The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-09-01

faded into CHASTITY white. and her
trembling fingers relaxed their hold
of the fan; for Mamie had singled
out one OF the slender and delicately
carved blades of ivory, and was
pointing to it. Carefully though the
damage had been repaired, it was but
too visible to the eyes now riveted
upon it.
"I'm most awfully sorry that this
should have happened, and that I
! should have had anything to do with
it grieves me still MORE" Mamie
protested. land I'm sure couldn't
have credited that Mr.. Hayward-I'll
never call him Laurie again, or be
more than commonly civil to him
that Mr.. Hayward was so deceitful,
so dishonorable, So
An imploring cry silenced her.
"Pray don't say any more-I can
not bear it just yet. I'd rather be
left to myself"
'.And so you shall, poor dear. and
if you think it would be too much
for your nerves to see Laurie-Mr.
Hayward don't mind writing to
him for you, and you may depend on
my giving him the scolding he de-
serves"
But Eda would neither be helped
nor consoled---in fact, the presence
of Mamie with her glib chatter only
made the wound more painful. No
one else should be allowed to see
how much she was suffering, though
enough of her old faith in her sweet
heart still fingered to make her
cherish a faint hope that he would
have some explanation or at least
some excuse to offer for what he had
done.
They met that evening, but it was
in the presence of others, and it " as
not till Laurence Hayward contrived
to draw his betrothed aside to bid
her more particular adieu, that she
was able to wing shaft at him.
IAN l expected to thank you for
the lovely fan you sent me yester-
day."
'.Not here" he laughed. eff 1
am to take my thanks from your
lips"
An imperative ssHushr' broke In
upon the sentence.
II did not know till to-day that
you used to be numbered amongst the
admirers of Miss Mitchenson.
II have always thought her a very
pretty girl" Laurie admitted, his
color rising a little under the scrutin-
izing gaze Eda fixed on him.
''And you have made her presents {"
''Have 1? 1 do not remember any,
thing more than a."
But he was not allowed to finish.
BY this half-confession he had con-
firmed NAMES tale, and Eda,
wrenching her hand out of his, went
home to make packet of his gifts
and letters, and then cry herself into
state of exhaustion.
With swelled eyes and aching head
her mother found her in the morn
ing, and in her arms. with many
signs and sobs, Eda related the story
of the fan.
do not tell me 1 have acted too
hastily-do not plead for him." she
entreated. perhaps 1 have loved
him too we'll and felt too firm a trust
in his honor, but how could I trust
or love him now as devotedly as a
wife ought to do? l know that
have not been first in his affections,
and that he has stopped to an act
that even you who make allowances
for everyone must condemn.
Now Mrs. Norris never scolded or
argued and contented herself with
bathing her daughters burning tenn
pies and making her swallow few
drops of a simple sedative. When
this and her mothers sympathetic
caresses had had soothing effect,
she was induced to dress and ex-
change the chamber that was too
near the nursery for the drawing
room, where darkened windows and
comparative quiet lulled her at last
into sleep.
When she awoke it was not her
mother who was watching beside her
but Laurence Hayward.
''Why am here?" he echoed, as
she raised herself and Indignantly
accosted him, ,"because your dear
mother. Eda. had that faith in me
which with you seems to have failed
all too quickly, She has given me
what you denied-a chance OF ex-
culpating myself, of declaring to
you, on my sacred honor, that never
saw this fan until half an hour
ago"
s'Oh, Laurie, dare believe it?'
she exclaimed, alternating betwixt
hope and fear.
''As you please, Eda," he re-
torted. Il should have thought you
had always found me as worthy of
credence as the gossiping girl who
has told you these abominable false
hoods. l could find it in my heart to
be very angry with you for listening
to her. if you did not look SO ill and
miserable"
"But Mamie believed it herself;
she was certain that this fan is the
one you gave to Polly Mitchenson. +"
The fan may be hers, but it never
was mine. The only gift 1 ever
wasted on that arrant little coquette,
was reading lamp, at the time that
l, with many others, was led to think
she was on the point of marriage
with my old chum, Mamie's cousin.
And it was for his sake, not for hers,
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