The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-11-16
CHAPTER \NIII

somewhat depreCating description. Diana
knoylls was very handsome, and might
have been more SO had her manner been
less in accordance with her appearance.
She was a little above the medium
wOman's height. and her figure. neither
very slim nor grlish, had the graceful
languor which characteriZes those Of
Southern birth. Her eyes were large. and
of gray so dark as to be almost black.
and all the color in her face seemed cen
tered in her small scaret-lipped mouth.
Her dark hair was gathered high upon
her head in a somewhat uncommon fash
ion that added to her height. and gave a
certain Guccnliness To her presence. Yet
1t was her naughty demeanOr that robbed
her beauty of half its charm. She was
cold as an icicle, and her voice, though
musical and clear, had a metallic ring in
il that grated on the ear
She was just twenty-five, not too young.
she thought herself, and determined
pleasant as was her present position, 10
obtain as soon as possible more assured
one.
Before she came out from England she
had studied the army list 10 see what
regiment was stationed at AIipore. and
after consulting Burke az well. had come
to the conclusion that the Hon Harry
Larr0n was the most eligible bachelor in
the station and that after him came Col
onel Prinsep, who, though he had no title.
nor any very probable claim to one. had
a large income and a beautiful estate in
Herefordshire. Either of these would be
Il desirable match.
She had been there nearly n week. when
she decided that to give eclat to her debut,
her father should give dance to intro
duce her to his friends; and having set
tied this in her own mind, she went at
once to consult him upon the subject.
Jane did not get an invitation. Indeed,
she never expected it. and would have re-
fused ii even had it come. But still she
felt the slight. She was so young. and
her one short glimpse of gayety had been
so sweet that she felt it hard to be left
out in the cold. And her mother was in
dignant.
Stephen Prinsep. on the contrary. was
glad that Jane was not there. His sole
idea was to put away the remembrance of
that one sweet hope, which from its very
brevity had seemed the dearer Yet had
IT been her loss only which he had had to
deplore, there would have been nothing
to ranke so in his mind Had she re-
fused his love because she could not love
him, he was too manly to have wasted
his life in vain regrets: even had she died
he would not have sorroved rs one with
out hope. But to his short dream had
come such bitter, humiliating awaking
that no wonder he felt dissatisfied and
sad. He loved her SO well, perhaps even
she loved him; vet neither fact had the
power to prevent her marriage with one
immensely his inferior. who would, if
there was anything in the theory pro
pounded by the author Of "Locksley
Hall" drag her down to his level
He was not thinking Of that then. He
was watching the commissioner daugh-
ter, and acknowledging her good looks
was wondering whether he could not by
any means fall in love with her. and so
Danish from his memory the unwise pas
sion he had contracted for Jane Knox.
For the better furtherance Of this plan.
he had attached himself to Miss Knolys
early in the evening. and scarcely left her
side. while she. nothing loath, only too
graciously accepted his attentions.
II pleased her that people should notice
his apparent devotion and draw the in
eyitable conclusion. Even if she never
married him and she would not if a
better match offered-it was a distinction
to have such a man rs Colonel Prinsep
in her train, such distinguished soldier.
such n declaTedly eligible parti Her
eyes grew bright with triumph. and she
held her head very proudly, when. though
the small hours We're approaching. and
many Of the guests were gone, he still
fingered at her side.
Out beneath the quiet stars he couId
think and almost forget that he had a
companion. but presently a weIl-known
name falling upon his ear aroused him
from the reyerie into which he had fallen.
and he felt the necessity Of returning
something more than the mechanical as
sents which he had given to each of her
remarks
1T has been a success. has ii not, Col
onel Prinsep. in spite of the heat: And
only yesterday l was grave,y assured
that. if did not ask the quarte-ma star's
daughter, ! must expect 4 failure. Thev
told me she was quite the station belle
and tremendous favorite in your regi-
meut."
"A favorite in the regiments she?"
he repeated. awkwardly
You mean that she is not" she oh
served, smiling. We'll. for my part. I
think il is quite a mistake TO notice peo-
pie of that sort. 1t only makes them
feel uncomfortable and out of place"
A vision rose before his minds eve. As
plainly as though she were in reality he
fore him. he saw Jane as he had seen her
on the night of the ball a Cawnpore. He
saw her gauzy garments. all of snowy
white save for the tiutteriug straw-coi-
ored ribbons that seemed 10 have 4uttered
themselves into his brain and wrought
there iTremediabIe confusion. He could
almost fancy that the scent of the tea
roses she had worn then was waited now
across his face. but looking down at his
companion. he saw that She too. wore
some in her belt
Don't You think so:" she persisted, q
sbs m a- his rIaroo