Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-04-06
At War WITH HERSHLF,
The Story Of a womanIs Atonsmeot,
BY Charlotte N. Braems.
CHATTER xxv11-cont,nued.

w VtU0u uVkS0 M
CHAPTER XXvII-Cont,nued.
II was no countess after all: the
gorgeous fabric of wealth and maeni-
hcence he'd crumbled to nothing be-
meath her feet. She was no countess
nothing but Leonie Rayner; the grand
inheritance of Grown Leighton was
not hers, after all; she who had
lavished thousands on petty c~aprices
and graceful fancies had not one shil-
ling In the world that was legally her
own.
II was so happy" moaned the girl
u was 30 happy. and now"
Then rose before her the dim vista
Of years when poverty and privation
would be her lot-hard work, toll,
obscurity her portion-and this after
she had reigned queen of the bright,
gay world. She was too stunned for
tears-no words could describe the
chaos of her thoughts, the whirl of her
longer the mistress of that superb
mansion-no longer a queen no longer
one of the richest heiresses in England.
of whose wealth mon spoke with Won
der. 1t was as great a fall as woman
ever had. Two minutes before she had
reached the climax of magniticence
and grandeur, peerless in her radiant
beauty, dressed in the robes and
jewels of q queen. Now, what was
she? An usurper, an intruder, an
interloper. She had no right to Crown
Leighton-no right to the diamonds
that crowned her-no right to the
name that had been as music in her
ars. A cry of despair escaped her
utter, hopeless despair.
II will kill myself" she said. in her
anguish; "for l never can go back to
that life again."
How long she crouched there, her
brain burning and her mind full of
dark, confused thoughts, Leonie never
knew. A noise upon the stairs aroused
her, and she started up.
Her first honest irapulse was to rush
Nemyng, aud to place the will in his
hands. That was her first impulse,
and she rose to act upon it. AS she
passed the Urge mirror, she caught
Q glimpse of herself, and it frightened
her. Was that the radiant, beautiful
girl she had seer so short q time be-
tore? All the bloom had died from her
face, leaving it CHASTITY white; the vio-
lot eyes were dim and wild; the light
seemed to her excited fancy to have
faded from her jewels. Oh, cruel
mockery, that diadem of gems, those
Queenly robes! She laughed to her.
self-a harsh, discOrdant laugh, I'M
pleasant to hear.
Il am no longer q countess. l am
penniless, obscure, a pauper, not u
queen"
1t was surely the sorest blow that
sould have befallen her. She had
loved her position, her magnifcence,
10 we'll. She had enjoyed them SO we'll
she had graced them so p%refectly.
Il will go and put this in his hands,"
she said, and then I will go straight
cold darkness and death. / have d. unk
of the wine of life, and cannot taste the
lees"
Was there a hot breath on her white
shoulder, or was it only her fancy?
Was there o voice kissing in her II,
or was it q delusion? What was the
voice aging?
Let it be asst is for n night longer.
Go down an3 complete your triumph
go down where lei wait for you with
honeved words. Reign queen tonight
Tomorrow let poverty come and do
Its worst. There is no need to make q
sensation among all those people-no
need topublish your downfall tonight. "
Was there q kissing, sharp voice
whispering these words, or was 1t her
own fancy? She pushed the diadem
and the golden-brown hair from her
brow.
Many a IN would have been
driven mad by such o shock" she said
to herself.
Then she stood h~esitating, with the
parchment in her hand.
shall | take it to him now, OR shall
wait until tomorrow!
Tomorrow will do" said the
tempter. What difference can it
make? Enjoy your reign q few hours
l0nger-make the most of tho next few
hours. Leave it until tomorrow"
II might just as we'll wait until to-
morrow" she said, piteously: sit would
be 80 sad to spoil the fete and turn all
into confusion"
Then sudden hot anger flushed in
her face and famed in her eyes. /.
Il would fain do as Sardanapalus
did" she cried-"burn Crown Leighton
20 the ground, and die in the ruins"
Then the fierce hot anger died. Il was
20 happy" she said, despairinglv;
Heaven might have let me keep what
l Oel1ovo0 10 % mine. rna l d
better take this to Paul at once-it
will be less torture than keeping it by
me until tomorrow"
She walked toward the door; she
saw herself seeking him, placing the
will in his hand, and saluting him by
his new title-Earl If Charnleigh.
Then came a vivid remembrance ofthe
time when her heart had thrilled with
ecstasy at the sound of her title.
Il will not be so hasty-I will wait
until tomorrow" she said: Il will en-.
Joy these few hours, and then"
In the anguish of the moment she
oven forgot her love and the lover who
was waiting for her. She took the
parchment, hid it in the wardrobe,
locked the door. and then slowly de.
seconded the stairs.
Tomorrow" she moaned to herself
cit will be all over Tomorrow
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Leonie, how long you have been
my darling! What is the matter:
Your face is white, your lips tremble