Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-07-18

tears and confessed to Harry March
how long and how earnestly her heart
had been his own.
!, So they were married very quietly.
and the cozy little cottage which Har-
ry March himself had built, received
for It's mistress Il blue-eyed girl.
shrinking and shy as LiEe tie was self
confident and naughty.
Miss Norman arched her pretty eye
broWs when she heard of this mar
rage. between her former lover and
friend. 81
! II dare say they'll be happy, how
ever" she said. "Ernestine Grey has
not particle Of ambition about her:
but should not think even she would
have stopped to marry a common car
penter."
"Must be dused low!" SAID Mr.. st.
Armand, who was smoking a cigarette
with his heels OH Lisette's vork-tab BILE.
"It won't do for us to visit 'em when
we're married, Lisette."
ooh, no, of course mott" said Lisette,
poutingly "But now, Hubert. tell
me more about Armand Hope, and its
delicious old towers and splendid tur-s
rets. and the lonely ghost in the un-5t
used wing nf the louise. It's exactly
like n story"
"Well, may it hc." inwardly reflected
MI. Hubert st. Elmo st. Armand, con
sidering how much of the element Of
fiction it contains" 3
But he WAS particularly careful to
keep this sentiment to himself, and
went Oh With q aowery description Of
some old chateau hee had read of in.
some novel, greatly to Lisette's de-
light.
The courtship progressed most ia
vorably, and one day about three
months subsequently, Mr.. st. Armand
came in, looking flushed and excited.
News, Lisettew he cried; great
news!"
"What?"
"A1y brother Leon has kicked the
buck-I mean, he has departed this
life, and l must start for England at
once"
"At once!"
Eyes; but don't looked so grieved,
my pet! We must be married imme-
diately, or the gov-I would say Sir
Grey, will be sure to have some high
flying match or other picked out for
me on the other side of the Atlantic"
Lisette's face frightened. Here We're
disintercsted love and devoted affec:
tion.
"And can go with you?"
''Of courSe-that's the main idea! Do
you suppose would go back to the
ancestral halls of the st. Armands
without my wife?''
Dearest HUBERT! might have
know the generous impulses of your
hearth cried Lisette, smiling and
blushing, as she thought how soon she
should probably become Lady st. Ar
mand. What would Ernestine Marsh,
the carpenters wife say? What would
be the curious verdict of all her little
world? And Lisette's heart leaped tri-
umphantly within her at the mere
idea
eyes," said Mr.. st. Armand, "but the
| fact is-you see, Lisette, I've had no
remittances of late, and. in his distress
and confusion ut Icons death. Sir
Grey has forgotten to send me his u.s.
ual drafts on the banker. It's very
embarrassing, but"
ooh. Hubert!" cried Lisette. gener-
GUS by nature. like all women, ''don't
let that annoy you for single mo-
ment. l have money of my own that
Aunt Patience lent me-a thousand
dollars. 1t is all at your disposal
You can easily pay it at any time af-
| ter we are married"
So Mr.. st. Armand pocketed Lisette
Nornan's thousand dollars, and bril-
liant wedding followed, to which, by
special favor, Mr.. and Mrs. Harry
March We're honored with cards.
The St. Armands took passage for
Europe in the next steamer and Err
nnSfino cold cnff1vy IN h,,cl
"Well, I suppose we shall never see
IIisette again. Bu., Harry, it may all
be an unfonnded prejudice, but I
| would rather have seen Lisette dead
| than known she was married to thar
man.
"You see, my love-" said Mr.. March,
'syou are not ambitious.
Mrs. March was mistaken, however,
in her suppositio1l that she had seen
| the last of the future Lady st. Ar
mand.
1t was dull, rainy night in early
April, some two years subsequent to
these events, when low knock came
to the door. Ernestine, who was Sit
ting beside the cradle of her sleeping
babe, ran to open the door, imagining
that ii was her husband.
But it was not the young mechanic,
who was now on the high road to
wealth. 1t was a bent, bowed figure,
| in a shabby jacket and worn. silk
dress.
'Ernestine, will you let me in?"
| "Lisettev
Eyes, it is I. I am homeless now,
Ernestine!"
She spoke with bitter laugh, more
sad by far than the widest burst Of
tears would have been.
Ernestine March led her in, excl,ang-
ed her wet draperies for dry, comfor-
table garments, administered food and
drink, and established her in the easy
chair before the cheerful fire, ere she
asked any more questions; and then
Lisette told her melancholy story.
She had been the victim of impos-
ture all through, falling into the gilt
tering trap that was vailed by vii
lian's speciouS representations. The
heir of the ST. Armands lad proved to
be a bankrupt liquor seller from one
of the small seaport towns, and after
I