Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-09-07
LAURA'S ROMANCE.

LAURA'S ROMANCE.
Thirty years ago there was a grand
brick house, standing in the midst
of a sweet old garden, on n of the
pleasantest sites of the famous Rich
mOnd Hill. 1t had once been the
residence Of a noble family, but it
was at that time only q celebrated
school for young ladies. The house
itself was u plain, substantial brick
one. and there were plenty IN the
vicinity that in every point excelled
1t; but nowhere was there a garden
of greater lovelincss than its high
brick walls shut in.
This was especially so in the
mornings and evenings, when the al
legs and the hazel walks and the
woodbinc arLors full: of groups
of beaut full young English girls
girls with flowing brown hair and
e.,es as blue and clear as heaven, aud
faces innocent and fresh as ii each
face had been made out of a rose.
hut even where all are beautiful,
some one will be found loveliest of
all, and Lau. u Falconer was the ac-
knowled belle of the uppe.. class.
She was 10 years OF age, but she
still fingered at Nine. Mcre's school,
partly he ause it had been her only
home for five years and partly Le-
cause her guardian considered it to
be the best l.lace for her until SIZE
was 81, when she would receive her
fortune and become her own mis-
tres>. 80 Laura remained at Mad
ame's, studying a little, but still
having a much larger amount OF lib
erty than that granted to the other
PUPILS. This liberty permitted her
TO shop with a proper escort and also
to pay frequent visits to acquaint-
anccs resident in Richmond and LON
don.
On one of these excursions she had
met Ernest Trelawny, and it is of
this gentleman she is SO conftdentiaily
talking to her chief friend, as they
walk in the lonlicst cart Of the gar
den together.
II am ST glad, Clara. that We met
him this afternoon; 1 wanted you so
much to see Ernest. Is he not hand
some::"
II never saw such eyes, Laura!
And his figure! And his stylish dress!
oh, l think he is grand and so-weil,
SO MISUNDERSTANDING, as ii he was a
puet or something"
land then his conversation, Clara!
He talks as I never heard any one
else talk-so romantic, DEAR"
'Oh, l think you must he a very
happy girl, Laura! I often wish /
had some one to love me as Ernest
loves you"
Laura sighed and looked up senti-
mentally.
you have a father and mother,
Clara. l am quite alone. Ernest
says that is q reason he at first felt
as il he must love me-"
"What would Nine. Mere says"
"Madame must not know FOR the
world, Clara She would write to
my guardian. Oh, Clara, 1 am going
to tell you a great, great secret. Err
nest and I have determined to run
away to Gretna Green and get mar
S:oh h-h.h! Laura, how dare you?
Madame will be sure to find it out.
She never looks as If she knew things,
but she always does. When are you
golng?"
"To-night. Ernest will be vat.
ing with a carriage at the end of the
garden wall. l have bribed the cook
to leave the kitchen door unlocked,
and l shall go through her room and.
down the back stairs"
Thus, until The . o'clock bell rang,
the two girls talked over and over
the same subject and never found it
warisonse, and when they babe each
other a good night in the long cor
ridor, 1t was a very meaning one.
They were both greatly impressed
with the romance CT the situation,
and timid little clara envied and adj
mtred her friend, and could not sleep
for listening for the roll of a carriage
and the parting signal which Laura
had agreed to make on her friends
door as she passed it
Then Laura made her few prepare
tions and sat down in the moonlight
to await for the hour. She thought
of all her favorite heroines who had
enacted a similar part, and tried to
feel as they were asserted to have
felt
"Half-past eleveD"
She rose ana laid her bonnet and
mantle ready, but, in spite of her
romantic situation, she was really
chilled and unhappy and conscious Of
Q most unnatural depression of
spirits
just then the door opened softly,
and Madam Mere, with a candle in
her hand, entered the room. She
was a very small, slight woman, with
q grave, lovable face and a pair of
wonderful eyes. In their clam, clear
light lay the secret of her power
over the fifty girls whom she ruled
absolutely with a glance or a smile.
She came gliding in more like a
spirit than q woman, and putting the
light down. said:
Laura, I have had a dream, dear
girl-a dreadful dream-and l am