Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-11-23

4kS9
tone. So he hurried down the stairs,
having seen the IL safe. but scarcely
looked at either. scarcely even an
swered Nine. Jardine's gentle "Au re-
voir.."
.Au reyoir!!" How strange it oil felt
afterWard.
CHAPTER v.
He scarcely sept all night-a now
experience to his young. healthy ma.
ture or, sleeping, woke fame, lag to
was falling down q prec picc, or Silence
was fallin { and he WIS leaping in uftcr
Iher-ail those vague trouble in which
dreams carry out tho prominent IDEA
o! the day. He rose gladly, but only
rose TO veXatlOn: no letter from his
mother, hut one from tn, family law
yer. saying Mrs. Jafdine had been con
sultlng with him, and that she alto
gcther oh. ected to her son 8 denuding
himself OF his patrim ny, the only alb.
solute property he pos essed, and Civ
Ing 1T to unknown foreign cou ins, who
might make ducks and brakes of it"
in no time.
Spite of his annoyance Roderick
could not help laughing. The idea of
Sile nee and hermothe.. as cNtravagant
spcndthrifts, bringing 10 ruin the u i
dine inhe gitance, was too comical. He
had not been lucid enaurh, he must
w.ite again and eNplain-what? If he
told his mother the whole truth, that
he had deliberately made up his mind,
and meant, if by Gods blessing he was
fortunate in hislovc, to bring her home
as a dau.hte .-in-law this DO tionless
daughter-in-luw she would have en-
rected or desired-how would she take
it.: What would happen?
In this serious bu,ii.e 8 light he had
mover before regarded the question.
n though 1T perpleXed h m, it gave
him also u dclici )us sense OF reality.
His nebulous passion was resolving it.
sell into the ciear, steady glow of q
fixed love, a love meant to end in those
solemn duties OF married life which
all good men are born for, and good
women. too: and which neither sex
q shirk or set aside, or BY any sad
fate lose, without involvil g q certain
lncompleteness in character and des-
tiny.
Yes; l must write again to my
L1Oul1SlS III SSllu W ultlSclJ, anu even
took up pen and paper. But how to
write?: That tender confdence-from
babyhood to manhood-which some-
times exists between mother and son,
q never existed here. She would
no understand"
Nevertheless, in writing to his
mother, as he at last did write, deter
mining to pay her the just tilial respect
OF telling her his intentions before he
made h offer of marriage, he OK
planned that he had no idea what Mile.
Jardine s answer would be; and he
begged her to keep his secret entirely
to herself until he could tel! her tho
result.
$50 the deed is done thus far" said
Roberick to himself, as no posted the
letter, and then braced his courage for
the next step. TO. h. Judged rightly
no English wooing, tru.tlng to sweet
chance and the impulse of the m ,ment,
would do here. lie must speak to tho
mother first. Until he o her APP
prevail he could never be to Silence
more, ostensibly, than q common &C.
Trying, but inevitable. So that very
evcning-giying the gentle invalid q
whole day to recover from her fatigue
he determined to res. Mt himself.
and ask formally of Nine. Jai dine per-
mission to WOO her dau .hter. Perhups
he might then DO allowed to tell
Silence himself all she was to him.
And when she understood it all-the
first look. eye to e,e: the first kiss
mouth to mouth: the open. mutual
recognition of a love that was to last
them through life and so with them.
plea.e God. INTO the life eternal-at the
bare thought OF such bliss the younp
man felt dizzy.
lie half staggered as he walked and
at last stood quite still at the solit :ry
wclt-to command himself befere he
attempted to mount the stair. Though
it wa still early all was darll-the
quiet darkness of u mill November
night, with The tars shining overhead.
Roderlck looked up at them, trying to
gain Il little quiet css too.
so standing. he scarcely noticed q
gentleman, almost as seit-ab orbed as
himself, till they ran right against one
another.
81 ardon, monsieur" said the kindly
voice of NJ. 10 Professeur Reynicr.
What, Monsieur Iardine- can it be
you: How fortunate. l was just COM
ing to pay you a little visit
hooeflck muIuefeu SOlne CIVIL an
swer. but did not offer to turn back.
Indeed, he had como to that point
when he felt he could not turn back
cou d not defer his bliss, or fate an
other hour for any mortal creature.
"l-another time l shall be most
happy. Now-l have an engagement"
- ardon again" said tho gentle old
man, touching the arm of the younger
one: "but-were you going there" He
pointed up the stair which he had lust
descended. Indeed, you must not go"
why not?" said RodericK. a or ly,
then ~recollecting himself. added, with
a careful in Inference: "Yuur dauyh-
ters told me Madame Jardine was not
we'll: 1 was going to inquire for her."
Mon ! leu" cried Nj. Reynier. clasp
ing his hands with agesture which we
unem tional i landers would smile a.
as so u%n-lLnglish Mon Dicu.-thcn
mon ieur dges n t know"
"N now what