Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-08-30

days-thus avoiding al risk of coming
across any of the guests. BY path
hohind the stables he made his way
slowly into the woods, and In about half
mi hours time he found himself where
these ended at the high road. along
which his sister must pass There was
stile near, over which, through a
field. law a footpath to the church.
known thereabouts as the old church,
md here on the stile Mr.. Norreys seat
ID himself to await Mrs. Salby.
| "l'yc managed that pretty neatly,
he soid. irving to imagine he was feel
inc ne usl,al. II wonder who hl;ft
fellow WAS. He seemed to have heard
NJ.dd;o.s name. though he did not know
her" 1T, ,,,,
now INT the pain in 1t was racking.
He tried not to think, but IN vain.
Cleorer. and vet more clearly. stood
ont before his minds eye the strange
drama of that afternoon. And the
more he thought of it, the more he
looked at it, approaching it from ey-
cry side, the more incapable he be-
came of explaining Miss Ford's eXtraor-
binary conduct. The Indignation which
! had at first blotted out almost all
other feeling gradually gave way to his
extreme perpleNitN.
| "She had no sort of grounds for
speaking to me as she did, he reflect
ed. Accusing me vaguely of unWor-
thy motives-what could she mean?'
Then Il new idea struck him. Some
one had been making mischief" he
thought: 'that must be it, though what
and how, cannot conceive. Gertrude
Eng,awood would not do it intentially
but still saw that she was changed
to me. shall have it out with her.
After all. hope NIadcline's letter has
gone"
And vague. very faint hope began
to make itself felt that perhaps after
all all was not lost. If she had been
utterly misied about him-if-
He drew deep breatl, and looked
round. 1t was the very sweetest mo-
ment Of Il summers day existence, that
at which late afternoon begins softly
and silently to fade into early evening.
There was an almost Sabbath stiffness
in the air, {: tender suggestion of
nights reluctant approach. and from
where Despard sat the white head
| stones of some graves in the ancient
church yard We're to be seen among
| the grass The man felt strangely
moved and hlmbled:
| IF l could hope ever to win her."
he thought, Il feel as if / had it in
me to be a better man-I am not at
all selfish and worldly. Maisic-surely
not? But what has made. her Judge
me so cruelty? 1t is awful to remem-
Der what she said, and to imagine
what sort of an opinion she must have
OF me to have been able to say it. For
no. that was not my contemplate
conceit'-and his face flushed "She
was beginning to care for me. She is
too generous to have remembered vim
dictively my insolencc for inso,ence
it was, at the first Besides, she said
herself that she had been getting to
like and trust ME as 4 friend. Till TO-
day-has the change in her all come
from what l said to-day? No girl can
aesplse man for the fact Of his caring
Ior hef-What can it be? Good heavens
L feel as If. l should go mad:"
Ana he wished that the pain in his
mead Which had somewhat subsidized.
would get worse again, if only it would
|
But just then came the sound OF
wheels. In another moment Mrs. Sell
bys pony carriage was in sight. Des.
pard got off his stile and walked slow
~ down the road to meet her
so YOU faithless--'' she began-
for, to tell the truth, she had not at
tached much credence to the story
which had reached her Of the frightful
headache-bUt she changed her tone the
moment she caught sight Of his face.
My poor boy YOU do look illv' she ex-
claimed. II am so sorry would have
come away at once if 1 had known
ut doesn't matter" DesDard replied
as he got into the carriage; but did
you get my messenger"
"Oh, yes; but 1 thought it was Just
that you were tired and bored What
is the matter, dear Despard? You don't
look the least like yourself"
Il fancy it was the sun this morn
ing" he said. But it's passing off,
think"
Madeline felt by no means sure that
it was so.
Il am so sorry" she repeated. land
so vexed with myself. Do you know
who the young man was that gave
ME your messenger"
| Despard shook his head.
! 1T was Mr.. Conrad Fforde. Lord
Southwold's nephew and heir--heir ut
least to the title. but to little else
$50 should suppose" said Norreys,
indifferently. "The Southwolds are
very poor"