Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-19

ever, /" she Whispered below her breath,
20 God, grant that it may shine on
me, NOT herr
Yet as she thought of his face at San
down as he approached Lesley she knew
that no such sunshine had ever come in
to it at sight Of any other woman, and
he was not one TO be put off lightly,
even if Lesley did run away iron, him.
But perhaps she had not gone. What if,
after all, she did love him, and they
has 4ne., and the man had swept aside
like cobwebs the compact made between
two foolish women? The thought be-
came uncomfortable. Cynthia stole from
the room, and calling her maid sent her
acress to Park lane with some trifling
message TO Miss Malincourt that re-
quired verbal answer, then sat down
and fcveYishly awaited the result.
She had not long to wait. Miss Nal
incourt left for Somersetshire that
morning." The maid did not add that
Charville's extreme reticence had con-
WINGED her that something was amiss at
Park lane or add that Nadege, in cross
ing the hall 1t a distance, had sent her
telepathic message that announced
startling events. Cynthia drew a deep
breath of relief as she shut the door and
wen: back to her mothers side.
So Lesley had kept her word, and if
Ronny had tried to hinder her he had
not succeeded. And now-what next
and next Cynthia asked herself little
drearily.
The season would soon be over; they
would all go different ways; it was not
even certain that they would meet in
Scotland, and in the autumn Ronny
would rejoin his regiment, and though
often in town on leave, even if she We're
here. the opportunities of seeing him
would be limited unless he chose to
make them for himself.
Hopelessly the girl looked out across
the blue and scarlet flower boxes to the
tree tops beyond, and the intense mis-
cry of being a woman, to be left or tax
en-, at that moment pressed her hard.
Oh, to lee the meanest, the most mis-
erable thing alive, so long as it be a
man, she thought, for he will always
find some woman to love, to sacrifice
herself for him. But woman's lot is a
cruel one. Without even tho right of Sc
lection, she may be plucked or left to
wither-it all depends OH the eye of the
| passerby-but Il man has love, love all
the way along from birth to bier-so
that no wonder that at last it tempts
:, him not.
Cynthia" said her mothers weak
voice from the bed, "don't be frighten-
ed, dear, but I think I am more i'll
than usual this time. Will you send for
the doctor-and the boys?''
ooh, mother" cried Cynthia, reused
in shame from her own selfish dreams,
you have been more ill than this of
ten!' But rs she kissed the chilly face
forebOding that this was the last of
those heart attacks that had been so
much more prolonged Of late swept over
the girls heart and left it moro desolate
than before.
1.-The boys" insisted the mother
when servant had driven off post haste
for the doctor, and in very few mo-
Inents messages to them also were dis
| patched, and Lady de Sails, white as
the pillows and surrounded by her WON
en-, was looking at the clock and pray
ing that her boys might be in time yet.
For it is to her "boys' that the moth
er's heart goes out passionately both in
living and dying, and Cynthia felt this
keenly as, with arms about her, she lis
tened for the doctors step, which came
at last, more quickly than could have
been expected.
''Can You do nothing?' she whisper
ed when, his brief examination over, he
stood looking gravely down ON her moth
er.
He shook his head.
Il have expected this for years." he
said in the same tone. 'She will not
suffer at all. Is there any one she par
ticularly wishes to see? For time is
Short
my boys" said Lady de Sails dis
tinctly.
''They are coming, mother-oh, moth
er. they are comingr' cried Cynthia
wildly.
and Jane Appuldurcombe," said
Lady de Sails more family ;j"send for
her." She lay, taking no notice after
that, and seemed lapsing into uncon-
seriousness, but when Lady Appuldur-
combe came in she opened her eyes and
said:
"Jane, dear old friend, take care of
Cynthia. Ronny will-not-mind''-
Her eyes closed, and by q greater effort
she said. Lesley"
Lady Appuldurcombe stopped down
and kissed the waxlike face that she
had known from childhood. and sol
| emily she said:
Il promise, Mary. will take care
Of Cynthia as if she were my own"
Lady de Sails smiled. Suddenly
bright light broke over her face, and for
the last time her eyes opened wide and
fixed themselves on the door. "The