Is her cousin. Lady Nynor's voice. and
II awakes her TO the necessity for calm.
she Is still leaning on the cushions Of the
box but now she draws herself up and
leans back, until she is so hidden by the
| curtains on her side that she IS no
longer visible to the stalls beneath. Rails
| ihg her hand she passes it hlrriedly
| across her forehead
| ''She is ILL.," said Lord D|gby hastily.
He Is the young man who had taken
| her part a moment since.
| "Ah. so she is" says Lady Vynor, In
frightened way. "Vera dearest
| 1t is only the heat" says the girl.
| compelling herself - speak by pas-
s'onate effort 1T is really nothing"
Vera is ashen gray. but has by this
| time regained certain amount OF com
| posture. and with II the knowledge that
] the old love upon which she had set
| such store is-dead; buried lost, gone
| past all recall, in that one brief moment
when her eyes had rested upon Sta.ners.
| Disby, taking a scent bot(le from Lady
| Vynor, presses It into Veras band with
out looking at her. The celicacY the
| tenderness Of the action, fails warmly
on the girls Druised heart. How good
| he has been TO herl how sincerely he las
| loved her and obeyeI her .sliSa:"st be-
| hest for two long molths,' without ie-
| ward or any hope Of it.
| Twice Vera had refused him. an twice
| he had taken her refusal very vel, but
| with an evident det srin11i)n - pefse-
| we're in his suit Being an T1b shrdan,
| he had declined 10 recognize defeat. nd
| now, indeed, in this lour. does ae find
| his constancy crowned with success.
| The generosity and 81 .rit the bCa;'t ness
| that marks him for IS own, becomes
| fully known TO her as she ~i hdraws
| her eyes from that une i0i,''d re"' nj
| ton i'm the stalls s.he turns with L shud-
| der of repugnance from TIE dark teauty
| OF the false face there, AMI gldntlnC at
Dgby, tells herself there l. surely b au-
! ~ greater than the merely physical: so
| thinking, she says some little kind thrg
TO him that lifts his heart from Sades
! TO Olympus.
To explain to you ABOUT Sta'ner. Nbtn
his eyes had fully net hers, and lie is
SATISFIED that the radia 1t young beauty Up
above Is in very truth tae simple 'hhd
whose love he had played with fr
awhile. and then flung carelessly aside,
he turns to the man aeTt him
"Who is that girl n white in the lex
up thereV he says hOafSely.
MY dear fellOwi Not know the ieign'
ing beauty of the hour says bis fried
THAT Is Miss Wrio .h4sy. the most *
auisite creature III England. recognized
as such.'
II have been abroad" sta:nmers : GIN
er, with poor attempt at indifference
"A year ago he was unknown. Then
fortune found her. Some forgotten 'c8-
ton in Canada did, AMI left ner scie
heiress to his enorm Ias wealth, ere
upon other relau 'es sL11e1ly discovered
they had for years been linins for her
society. Her cousin, Lady NynOr rTctt"
woman in the box with hcD s' CO ca
down to the Ccun--y grande vhtle the
girl was buried ali re, ard, bringing Ler
up to town, flung her upon me Wofld OF
fashion. A beautiful heiress 5 amy
Need say how masnllicen: was Ter
success"
land the man IL herr asks Stainer'
with dry lips that almost refuse 20 tax
for him. e..
Vera has now withdrawn from the front
of the box, and wild desire TO rise and
go to her. TO see her again face 10 race
TO hear her voice, is maddenng him.
That is Lord Digby. Good catch, too
and terribly epris In that quarter. Dare
say she'll marry him after all though
she has refused him off and on, it's whis-
pered ever since their hrSt meeting.
They saw her maid brings her a bouquet
and fresh CHER from MN every AioiH-
ing
Stainer, a fierce glow of hope sprjnglng
up in his breast.
The one glimpse caught Of her a mo-
ment since has walked in him second
love- before which the first seems colo
and tame. Can this radiant beauty with
no ind
fond girl who had told him Of her longing
TO be a great "ladye," and whose aspira-
tions he had so mockngly crushed?
eyes. But time works wonders, and
most women go down before a title. Per-
haps, with her beauty, she aims at higher
game; but / should think an earldom
ought to count. Oh yes, I've 10 doubt
she'll marry him in the long run"
"Why?" demanded Stainer, so savagely
that his companion pauses 10 stare at
him in simple wonderment through his
eyeglasses.
why shouldn't she?" he replied at
last Gle is all any ones fancy could
possibly want to paint ard he Is her
slave into the bargain. She must be the
most ungrateful woman born If she does
not show grace to him in the end. Ills
love for her has been earnest and faith
full"
At this last word Stainer winces. How
can he, whose love has been so unfaith-
full. hope for forgiveness? There had
indeed been moments during the past few
months when he had suffered his mind to
wander 10 her and he had thought OF her
with regret and longing. During these
brief intervals he had pictured her TO
himself as living always with her grand
father in that old world village, alone.
companlonless; dreaming. perchance.
sadly of him. poor little thingv He
grows hot and shame-stricken, as memory
brings back TO him these vain imaginings.
And now the curtain falls. 1t is all
ever; and rising hastily, with a scanty
word of adieu to his friend, he makes
for the large hall. where he Will see her
as she passes to h'r carriage.
Presently she comes, developed In soft
cashmeres, white as her own perfect skin,
and with her two companiors. Lady
Vynor stops TO speak to some chance
acquaintance. and Vera is left virtually
alone with Lord Digby. Her hand is rest
Ing on his arm: under the oretence OF
drawing tho cashmere even more closely
round her, he lays his own upon It,
II have been silent for a long time
at your command. but feel must speak
tonight" he whispers hurri adly. Am
TO take my final No now?" He has
turned very pale.
NO" says the girl quickly. Then the
absurdity of her answer striking her. a
faint smile creeps into her eyes. That
u.s." she sta miners. 1T is no no / mean
only"
mo mo-? why that is yes IN any de-
cent English he exclaims eagerly
"Wen take IT," she SAYS I'm q low tone