Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-03-22

| WY uAlllHkt lOu hiNi IiRh AbAHk
too much. Your spirits carry you
away and thea you are exhausted. Do
not 90 back to the ballroom let me
bring you some wine and rest yourself.
! viii not even speak to you, nor will |
allow any one else to tease YOU.
mo, no, she said, 81 must go back
have been away 80 long.
She made u desperate effort to rouse
herself. He looked ut her in silent
wonder. She reminded him of a fair
and blooming flower blighted by some
cool, frosty wind. The bloom and radi-
ance had left her face-even the queen
ly, graceful figure seemed TO shrink
and grow less, while the regal robes
and Jewels had lost half their bright
ness.
"Leonie," said Sir Bertram, "you
brighten me. am quite sure you are
ILL.,"
81 am not Do as you propose--go
and fetch me some wine, and bring II
TO me in the morning-room.
He placed her in chair, and left her
without word. Her brain was whirl-
ing. -,
Tomorrow, she said--"all this will
be over tomorrow | shall be battered
and loved-l shall be queen OF brill
| liant fete--I shall be mistress Of Crown
Leighton until tomorrow; and then all
will be over, and the sun Of my life set.
Tomorrow Shall live to face it all
the comments, the gossips, the
sneers These fine ladies who protest
that am a model Of graceful manners,
will find out then that / am low-bred
and very deficient what has passed
for animation will become vulgarity.
know the world, and hate it while |
love it. Its triumph over me shall not
begin tonight. For this one night it
shall be at my feet, and will trample
on it.
Then Sir Pertram came in with the
wine, and she drank it. 1t brought the
warmth and color back to her face.
He was much relieved
you are better, Leonie Oh, my
darling, you must never look that way
again. Promise to be careful of your
self; you are not strong. You alarmed
me when | saw you. ! thought the
ghost that haunts the oak room had APP
peared to you"
A deep, fearless sob broke from her
lips.
"The ghost of the oall-room, she re-
peated, wearily--"I saw it, and it has
nearly killed me-.
He thought her manner strange, but
ascribed it all to oyer-fatigue, He
drew nearer to her, and rearranged her
diadem, which had half fallen from
the fair, stately head.
"You have all queens dignity, and
all woman's charm" he said. "Oh,
Leonie, was any one ever SO fair and
so peerless as you?"
She smiled; the wine had given her
q kind of courage that she mistook for
strength.
Are my jewels all in order, or need
/ send for Florette?" she asked, care
lessly.
They are in perfect order. Your
appearance now is my care, Leonie; it
concerns no one but myself"
He did not know what had happened.
What would he say or think when he
had discovered that she was simply
poor and obscure Leonie Rayner, the
eX-governess? Would it make any diff
| ference to his love?
She looked up at him.
Give me your arm, Bertram. / must
go to the ballroom. Har5! that is my
favorite waltz, Tell me before you go
do you love me very much?"
A beautiful light came into his face
you will never know how much,
sweet"
would you care just as much for me
if / were very poor, and you knew me
only as Leonie Rayner?"
Just as much" he replied, my love
does not depend on your circumstances.
If yon were made queen tomorrow, |
should love you just as dearly; and if
tomorrow you became beggar, it
would make no difference in my affec-
tion---nay, am wrong should love
you all the better.
as it true?" she asked.
"Most assuredly it is; the only thing
should regret in that case would be
that am not rich man-that could
not surround you with all the luxury
and magnifcence to which you have
been accustomed.
"Are you not rich, Bertrand" she
asked, wistfully.
He laughed.
mo. my queen-not what people call
rich, in these luxurious times; my es-
tates are mortgaged, wish that |
were rich enough to purchase the
whole world, so that | might endOw
you with it.
you shall not spoil that compliment
by any other" she said; I'VE will CO.
Where is my programme? [ have
missed two dances. | have to apollo
gize to two gentlemen The next is
the Lancers, and am engaged to Lord
Holdene. He ought to thank me for
these silver buckles"
Then from the very depths of her
young heart there came most woeful
sigh. If he had never asked for those
buckles, that will would perhaps never
have come to light
For few minutes after she re-en-
tered the ballroom, Leonie stood be-
wildered Then she recovered her.
self. Lord Holdene came up and
offered q hundred apologies for having
mentioned the silver buckles. She
looked up at him with vague, dreamy
smile, as though she did not even UNI
derstand the words. She was think
ing to herself that it was not his fault
that it was not what people would
call fate or chance that had led her to
the darkroom, but the very hand o
Providence, and he had been led
thither in order that justice might be
done.
Then Captain Flemyng saw her and
fastened to her.