The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-12-14

49, a - a. N'ASN "a SAANt SAAAAAA
devotion and such courage that even
Laura Nittemore respected it; and i'll
time he became. not her accepted lover,
lux her tolerated admirer. and he was
quite satisfied with the role. People
said it was because he was the poorest
OF her admirers that she gave him the
unusual privilege. 1t seemed a tritie
cruel. His case being hopeless, it APP
pearcd rs if she were making the stu
alton all the more tcrmcnling.
The years rolled On. Miss Witt.more
never mentioned the name of her rccre-
I'M lover, but there wa no one who did
hot believe, vino did not know, in fact,
that She still believed in him, still loved
him. She WAS waiting for him To come
back 10 her. All women nave faith in
the men they love. Hers WIS AN unusual
example of the faith of = perfectly
organized woman In the meantime she
changed but slightly. ATray hair or 50
appeared above her temples, and she had
occasional lapscs into melancholy.
During these II was usually rathcrdiS-
tant to the cvcr-faitEful Thornton. He,
naturally, would DE thrown into the
depths of dependency on such occa-
sions. But his friends agreed. TO man
(and cven to a woman), that these were
the most hopeful signs he could desire.
And they instillcd this idea into him to
such an extent that he took advantage
OF one of these melancholy periods and
nrA,ASnl np.fn II N-rS fpr. tho Inst
time. The result WAS quite the usual
one, but more decisive. She said: Il
think you might spare me Il repetition
of this" and left the room. And then
Thornton, in his turn, gave upall hope.
After that Miss Wittcmorc seemed to
interest herself in but one being-hcr
niece. Maud.
1t was the night of the garden party.
The gathering WAS interested in the lit
tie romancc that was eliminating that
evening. mainly because rumOr of Il
somewhat disagrrcaUlc nature had pre-
coded the arrival of the count. But
every visitin" foreigner. in tines" fin de
steele days, is regarded in America
with more or less suspicion; and, by
virtue of that fact, he had found, from
pure sympathy, many admirers and
supporters. During his stay in New
York, before his trip to the country for
this garden party, he had made no bet
ter friend than Charley Thornton. The
fact that he was engaged to the niece
OF Laura Wittcmore may have a"-
counted for this. Or Thornton may
have hcen careless and unSOphiStiCatcd
as usual. VI any rate they were every
where toCcthcr-v hich initiated very
much in favor of the oHn Still re-
tanning some" of the rights of a friend
of the family" even though h" had
abandoned all prctensions to the hand
OF the hostess, Thornton WAS ut the
counts side when he WAS presented to
Miss Wittcmorc. He saw the varying
expression of surprise, terror and de-
termination in her face. lie. perhaps
he alone, heard hc.. gasp almost mar
t~iculatcly: "l.anul." For III, first
time in his life he was brilliant cncuch
10 divine IN" truth. and 10y cle.cr.r
oycrturniug Il tai,Ia loaded with flowers
hc turned silence into confusion. sIs-
Icnse into laughter and climax into
anti-cIimav. Miss W:ttcmDrc. leaning
upon the arm of the impcrtHrb"3ic
Count kanolky. was enabled 30 ESCAPE
from tine laughing thronc, while Maud
buchanan helped the supposedly I'm
fortunate Thornton 20 rescue the
flowers.
Miss Wittcmor"Und the count stroilcd
away t" q remote corner Of the lawn.
They had the appearance Of being old
frinuGs-or old enemies.
80" she said, opening the CONVERSE
ton when they had reached a seat IN
der an old shade ;y,c. 80 you have
dared. Raoul. to come even TO my house
and under an assumed name, as the
tiance Of my nicce?"
Yes" hc laughed. with Il shrug Of his
little, nalf-stoopiu@ shoulders, Il have
dared. 1t is but Il little trick in the
game. l. is nothing. You see it was
.cry convenient to leave France Just
when did. | needed money and thought
it would be as well to take il from Amer
leans. as from others. and ! coUidn not
ask a better opportunity than being in
PRODUCED as the tiance Of your niece"
"Youdnnotmcan," gasped Miss Witte-
more. anNioUSly. ito marry Maud
We'll. not now" he answered. i
did intend to, until ! discovered that
You were Il feature in the game. Then
it became too complicated 4 matter to
bother with. Al! L want, you under
is money"
You nave sunk so low as that?!"
"Oh." he replied, with a disagrrcahlc
laugh. Il have sunk much lower than
that. In fact, lam improving my situu
ton daily. As YOU see. | am the fiancc
of a beautiful and rich young girl. l
will release her. But YOU must help M
in return. l wan money. | have OBJ
tanned notes from IL of your set. You
understand? | must not be interfere'l
with, or everything shall be known
you darc to threaten me. then. with
the exposure of your w infamy""
Certainly. That is Il lard hat never
tails 10 win with women Not knowing
that you were the Miss Wittemore 6
whom Maud spoke so often. l did not
suppose it would be necessary to use il.
But il is a card carry always, where |
laugh-up my sleeve. And it will serve
NY purpose ~ very well. You would
not are to have another chapter added