Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-05-10

Amidst all the homage and adulation,
while she was the object OF general OBJ
servation, the Quaen Of the iete, the
most admired, while her heart beat
high in triumph, while princes bent
before her, Leonie was outwardly calm
and self-rossessed. The sun shone
bright, flowers bloomed fair faces
smiled around her; tho whole scene
was one OF splendor and beauty; but
tho still, small voice she could never
stiae made itself heard. She, well
c)med by royal lips, battered by
princes, crowned with her own beauty
and grace she was, after all, "a thief. "
II they had known it, those great and
noble ones who smiled upon her If
they had known that she had robbed a
loyal man OF his estate and his money,
there would have been small mercy for
her, their hattering lips would have
told another tale.
Once or twice during those sunny,
brilliant hours, when she was more
quiet, and had fewer people around her,
It seemed to her that, ia: above the
sound OF the music, the silvery laugh
ter, the murmur OF conversation, she
heard the hiss # the word thief"
Thief! What would they think Of
her II they knew? How they would
shrink from her! All her beauty, her
wit, her grace, would fail to charm
them. She would be scorned, depised
an outcast. Why, her proper place
was felon's deck, and not the grounds
Of a good and mighty queen.
Then the dark thoughts were all dis
relled; a prince was talking to her,
and she read admiration in his eyes.
He laughed at her wit, he enjoyed
himself, and again the spirit of vanity
reigned conqueror within. There had
never been q greater social success
than this of Lady Charnleighs. AS
she looked round, feeling herself queen
of that brilliant throng, she said to
herself:
at is worth it all. My gifts were
given to me that | might reign. They
woul all have been lost had remained
o poor, obscure governess. Why
should l give up that which l know
how to hold so well?"
she drove home with the sound Of
homage and adulation in her ears, tri-
umphant and successful. Ethel Dacro
had never seen her in higher spirits.
There is no need to ask II you have
enjoyed yourself, Lady Charnleigh. "
mo, indeed, Ethel; | have laughed
and talked without ceasing."
"You must be tired" said Ethel.
mo, l am not tired, OF what use is
1t to be tired? | am going to Lady
Bagshawe's concert, and after that to
the Countess Of Arlington's ball"
Ethel raised her eyes in wonder.
How you live through it puzzles
me-"
slow I should live without it would
puzzle me still more, Are you going
with me to the concerto
Eyes, | will go. Lady Charnleigh,
that picture of Captain Flemyng's has
arrived, and he has sent me note.
asking me, If you are too busy, to at
tend to it. He wants the picture very
carefully removed from the frame and
sent to Monsieur Dudevant. viii you
do it, or shall T."
"Do it yourself, by all means, Ethel,
If you will. | have neither skill nor
patience to be careful over anything.
Miss Dacre was only to- delighted.
What would please her more than to
do anything for Paul? To attend to
this request of his was great happi-
ness to her.
Il will begin at once" she said.
you had better get one of the SER
wants to help you to take the picture
from the frame, Ethel" observed
Leonie; those white hands of yours
| will never manage it.
IL should not like servants hands
to touch it," said Ethel, eagerly:
F RfSlSgSSe am sure u %9@'u captain
Leonie laughed, and the laugh
sounded harsh and unnatural.
Il am amused in many respects,
Ethel" she remarked. you are so
much like Paul. l should never have
thought of such a thing. Keep all pro-
fame hands from it, my dear, by all
means.
Miss Dacre went away to attend to
her commission, leaving the countess
alone. The laugh died from her lips
as Ethel closed the door.
II wish were like her." she cried,
passionately. 81 wish to heaven that l
were only One-half so good"
A man-servant carried the packing
case into the morning-room, and re-
moved the heavy outer covering.
DO not touch the picture, said Miss
Dacre, / will attend to it myself"
She waited until the man had left
the room. Some delicate, womanly,
| graceful feeling led her to take her first
look at this picture alone. 1t was
Paups mother, and perhaps Ethel
guessed how dearly Paul had been
loved and cared for. She withdrew
the paper that hid the portrait, and
gazed long at the sad, beautiful face,
so like Paul's own.
"Dces she know how much | love
him?" said the girl to herself. "Does
she know that all my life is dark and
dreary to me, because he does not care
for me?"
She looked long and sadly at the
beautiful face, wondering to herself
what was the secret of that life, why
the picture had hung in the Earl's
room, and why he had loved it better
than he had loved any living woman.
Then she carefully took the back from
the frame, and as she did so it struck
her how very loosely it had been placed
there-it seemed as though the back
ha been removed before.
Then she took out the picture, and
as she did so q folded paper that had
been placed between the back of the
frame and the portrait fell out. Al
first she took no notice of it, thinking
it had been placed there to protect the
canvas but her ewes falling carelasslv