Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-09-06
1t seemed to have happened on pur
pose, and-I told her all"
You proposed to herr"
He nodded.

pose, and-I told her all"
lou proposed to her?'
He nodded.
"As-as Miss Ffordc or as began
Mrs. Selby.
LAS Miss Ford, of course withou,
the two rs and the e. at the end.
he said bitterly II didn't know till
this moment either that her father was
an carl, or, which is much worse. that
she was a great heiress.'
And what is wrong. then?"
Just then she refused me-refused
me with the most biting contempt-the
the bitterest scorn-no. cannot speak
Of it. She thought l knew, had found
out about her-and now I see that my
misplaced honesty, the way spoke,
must have given color to it, She taunt-
ed ME with my insolcnce at the first
good God! what an instrument of tor
ture wOman'S tongue can be! There
Is only one thing to do-to stop Ger
.trude's ever telling of that letter.
ooh. Despard!" exclaimed Mrs. Selby,
and her eyes filled with tears "What
a horrid girl she must be! And l
thought she looked so sweet and nice.
She seemed so sorry when her cousin
told me about you. Tell me. was that
after? Oh, yes of course. it must have
been. Despard. believe she was al
ready repenting her cruelty"
Hush, Madeline" said Mr.. NOrreys
sternly You mean it well. but-you
must promise me never to allude to all
this again. You will show me Mrs.
Englewood's letter when it comes-that
you must do. And will write to her.
But there is no more to be said. Let
to-day be between us as if it had never
been. Promise me dear
He laid his hand on her arm. Made
| line turned her fearful eyes toward
INN.
Every WE'LL" she sand. II must, 1
suppose. But, oh. what dreadful pity
| it all seems You have fallen in love
with her for herself-you that have
never really cared for any one before
when you thought her only a governess;
and now for it to have all gone wrong.
| 1t would have been so nice and delight
full"
with the characters reversed-yes, quite
idyllic," said Despard sneeringly.
"a sort of Lord Burleigh business.
"Despard, don't. 1t does so pain me-"
Mrs. Selby said with real feeling.
''Therc is one person 1 am furious
with" size went on very different
to he, land that is Mrs Englewood She
had no business to play that sort Of
trick
perhaps she could not help herself.
You say the father-Mr. Fforde as he
then was-did not wish her to be
known as an heiress,' said Mr.. Nor
reys.
'She might have made an exception
for you," said Madeline
Despard's brow contracted. Mrs.
Selby thought it was from the pain in
his head. but it was more than that.
A vision rose before him of ii sweet
flushed girlish face, with gentle pleasure
and appeal in the eyes-and of Ger
trudc's voice, eff you don't dance will
you talk to her? Anything to please
her little, you know
Il think Gertrude did I'LL she could.
believe she is a perfectly loyal and
faithful friend" he said; "but for heav-
ems sake, Maddie. let us drop it for
ever. I will write this evening to Ger
trude myself, and that will be the last
act in the drama
No letter, however, was written to
Mrs. Englewood that evening-nor the
next day, nor for that matter during
the rest of the time that saw Despard
Norreys a guest at Markerslea Rectory.
And several days passed after the
morning that brought her reply to Mrs.
Sclby's letter of inquiry, before the per
son it chiefly concerned was able to
see it. For the pain in his head, the
result Of slight sunstroke in the first
place, aggravated by unusual excite
ment, had eliminated in sharp a.,
tack which at one time was not many
(; degrees removed from brain fever. The
risk was tided over, however, and at
no time was the young man in very
serious danger. But Mrs Selby suffer
ed quite as much as if he had been
dying. She made up her mind that he
i would not recover, and as her special
friends received direct information to
that effect, 1t is not to be wondered at
that the bad news flew fast.
1t reached LaXter's Hill one morning
in the week following Lady Denster's
garden party. 1t was the day which
was to see the breaking up Of the party
: assembled there to meet Lord South
void and his daughter, and it came in
4 letter to Edith Flores Carter from
Mrs. Selby herself
! ooh. dear the girl calculated, her
usually bright, not to say jolly-looking
countenance clouding over as she spoke,
'"oh, dear, I'm so sorry for the Sclbys
for Mrs. Selby particularly. Just
fancy. doesn't it seem awful-her broth
,r's dying"
She glanced around the breakfast ia
Die for symp: thy; various expressions
I)f it reached her
THAT fellow found in the grounds
ut that place, is it?" inquired Mr..
Fforde. I'm not surprised. he did
look pretty bad, and he would walk
home, and he hadn't even a parasol"
| Conrad, how can you be so unfeel-
ing? l perfectly detest that horrid
trick Of Joking about everything" said
IN sharp, indignant tones a young lady
seated opposite him. 1t was Lady Mar
garet. Several people looked up in sur
prise.
Beginning in good time," murmured
man near the end of the table
! why, do you believe in that? I
don't" replied his companion in the
yN,, v.N.rv A<n