The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-17

Dut Oh uer idco inc signs OF great
storm. 1t was not so long ago that she
was as the potter's clay in the hand of
the potter, when will power for her sim
ply did not exist How, then, could she
be expected to exercise supreme self con-
troll ON all occasions, above all upon
such one as this?
Lord StraubeDzee saw everything. but
Will, wrapped up in Nannie's changed
little face, was deaf and blind to all but
herself during the drive home. And yet
Mamie was conscious of intense relief,
for she knew that Hagar must have
won. But, oh, what had she done that
she must beg and pray to man for
mercy like that, when girls were made
to be loved and men to be kind to them
and look up to them?"
And Will Cassilis was to take away
with him sorer heart than any that
night, for after dinner Lord Straubenzee
spoke to him quietly but firmly and laid
down the only conditions under which
| he would consent to a future engagement
between the young fellow and Mamie.
"When you wish Mamie goodby ON
Monday, Cassilis, he said, you will
have to make up your mind that it is
goodby for IL whole months. " Then as
Will started up with passionate ex-
clamation the older man went ON:
| "For your own sake and hers. Up TO
now you have not travelled. in the wide
sense of the term. You know little of
the world save from the point Of view
of country gentleman, and you have
had few opportunities of testing your
eYn heart and, pardon my adding, rev
temptations to prefer any one to my lit
tie girl. "
"I've seen crowds of pretty girls"
burst out Will holly. Isn't Devonshire
crammed with them? There will be
nothing better to tempt me abroad, and
you are cruel, sir--cruel to thus break
mine ard Nannies heart" he added,
broken down by the thought of Nannies
grief that afternoon. But what would
she say to this eternity of parting?
"They will not break" said Lord
Straubenzee, smiling, "or, if they will
not stand so much trial. they are quite
untitled to bear the strain of wedlock. I"
"And Blake Trelawny," cried Will,
|
towering above the rose shaded table
with its fruit and flowers at which
Lord Straubenzee sat, she is to have
his chance, while am packed off out
of the way. Upon my word, sir, he
owes you his best thanks.
"Let him have his chance by all
means, said Wills prospective father
in-law, peeling pear, better before
than after her marriage to you if her
fancy that way inclines. If the love Of
both of you survive a year of absence,
have nothing whatever to urge against
an engagement and speedy marriage. L
propose that you leave Cassilis castle
shortly before Mamie returns home for
the Christmas holidays, and that you
reurn thither this day twelvemonth, in
good time for the LIST, F" he added, with
smile of some humor.
But Will was not in the mood to en-
Joy humor, he was profoundly wretched
and thoroughly upset. He mentally call
ed Nannie's father all the mules and
blockheads with which young people in
variably pelt their elders when the
former try to teach them sense, and his
jealousy was ON fire at the thought that
Blake Trelawny would have innumer-
able opportunities Of improving the
shining hour in his (Will's) enforced
absence.
IF you ruin both our lives by this
piece of cruelty, don't forget l warned
you, SIR" he said savagely, and unable
to contain himself further rushed away
to look for Mamie, his dear, pale little
sweetheart, and tell her Of this awful
bolt suddenly shot from the blue
And Lord Straubenzee in time to come
did remember that warning and cursed
himself for the prudence that had di-
vided two such passionately loving
hearts and for what came OF that part
ing.
Will Cassilis appeared in the doorway,
his face ghostlike.
"At least we may correspond, sirT'
he said
"No. You will have to remember
each other without any aid to memory
whatever.
The door shut with crash that shook
the little house, and Lord Straubenzee
rubbed his chin irritably as he walked
to the window and ON the low veranda
heard the sound of Nannie's hopeless
sobbing.
Yes, decidedly he was glad he was
going back to Straubenzee. At that
moment he did not feel that the Chud-
leigh Salterton had been success. and
his usual philosophy little failed him,
for over and above this present irritation
against the folly of lovers be was aware
of another and more wounding feehnR
that of keen disappointment at the
attitude of Miss Gregorias, whose inde-
pendent NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF character
had, up to now, so strangely appealed
to him.
1t was one thing that he, as stran-
ger, should have elected to keep silence
when her fathers murderer appeared
boldly in their midst, but he Thought
| - .~.s~Lk L...o ax,nLo, N him. have