The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-06-22

1t was a fine %sunshiny day: Mrs. Lew
always held the belief" the worthy old
woman confessed, that bright weather
brings good lucK-of course, provided the
day is not n Friday. This is Wednesday.
Cheer up, miss"
The messenger returned with good news
M. Arthur mad been as merry as usual;
He had made fun of another letter of good
advice. re ceived without a signature.
But Mrs. I.ewson must have her way"
he said. "My love to the old dear-lll
start two hours later and be back to din
ner at five"
Where did Mr.. Arthur give you that
messagc9" Iris inquired.
At the stables, miss, while l was put
ting up the horse. The men about were
all on the broad grin when they heard Mr..
Arthur's message"
Still in a morbid state of MUD, Iris sill.
emily regretted that the message had not
been written, instead of being delivered
by word of mouth. Here, again, she
(like the wild lord) had been afraid of lis.
teners.
The hours wore slowly on until it was
past four o'clock. Iris could endure the
suspense no longer; 'ltsa lovely after
noon" she said to Mrs. Lewson. Let us
take g walk along the road. and meet Ar.
thur" To this proposal the h~ousekeeper
readily agreed.
1t was nearly five o'clock when they
reached a place at which a by road branch.
ed OFF, through a wood. from the high.
way which they had hitherto followed.
Mrs. Lewson found a seat on II fclled tree.
we had better not go any further" she
said.
Iris asked if there was any reason for
this.
yards further on the high rond had been
diverted from the straight line lin the in
terest of Il large agricultural village) and
wac then directed again into its former
course. The by-road through the wood
served as Il short cut for horsemen and
pedestrians from one divergent point to
the other. 1t was next to I. certainty that
Arthur would return by the short cut.
But ii accident or caprice led to his prefer.
ring the highway it was clearly necessary
to wait for him within view of both the
roads.
Too restless to submit to q state of pa s.
sive expectation. Iris proposed to folio
the b%ridle-path through the wood for n
little way, and to return if She failed to
see anything of Arthur. you are tired"
she said kindly to her companion, pay
don't move"
Mrs. Lewson looked needlessly uneasy.
you might lose yourself, miss. Mind
you keep to the path"
Iris followed the pleasant ~windings OF
tie woodland track. In the hope of meet
ing Arthur Sne considerably extended the
length of her Walk. The white line of the
high road, as it passed the farther end
of the wood, showed itself through tho
trees. She turned at once to rcjoin Mrs.
Lewson.
On her way back she made a discovery.
A ruin which she had not previously no
ticed showed itself among the trees on her
left hand.
Her curiosity was excited; she strayed
aside to examine it more closely. The
crumbling walls, as she approached them,
looked like the remains of un ordinary
dwellin-honse. Age is essential to the pic.
turesque effect of decay; a modern ruin is
an unnatural and depressing object-and
here the llorrid thing was.
AS she turned to retrace her steps to the
road, Il man walked u of the inner space
inclosed by all that was left of the dis.
mantled house. A Cry of alarm escaped
her. Was she the victim of destiny, OF
the sport of chance? There was the wild
lord whom she had vowed never to see
again; the muster of her heart-perhaps
the master of her fate!
Any other man would have been amazed
. see her, and would have asked how il
Iad happened that the English LADY pre-.
scnted herself to HIM in an Irish wood.
This mnn enjoyed the delight of seeing her,
tud accepted IT us q blessing that was not
o be questioned. MY angel has dropped
rom Heaven" lie said. May Heaven be
2raisedm
He approached her: his arms closed round
her. She struggled to free herself from
his embrace. At that moment they both
heard the crackle Of breaking underwood
] among the trees behind them. Lord Harry
looked round. This is ldanu"'"tt u "a