Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-12-05

AAebSAt ltOOsp aI0ut1t SIO MsAS NOl
pleased; for in. his frank .a!lusion to
the past she dlscerned that her empire
was lost, and nowoman loves to make
that discovery, even IL she has not val
ued it at the time Of possession.
"And is your stay In London to be
long?" she asked.
"Oh, am not going back to India at
oil, }" he said. .sThe regiment will be
down and marry. The governor wants
1t; fidgety about the title, you know,
since my brother died. It's rather
bore" He laughed. ''By the way,
Lady Brcreton, I was intending to call
and ask your aid about it. 1 thought
for the sake Of the old times you might
feel sufficient interest in the nice boy
now he's grown up, to find nice girl
for him-decent family, Of course, and
little money no objection, but not a
sine qua non. Women are so clever at
this kind of thing"
II shall be- delighted she said,
sweetly. "1'll look out for you, and
you must come and see me, and report
what discoveries you are making on
your own account
But the conversations was a little
one-sided after that. Capt. Valence
chatted easily, little nothings of the
hour, the amusing conversation of a
well-bsed man Of the world with
witty tongue and shrewd perception.
But she did not pay much heed to
what he said. She was thinking of
the last time they met. She was then
Blanche Forester, and he called her
his angel sister, the light Of his life,
and she had laughed and hidden him
not to be sly boy. The whole episode
had been very absurd, of course, but
somehow his mockery of it did not
please her, and the glibness of his
"Lady Brereton' grated
Thursday is my day." she said to
him when he put her in her carriage
by and by. "But If you like to take
your chance, you know"
Perhaps she thought about him more
on her way home than she had ever
thought about him before at one time,
and she smacked her innocent pug
and called it little beast. Such is
feminine justice!
81 was young once" said Capt.
Valence to the horse chestnut trees,
II was distressingly young-a malady
we all suffer from. But I feel better
now, thank God" he added piously.
And he lighted cigar and went to
watch the polo with a smile of self
satisfaction.
They met good deal in the course
Of the next few weeks. He reminded
her of her promise, and she mentioned
two or three desirable damsels to him;
but her assistance ended there, and he
never saw an attra ctive looking girl in
her house. Also he found occasion to
allude once more to his salad days.
Nothing polishes a cub" he said,
"like an affair with a woman of the
world. My dear Lady Brereton, accept
the assurance of my gratitude"
She would have been better pleased IL
he had intimated that she had ruined
his life, better pleased even if he had
openly ovoided her. His camaraderie
stung her feminine soul. She did not
approve of platonics, especially in an
old admirer.
Zone would think was his grand
mother" she said to her own wrath
full reflection in the toilet glass. And
then she wept stormily-for no reason
that she would have named to living
soul.
For a week she saw nothing of him,
then one evening their eyes met across
the opera house, and a faint resent
ment-the sequel to the unexplained
tears-was in her smileless eyes. It
was perceptible, too, in the manner Of
her greeting when, during the last
ertr'acte, he deserted his stall for her
box, and, on Mrs. Crosbie's invitation,
dropped into the vacant chair between
Uppf hn q fo nation vN4
GOODNESS in her manner; he was in the
most brilliant of moods. M
81 have news for you," he murmured
in her ear, when the stage claimed
Mrs. Crosbie's attention. 1'Sher is
found"
Indeed! And am to congratulate
your
perhaps it would be trife prema-
ture. You see, haven't proposed yet.
I'll tell you all about it tomorrow il
you are sufficiently interested"
''Tell me now" she said.
She spoke quite naturally, and she
was smiling. But lie did not look at
her face; his eyes had been on her
hands as it closed with spasmodic
force upon the handle Of her fan.
'.You will break that toy if you treat
1t like that" he said, quietly.
She dropped it as if it had stung her
and drew back in the shadow of the
draperies with her white teeth press
ing her lower lip.
go on she said. els it an affair
of the heart or the head?" @t
''she is the only woman would ever
wish to marry" he answered. Il want
her more than l have wanted any
thing In my life hardly know how
to describe her to you. Don't laugh if
rave; am in love, and when fell
lows like that, you know Lady
Blareton. you will certainly ruin your
far! But am not going to tell you
that she Is perfect. A perfect woman
how wearisome, how monotonous!
She has variety, she has charm-ad-
mirable qualities to attract man, and
to give his existence the delightful
xest OF uncertainty. All! she is adora-
BILE, she---I4ady Breret0n!'
She was leaning hack against tho
partition, her eyes closed. her face
cOlOrlcss.
''Nothing; don't notice me!' she muir
INJURED. "rhe heat! ! nm better al.