The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-04-27
6bat 6Qrrib|e map.
BY w. E. NORRIS.

SIN Il am not sure Wnctilel you KNOW
that | am very grateful to you, she
said suddenly. Il want you to know
it,
Il can't help being glad that you
should feel SO: but in reality it is VINO
have reason to be grateful to you.
IN a way, perhaps YOU have. A doc
tor is grateful to II patient, VINO alioNs
himself to be cured, | dare say puC
naturally the patient is still more CRATE
full to the doctor who cures nm.
You consider yourself cured, then
cried Evcrard, joyfully.
NO. no-not that; how can ten
All | know is that | have tried To OBEY
Won implicitly. and that | have been
much the better for it. My disease
may be incurable, but it IS something
to have been free Of it for 4 Tune
Don't you think said Everaro,
that YOU might free yourself from IL
finally. il you wouldF
If | would. But the very nature OF
the disease is that my will is gone.
You fancy 50; but the PROOF that You
are mistaken is that you desire 10 es-
cape"
"Desirc is one thing, and will is quite
another. 1t has been owing to your
will not mine, that | have escaped Tor
Il week / know that what say sounds
absurd to YOU" she added. with a
dcspondent gesture, ''and | don't won
der at it. There was Il time when l
thought all such things just as hpsllru
Us you think them now.
Il don't consider everything alSurd
that is outside the range OF my intelll-
gence. Miss Dcnham," said Eveard,
sitting down beside her; only cannot
believe that this supernatural power
Il don't know that we need call it
supernatural" interrupted Laura.
Natural or supernatural should be
very slow to admit that absolute power
over low-creature could be com
mittel to any man. Let us assume,
however that it is rs you say Even
so, you would be safe, according to
your view, SO long as l was with YOU"
But you cannot be always with me"
''Why not? have very little to
offer; I am neither rich nor clever, nor
as young as | once was; but | love you.
Will you not let me stand between you
and har1n?'
Laura started to her feet with IN
affrighted look. .'Oh, no" she cried.
catching her breath. Don't ask me!
1t is impossible-utterly impossible"
Everard felt a momentary pang Of
bitter disappointment, but he said, in a
quiet, steady voice: Il could not expect
that you should. But believe that you
might come to love me some day;
otherwise | would not say another
word. II / can give you nothing else,
| can give you peace and protection.
Think it over, and allow me day or
two of hope before you refuse me de-
cisively"
You do not consider what it is that
you ask for"' exclaimed the girl, tremb-
ling, and clasping her hands. Il am
not q free agent-yOu have seen that
yourself, and neither YOU nor can tell
what may happen in the future.
might make your life miserable-I
might even have to leave you. Oh, no!
| should care very Little for you il |
should consent to drag you into my
trouble
is it for my sake, then, that you re-
jcct me?' asked Eyerard
Yes, for your own sake she an
sWered, unguardedly. Il dare not take
what you offer me; it is too great a
risk"
Put the risk on one side for mo-
ment 1t it did not exist, could you
care for me, do you think!'
She made no reply. but looking into
her face, he saw there all that he
wanted to see. My dear" be Whis-
pered, drawing her toward him, your
troubles are over and done with now
forever
Ihe two lovers paced up and down
the terrace arm-in-arm until long after
sunset obliyious Of poor Mrs. Patter-
son; ObllyiOus too, of the time agreed
upon for their return to London. But
Eycrard, when at Last it occurred to
him to consult his watch, observed that
trains left every half hour or so. and
that there was really no need for hurry.
However, it clearly bchooved them to
60 and wake up their long-suffering
chaperon, and they prepared to leave
the precincts of the castle accordingly
Beneath the first archWay Everard
1elt Laura's hand tighten oonyulsiyely
on ms arm, and looking up, became
aware OF q tail figure looming uo in
tne dusk, which was Enthusiastically that
OF Sourltkin. II there was one thing
about this man which cxasperated Ey
arard more than another it was his
theatrical way Of appearing suddenly
out OF space. Upon this occasion hn
was more than usually annoyed by II.
Tor he mad been taken by surprise and
had started, for he knew that Laura
must have felt him start. For this re,-
son he said, In the most matter-nf.
course tone possible:
How do You do, Count SouratEins
! suppose you heard from Mrs. potter.
son that we We're here?'
Precisely so,' answered the count
Diandly. "She was becoming alarmed
and sent me to look for YOU
he dld not explain how he came to
be at Windsor at all: but that niro,,,,,