The Red Cloud chief., 1896-06-05
CHAPTER III.
"Whcn Il man IL Old

But when he il young
And his blood new spruug,
Ills sweetheart is worth ualf the 'owncl'
1t is II month later, and now very
close To Christmas.
soft wrcaths OF snow hang Ypon
every bough. Nature has spread
herself II mantle so white. 80 chill.
that scarce II dares to dream of life
beneath il. In tho Old house. il noth-
ing else i, plentiful, fires arc. To The
McDermOt warmth is gold and 20
much gold he grants himself II in
other ways he is compelled 10 study
strict economy. Something in the
brilliant glare Of the huge pine log,
lying on the massive lump, OF glow
ing coal remind him in Il measure Of
the days gone by. when he could hold
up his head with the best. and keep
open house Tor all bis friends.
a whole month! Thirty full days.
and still tho yong man who had been
brought in fninting to the old castle
Of the McDcllnots is the McDermots'
guest. The doctor. summoned in
haste. had pronounced HIM in a highly
fcvcrish state, and unfit for removal.
tie had broken his arm out shooting.
III III NplilltiDlC ldSltlOI. anu
the walking for miles %aftcrward. try
ing in ain to find II short cut to Bally-
beg. the residence of Lord Begmorc,
with whom he was staying. and the
subsequent immersion in the castle
bog, and his cNcrtious TO escape from
it, all had combined 10 render him aS
weak a creature ~ nature ever kept
life In. To remove him had been inn
possible.
The McDcrmot. 10 whose sins in
hospitality certainly never could he
laid. had made hi~ guest a. welcome
as possible. Lord Iicgmorc. too. whose
guest the young man was. had been
a>siduous in his attentions, calling
every other day at first. and 10 the
present moment sending flowers. fruit
and game. These last were "A god.
send to Bridget and Dulcinea. who.
with the short purse they held fol
housekeeping expenses. would hardly
have known how to keep their cues,
in the little dclicrcies needful for an
invalid without this help.
And after all he has not proved an
artist. He has never '%'wandhard' in
the sense Bridget hal suggested: aud
certainly he has always had Il grand.
father and a roof over his head. In
elect, he l. II young man of family.
and next heir 10 title. hi fathcr be.
ing dead. and he an only son, and his
grandfather Lord Brdusrombe. "a
there certainly j. no doubt about the
grandfather.
His name i Lucicu Eyre. and his
appearance beyond argument. 4
better featured man il would be- per-
haps difficult To find. Miss McIIcr.
mot came tn this conclusion early in
his stay with her: and even row.. when
he Is hending, and one need not feel
so altogether sentimental about him
IL when he lay stretched mon hi,
bed. lowering between beautiful life
and hideous death, she see no .cau,e
to alter her decision. As a fact. he j.
distinctly handsome OF tho dark
Italian type II sometimes sees in
English people, And at all event
his free laughing mouth, and the tail
Muscular figure he possesses are
essentially English.
Yesterday he was we'll enough to he
moved down to one OF the lower
roomS-n rather gaunt, impossible
room, that had once been "a school,
room to Judge By the general break.
up OF the furniture. Miss McDcrmot
had wished him to be brought To the
drawing-room, the II decently il
poorly kept up room in the house; bu,
he had begged to he taken to some
other place, where the advent %
visitors need not disturb him. SO the
old schoolroom had been rcquisitioncd.
and II comfortable chair put into il
ext to II roaring fire.
well. how do you ioel?' asked
Dulcinea, coming into the room like ;
young spring breeze, all life and
freshness. Tired chM'
She used to be afraid of him at first,
when she learned lie was so near TO 4
title afraid of the poverty OF hel
own surroundings, that must be fell
by him so long rs he was her father,
guest; but he had proved so brigh'
and SO gay, and so grateful for even
tho smallest mcrcies, that her henrI
had gone out to him, Even the DIM
cult Bridget had been conquered in I
measure.
she has stepped into the light OF the
ioyial fire, and is looking down "A
him with II little smile. lie, from thu
depths OF the ancient m%m-chair
smiles. back Ut. her.
I'm II swindle!" says he. Il fee.
.as we'll ms ANY fellow, only
'Only what"
''Only don't want to GO says he,
in II low tone, but boldly. -
"liow good OF you that Is. " says she.
slipping into q chair mt the other
side OF no glowing hearth, and
spreading on. her pretty white finger
to- the blaze. 'Just pretending. /,
, please me, that we havo made you
comfortable. Well" with IA sigh
"we've done our best, father and !
but it hasn't been much. ! know that
The freight has fallen on her face
she is leaning toward it, and the ray,
catching her blue eyes, light then
up until they CLEAN like snpphires
II am not pretending" says The
young man, leaning toward her