Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-05-11

decldeu that Lady C~harnlelgh, Ethel
and Lady Fanshawe should go early to
London. The Duchess of Warminster
had invited Lc0nie to spend some time.
with her in her beautiful villa near
the Thames, and she had joyfully ac-
copied the invitation.
The ghost that haunts mo at Grown
Leighton will stay there" she said to
herself, and I'll be happy again"
CHAPTER xxxvII.
People in London made the same re-
marks about Lady Charnleigh as her
neighbors in the country had made.
Gayety and pleasure were delightful;
but it wa possible to have too much of
both, and the young countess went
quite to tho extreme. Did she ever
rest? Did she eve sleep: Her days
and nights seemed to bo one lcng round
OF gayety; h edanced, sang, acted most
g%loriously in private theatricals and
charades-she did everything except
reflect.
The season was half over when the
Duchess of Warminster insisted upon
Lady Charnleigh's paying her prom
I saw you at the opera last night"
said her grace. and although you
SaiAed End laughed SO gayls 7 .hhousho
oulooAed very tired and not at all we'll.
They tell mo you lead the gayest of
lives in London-a week at the villa
will do YOU good. Life is not so hur-
ut is not quiet, I hope," returned
ieonie, quickly: there is nothing 1
dislike SO much.
/, "My dear Lady Charnleigh, forgive
me-remember l am old enough to be
your mother-but 1 would not counsel
mean no harm, but such words do not
sound we'll. No, we are not quiet
that is, there is a large party always
staying with lis, and each one amuses
him or herself according to taste or
fancy. have never yet seen any n
looking dull"
Lady Charnleigh won't, leaving Lady
Fanshawe and Miss Dacre, who had
declined a like invitation, in the Lon
don mansion alone. Leonie found lite
at the Duchess villa gay enough and
pleasant enough: no one ever inter-
fered with visitors there-each IN did
just as he or she liked: and one Sum
day morning, when Lconie awoke, the
world around locked so fair and bright
that she decided upon a ramble through
the woods. AS q rule. she hated and
dreaded solitude, but to-day heart and
soul desired it. She said to herself
that she would go out away from tho
world of men and women to where
the green boughs waved in the wind,
and the birds sang of peace and of
love.
She wandered through the woods
how far she did not know; she walked
fac< ~y,0 "a wi fo~n,, 1>N<l, k~,,o,, ,,,:AL
that terrible past which she could
never undo. She wandered over the
rich clover meadows, past the hedges
all covered with hawthorn, past pretty
limpid brooks that sang # Heavens
great love for men in making earth so
fair. She came to q narrow green lane,
where wild flowers grew in rich pro-
fusion; there was q rude stile ut the
end, and when LeOnie reached that she
| stood for some moments lost in admira-
tion.
There was n broad path that a
through the clover meadows, and tho
path was bordered by tall, stately elm
trees, it led to the most picturesque
village that she had ever seen; and
there, at the foot of the hill, stood an
old gray church. the ~tapering spire
and the arched windows of which were
covered with ivy. There was a quaint,
old-fashioned gate standing open, us
though inviting all to enter; within
wore green graves where the dead
slept in that beautiful summer calm.
As she stood watching the tranquil
loveliness, the bells began to chime.
Never while life lasted did she forget
the solemn beauty of that hour. The
birds were singing around her, tho
bees lowered over the rich clover, the
br~ight-winged butterflies sought the
wild roses, the sweet western wind
came laden with the rich odor Of haw-
thorn, and above all was heard the
sweet Ginning of the Sabbath bells. 1t
was all SO fair SO calm. so sweet, so
like a glimpse of the far-off heaven,
that the girl stood still and felt the
solemn, beautiful calm stealing over
her.
How long was it since she had knelt
at her mothers knee and learnt her
simple prayers? Exalted in rank, how
long wa; 1t since she had risen in the
morning and said Il word of prayer
since she had offered n word of
thanks to Heaven ore she had retired
to rest: How long was it since she had
ceased to read the grand old Bible
stories? She had done nothing right,
nothing good, since she had bartered
her soul for riches and he. love for
luxury!
They we're going into church now,
g~ray-hairsd men and little children;
Che sweet. simple faithof her childhood
seemed to come back to her as she
watched them = the time required
when she had believed with a child's
faith that Il she was good she would
go to heassn.
Was th9re any heaven for her, her
stained With dishonor, with fraud, With
uA4estk5