Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-06-21
BY MAs. M0kESM0RTh.,

1 there Law the Secret-lt brought back
other days. when Poor Jacks big sis.
ter, Gertrude. had welcomed the or.
phan schoc.hoy just rs heartily. and
when he lad slowed with pride and
qualification at her notice of him.
Desparl resigned. not to say sulky.
expression cleared; it was no wonder
Mrs. Englewood's old liking for him
had suffered no diminution; he did show
at his best with her.
80 pleased you've come. so good of
| you" She was saying simply.
Her words made the Young man feel
vaguely ashamed of himself.
Good Of me-" he repeated, flushing
more fervent greeting from infinitely
more exalted personages than Gertrude
| had often failed to disturb his compos-
ure. 40. indeed, very much the re-
verse. I'm sorry" with a glance round,
Ito be so late, especially as"
NO. no. you're not to begin saying
YOU can't stay long the very moment
you've come. Listen. Despard." and she
drew him aside little; Il want you
to do something to please ME tonight.
l have Il little friend here-a Miss
Fforie-that l want you to be very
| good to. Poor little thing, she's quite
| Il stranger. knows nobody, never Deen
out. But she's nice little thing. Will
| you ask her to dance? Or" for the
shadow of frown on her favorite's
forehead became evident to Mrs. Engle-
woods partial eyes-"if you don't care
| to dance. will you talk to her Il little?
Anything you know, just to please
her."
Despard bowed. What else could he
do? Gertrude slid her hand through
his arm.
There she is" she said THAT girl
in black over there by the fireplace.
MaiSie. my dear" for step or TWO had
brought them to the indicated spot,
Il want to introduce my old friend,
aIr DcSpard Norreys. to you. Mr.. Nor
rcys-AIiss Fforde;;' and as she pro-
nounccd the names she drew her hand
quietly away and turned back toward
her post at the door,
.Despard bowed, and, with the very
slightest instinct of curiosity, glanced
at ti,e girl before him. She was Of
middle height, rather indeed under than
above it: she was neither very fair nor
very dark; there was nothing veiy
special or striking in her appearance.
She was dressed in black; there was
rather as Despard saw in an instant,
an absence Of style, of finish, which
found its epithet at once in his thoughts
-"countrifcd. of course" lie said to
himself. But before he had time to
decide on his next movement she raised
her eyes, and for half an instant his at
tention deepened. The eyes We're striE-
ingly fine; they We're very blue, but
redeemed from the shallowness Of very
blue eyes by the depth Of the eyelashes,
both upper and lower. And just now
there was a brightness, an expectancy
in the eyes which was by no means
their constant expression. For. lashes
Notwithstanding. Miss Fforde's blue
eyes could look cold enough when she
chose.
Good eyes," thought Despard. But
just as he allowed the words to shape |
themselves in his brain. he noticed
that over the girls clear, pale face a
glow of color was quickly Spreading
Good gracious" he calculated men-
tally, 'she is blusling. What bread
and-butter miss she must be-to blush
because a mans introduced to her. And
l am to draw her out! 1t is really too
bad Of Mrs. Englewood;;" and he half
began to turn away with sensation |
VI illllioSt VI uloSuSt
But positive rudeness where Il woman
was concerned did not come easy to
him. He stopped and muttered some
thing indistinctly enough about "the
pleasure Of dance" The girl had /
grown pale again by this time, and in
her eyes half startled, almost panied
expression was replacing the glad ex-
pectancy. AS he spoke however, some
thing Of the former look returned to
them.
IL shall be very pleased" she said.
II am not engaged for anything"
Il should think not" he said to him
self. II am quite sure you dance afro
ciously."
But aloud he said with the slow, i'm
passive tone in which some Of his ad-
| mirers considered him to so excel that
"Despard's drawn had it's school of fol-
| lowers:
"Shall we say the-the tenth waltz?l
I fear it is the first l can propose
| '"Thank you," Miss Fforde replied.
She looked as if she would have been
ready to say more had he in the least
encouraged it. but he, feeling that he
had done his duty, turned away-the
more eagerly as that moment he caught
sight in the crowd Of a lady he knew.
| Mrs. Marrinder! What q godsend!
he exclaimed.
| ITO BE CONTINUED.)