Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-22

heart contracted as he looked at her, re-
memhering that she had once been al
most as gay and young and pure as Les
ley's self.
II love her." she said, answering his
glance. 81 did not know there was such
girl il the world till l found Lesley.
Somehow it's like passionately desir-
ing to find Christ and seeking him in
vain on the hilltcps, only to find his
spirit at last animating flower by the
wayside. She colored and paused alb
| ruptly. What right had such words in
her mouth?
II can't understand it," said Yelver-
ton. "She and Ronny quarreled inces-
sanity at first. She always thought
Ronny was sitting in Judgment upon
her and thoroughly disappearing of her
in every way, and then they got to un-
derstand one another better, and
Rnd"-
ellis fame had little to do with it"
said Lady Cranstoun. "It's folly to gay
woman's opinion of a man is not in
fiuenced by the worlds verdict on him,
and she was n little dazzled, like the
rest. And he locks at and understands
life as it is. He has lived it," she add
ed, mot as monks live it in the clois-
ter, listening for the sound Of the din
ner bell; not as we women endure it,
barred out from realities, fed with I'M
truths. closing our ears-if we would
keep one shred of happiness-to the se-
crets that cry aloud to us from the 9TH
er side of the screen and will be heard,
and it is such men as he who stamp
their image ON women as keen and quick
to feel, as highly vitalized, as Lesley
Malincourt.
but what am to say to him?" in
quired Eelverton helplessly. Il have
been here three days, and she simply
won't hear me when try to talk about
hlm-only wants to know how his body
is and won't send a crust of comfort to
his starving soul. Have you no message
for him?' l said to her today. There is
no message, she said and walked away.
And must write to him this afternoon.
l asked him to let me give her that let
ter he wrote before the duel, but he re-
fused. He couldn't ask her to tie her.
self to cripple, he said. He only wants
message-just a kind word or two.
It's my belief he would begin to get
well If he got it. But he's too proud to
ask for 1t. want to know where the
hitch is. 1t can't be Cynthia de Sails.
Hers is twice told tale, and it can't
be Lady Appuldurcombe, though she
hates Lesley like poison. So what is it?'
.n1vv (',.a,, - 4
or would not tell.
Some wild thought of writing to Ron
ny and telling him the truth crossed
her mind, but she must break her word
to Lesley-and even if she could bring
herself to do this evil that good might
come, Of what use would it be? For
Lesley was fast bound by her promise
a promise from which only Cynthia
could release her
Perhaps she isn't sure Of her own
mind after all" said Yelverton, who
had been pursuing different track of
thought. Half the love one hears of
exists III the imagination alone. Fancy
goes a long way in such Matters
oh, mol" said Lady Cranstoun posi-
lively. Love may be the effect of i'm
agination IL absence, but not in actual
presence-that is animal magnetism,
pure and simple, the mans personality
has set torch to the girls thoughts
her thoughts have not produced him."
Yelverton got up restlessly and looked
ont of a window
Have you seen Je,n Churchill late
ly?" he said, quite forgetting, in his
prcoccupation, Lady Cranstoun's posi-
tion in the county.
"Oh." she said dryly, "don't you
know that the people about here are al
most as provincial as the English who
have lived in the east: And now if Won
don't mind looking up Cranstoun I
think must rest perhaps doze
awhile"
She closed her eyes. then opened them
suddenly to see the look Of kindhest
pity with which he regarded her as no
opened the door to pass out.
And some day." she said softly,
and nay that day come soon-I shall