The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1896-01-10

most beautiful being / ever saw.
have 6 the brunettes of Italy, tht
fair-faced ONE of Circassia, the
languid Spariards, with their eyes o.
fire, and the oriental seraphs Of the
Turks harem, but none like Marina"
Something like a shadow fell over
the face Of Mrs. Trenholme. He fell
the change in her voice, slight though
it was.
Yes" she said, Marina is beautiful
1t were a pity that she has no family
no name. even. save what we have
given her. Her parentage must ever, |
suppose, remain a secret. Indeed, my
son, | blush sometimes to think of it,
but perhaps she was the offspring OF
shame, and thus abandoned. You will
remember, perhaps, that no female
bodies We're ever washed up from the
wreck of the vessel. And it is not Gus
tomary for children like her to be put
on s~hlpboard without a woman's care
An angry flush rose to Ralph's cheek.
He sprang up quickly.
Never, mother! you wrong her. 1
would stake my life that Marina is
nobiy born. We may never, in all
probability we never shall, know the
secret of her birth, but if we do, mark
me, We shall find her fully our equal"
Mrs. Trenhclme smiled at his earnest
ness, as she replied:
TO change the conversation. Imo-
gene lTet0n is coming here tomorrow,
for q visit Of indefinite length. | think
lmogene will surprise you. You have
not seen her since you left home, l
Think"
I have not, but have no doubt she
has developed wonderfully. Imogene
was always magnifcent.'
And now she has no peer. I have
never seen i who would compare with
her. But tomorrow you shall judge for
yourself"
The conversation closed. and Ralph
thought no more OF it, until Inogene
iTeton burst upon him. He was amazed.
He had expected to see Il very beautiful
woman. but, instead, he touched the
hand Of q princess. Three years older
than Marina, at nineteen she was fully
developed, with a form that would have
driven a sculptor mad with ambition
to rival it. She was rather tail, with
that graceful, high-bred ease of man
her that came to her SO naturally, and
the Voice that in her young girlhood had
been SO sweet, vas now a breath of
musical intoXication. Her complexion
was still! rarely clear, the cheeks a little
flushed, the mouth a line OF scarlet, the
hair dark and l~ustrously splendid, and
the eyes.-such eyes are never seen
twice in the world at the same time.
Ralph gazed into their depths, with a
strange feeling of bewilderment. She
fascinated him powerfully, and yet he
felt a sort of GOODNESS creeping round
his heart-an almost incipient shudder
shook him, as her soft hand fell like a
into his.
In the daily intercourse which fol- |
the feeling somewhat wore away, |
and though Miss Ireton, at the end of |
a fortnight, had not succeeded in cap
the heir Of Trenholme, it must
be admitted hal she had interested
him. Toward Lynde Graham, who was
the Rock almost daily, she was cold
and reserved; she never forgot the dis
lance between Judge Ireton's heiress
and the son Of a poor fisherman. AID
yet, despite her GOODNESS, which at
ines was almost scorn, before she re-
home Lynde Graham had
to love her. He kept his un-
.ortunate secret to himself; he felt that
t would cause him nothing but pain
sorrow. should it escape him by
word or deed.
The winter passed quietly. There was
n occasional pleasure party, but they
we're by no means frequent. and it was
lot until summer came that the real
ound of p%leasuring. which was des-
to break the calm OF the Rock fer
ne season, began.