Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-26


ing toward then, and Ernest Devereux
stood silent, keeping time with one
hand on the pillar against which he
leaned. 1t was a sweet, plaintive air.
! but Lefty was not needing it: she was
thinking, with inward tears. Of one
true heart that could not be estranged.
because the face of its idol. had
blanched and aged.
/ He said he had only come back
for few days to settle his affairs
and dispose of his practice" continued
Ernest Devereux. HE is going to
live at Cranleigh."
A may whirl Of many-colored lights.
a lbuzzing sound, growing louder and
louder every instant, till she felt as if
her ear must burn under the pressure,
and Lefty lay pale and still on Ernest
! DevereuXs arm. She had tainted.
, A pressing useless crowd was gath
cred around them in an instant, and
many were the reasons named as the
] cause Of this sudden attack.
81 thought she looked too brilliant
+ to be quite in health" said one.
! Eyes, she was evidently excited. and
| the heat has been too much for her."
said another.
! Not one Of them imagined the real
| cause of that deathly faint, not even
| the man who had struck the blow, so
to speak, and seen her reeling under it,
She was carried to her own room.
and Mrs. Atherton and a couple Of
10 n f,,io
''POOr dear" said Mrs. Topham, who
was at heart a kindly woman. chow
, white she is. to be surew And then
she said, still lower. astonishing. Til
da, isn't it? But I was mistaken, and
/ I'm sure I'm very sorry. She couldn't
be rouged, you know, and turn like
that"
In little more than an hours time
Lefty was down again. moving about
among her guests, but with a face so
pale, an eye so fixed, that people
turned to look after her as she passed.
Ernest DevereuX caught a glimpse of
her; and breaking from the group of
gentlemen who surrounded him, he
made his way to her side at once.
Miss Leigh" he whispered. bend
ing over her so as not to be heard.
do let me persuade you to go back
to your room. You are not fit to be
here"
She answered with a smile and a
quiet shake of the head.
do take my ADVICE he said. 81
can see that you are suffering, and
| acutely."
She glanced quickly up at him, and
then bent her head over her bouquet,
but still she did not stir.
ut is too warm and noisy for you
here" he continued. "Come down to
your own little parlor: we shall at
least be quiet there"
He offered his arm as he spoke. and
she took it. and walked with him to
the small, dimly-Hghted room he spoke
of, glad to getaway from the glare
and the music, and the stony faces of
those guests, who were no friends
He seated her before the fire in a
large, easy chair, and drew another
near to her for himself
The light. as it played on both their
faces, showed very different emotions
on each. His was pale and agitated.
sudden scarlet fushes coming and 60
ing across the shallow cheek. fugitive
CLEANS of tenderness coming and 60
ing in the fair blue eyes. Letty's face
! was as pale and still as it had been in
the drawing-room, her eyes half
! closed, her lips pressed close together,
she sat and scattered the crimson
| petals of her roses over her lap in 81
| lence
| Ernest Devereux was the first to
! speak and his low earnest tones woke
! the dreaming girl with a start. 1t
was the same tale he had told to her
on the sands some months ago, but
told now with many passionate
! changes that had been absent then.
He had pleaded for the hand of the
! heireSs then: now he was pleading for
the heart of the woman: and all the
earnestness and truth of his nature
rose into his face as he spoke.
Lefty had then answered mo"
| firmly and easily: now she whispered
! it with faltering tongue that would
scarce obey it's office. She measured
his love by her own; and feeling
| through every quivering nerve what
it was to love in vain, her heart was
| stirred with pity for him; and he saw
! that it was so by her face.
"No, don'G answer me now" he said
Tomorrow, or the day after you shall
tell me. I am willing to wait any
time it pleases you. Only give me
| some token by which / may know
there there is hope in the waiting, and
I will be content
He bent closer to her as he spoke,
and took both her cold hands into his,
lovingly, tenderly, with the soothing
touch he might have used to grieving
child. Her life was very bare. her
heart was very empty: any love seem
ed better than none and she let him
hold her hands, and press warm kisses
on them in silence.
Ernest DevereuX was gentleman
still, after all those long years of sub
| terfuge and hand-to-mouth existence,
and he would not press his suit any
further then. He told her he loved
her, and he put off the giving of her
final answer for day. or two or
three, if it so pleased her, himself
content to wait; and there he left her
So While the music pealed out louder
| Il ND Of f,,n- !,