The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-07-18
ga 90

pun an ~ y VI Nht II wi lag IA
ham. and We shall have a scene"
Lady ililda was dismayed; the secret
her mother had kept so well was then
known to this handsome stranger. who
lad made himself universally liked. But
she had no time 10 collect her thoughts;
there was Il grand dinner party that even
in-, and Sic had mach to orange.
MIR. Fulton wished a thousand times
over hat hc had gone away as he intend
ed; l." SAW but one way out of his trouble:
he must see Lady Hilda. tell her all, and
rely uron her fears for observing the
secrecy necessary for him. H. wrote a
note aS follows:
Il pray you to keep silence over the
little incident hat occurred this after
njon until J see you. | can explain it.
Til" honor of a famiiy-my life almost
depends upon your silence. VIII you
-ran. me an interview: | knew your par
cnt>. and have much To say to you. VIII
YOU meet me- in the library after dinner
this evening: | Will not dctain you long"
lie wrote the note. never thinking that
there would be any difficulty in giving it
10 her. but be found it impossible. In the
drawing room she was surrounded by
' f'''A" - Il'ih %NlltI-I H.. VI ,pIllblt
Abbey. took her down to dinner. After
dinner she held Il little court and there
seemed to be no room for him in the
group. He never realized, before. the diff
ticulty of doing anything underhand.
AT last his opportunity came. Sir Hen
~ Atleigh spoke of a photograph he had
seen lately from one of AIRY Scheffer's
finest pictures.
w have one like it, l believe said
Lady Hilda. rising and moving toward
the large table on which books and rare
engravings lay scattered.
Let me assist you in looking for it."
said Mr.. Fulton, who had long been wait
ing for this chance. He followed her to
the table, and in giving her the photo
graph she sought, laid his note upon it.
He read the hesitation in her face as she
half threw it from her. For your own
sake" he whispered, ''for your husbands
sake" n her hand closed over it.
1t was adroitly managed, but it hap
rened unfortunately that the Countess of
B%ayneham witnessed the little transac-
ton. unseen by them. She was seated in
her own f~avorite chair, at some distance
from the large table; but she was watch
ilE WI. l. ullOu as ne rose. ana DldllllN
saw him offer the folded note to her sons
wife. Her first impulse was to rise and
demand to see it; her second was to laugh
at her own folly. 1t might be a memo
randum. or a thousand other things; why
should she suspect anything wrong? She
smiled, and blamed herself for her unjust
suspicion and folly.
If the countess could have seen the
burning Indignation on Lady Hilda's face
as she read those few lines she would
have judged her more charitably there
after. No. certainly-a thousand times
over she would refuse to meet the strang-
er, who. a month ago, was unknown TO
her. Why should she: If he knew
anything of her parents, let him tell it to
her husband. AT least her suspense
would be ended then, and she had lived
lately with a sword suspended over her
head. She tore up the note contemptu-
ously and flung it to the winds.
That night Mr.. Fulton sat until late in
the library, but Lady Hilda did not come
near, and he grew desperate.
II must see her." be said to himself;
"she will betray me; how madly l have
acted! She must see me, and know who
l am"
This was more easily said than done.
Lady Hilda carefully avoided him the
next day. She had not decided what
course to pursue. She longed to tell her
husband all, but dared not. Then Paul
Fulton wrote again.
Il must see you" he said. Reasons.
both sacred and important, compel me to
speak to you | ask you for your lead
mothers sake. to meet me tonight: not
in the house. where | cannot, perhaps,
speak to you alone. &c after dinner to
the Lady's Walk, | pray you, and let me
see you there"
With this note carefully folded, he
haunted the drawing rooms, but no Lady
liilda appeared. Fortune, however, fav-
ored him again. Going up the grand
staircase he met the countess with her
daughter in-laW. He passed them with
a deep salutation and some testing words.
placing the note in Lady Ililda's hand as
he did 81. uuObseryed. he believed. but
seen again by the Watchful eye of Lady
Bayn"ham. She made no remark. rrsolv-
ing Ia know soon what this mysterious
correspondence meant.
Wl"n Lady Iiilda read the second note
~ was t4Li'NA III bfNlliH. W llil tollI'l
he know of her parents. this strange man
whom She dreaded: Why should he sum
mon her for her dead mothers sake: She
must 90; Their, was no help for it.
They dined alone that evening. and only
Lady Bayneham's watchful eyes saw
how WORT and anxious was the expression
of that young face. on which a new
shadow had fallen.
Lord Bayneham left the ladies early:
he had been riding all the morning. and
WAS tired. He fingered for a few min
utes 10y his wife's side, watching her slen-
der fingers busily engaged in a pretty
piece of netting. 1t seemed like fate that
he should notice her bracelet, il was both
elegant and costly. one that lie had pre-
scented her with soon after their mar
riage-delicatc pearls set in pure pale
gold.