The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-02-20
CHAPTER Iy-CContiDuedJ

WILL A&tsAs ltt'AA'1 AAhAAF '.f
IangufdIy. what Of it,"
- nat Of IL. my dear Vas Lady
Gwendale's remOnstrancc. What Of
II? How can you be 50 fOr2r'ful:
The duchess's garden party begins at
=. and you have arranged 10 st 70
DeIauria at u. That portrait Of yours
will never be finished"
Il will not 20 10 beEuria's today.
Lady Evelyne answered. poutingly.
and I'm not 50 sure that / shall 70 10
the garden party
The maid had in the meantime
drawn the heavy curtains and the
bright sunlight. sOftcued by the lace
ham2ings within. stredmrd all over the
room. Lady Ev"!yne closed her eyes
again. while her mother held up her
hands In Amusement.
Not 20 10 the garden party. she
exclaimed, with a nOnplusSed air. Not
90 TO the garden party, Why. what
has happened: You are not Ill, ]
hope"
Eyelyne held out a pair Of pleading
arms. and the old lady approached her
daughter. who drew her mothers face
to her own and kissed IL aff"ctiomltrly.
NO. ma. dear" she whispered, I'm
not Ill. but | do not want 10 20 out. !
want 10 stay at home and think.
Lady GWendale'S temporary anxiety
changed TO amaZement. That her vol
atile daughter should desire 10 think.
no matter what the subject. was in IL
self an anomaly, but the one in which
the wish was expressed. the tender
pleading OF the voice for apparently
so trivial a cause. told my lady-a
shrcwd. experienced Of the
~wOrld-that something was not alto
gether as il should have been with her
child. 4 moments reflection guided
her on the right track for the solution
OF the problem.
Il know what troubles you. my
dear" she said. \ least | think |
do. Herbert has returned 10 England.
and you have been thinking Of him"
The young lady'S eyes Frightened;
she took her mothers plump hand be-
tween her own soft fingers Il
stroked it caressingly. Her eyelids
dropped dreamily for an instant. then
she looked Lady Gwendala straight in
the face. and with "A smile dimpling
her cheeks, nodded her head twice or
thrice.
II thought So" the old lady ex-
claimed. with a suppressed sigh. My
dear Evelyne, o really must become
a little more settled in your intentions
and decisions. You are now engaged
TO Mr.. Maclane, and it can make very
little difference to you whether young
Cleve has returned or not"
Lady Evelyne pursed her lips.
But. ma she whimpered, 1T does
make a difference. Herbert and /
were engaged 10 one another once,
and'-the young lady raised herself
and-threw both arms around
her mothers neck-"yOu know he is
nov the Earl Of Cleye.'
Herbert is certainly in a better 20
sitiOn than he was when be left Eng
land" Lady Gwendale admitted. gent
~ disengaging herself from her daugh-
ter's embrace, land | have no doubt
that many ladies with marriageable
daughters will consider him a desira-
BILE possible son-in-law. As To myself,
! must decline forming an opinion on
the subject until | have seen the young
man
But You will form an opinion, won't
yOu, ma, when you have seen him.
the young lady suggested, again drop
ping her eyes and S%trOking her moth
er's hard with her own. ''and if that
Opinion IL NDT NE - i lt llilt Ull-
gers wandered n~ervously over my
lady's open palm, and the gray-blun
eyes danced with a pretty glitter. IF
that opinion is really favorable" Eve
lyme repeated. with Il captivating EN-
phasis, and the dainty fingers travelled
forward and backward, while she
sought in her mind an expression
which did not readily present itself tC
1.r yyt.n,rn A4lny't ,.ntI thfnIy l',ltntnGc
OF Cleye is q pretticr name than Lady
Evelyne WynterT'
Lady G~wendale's reply was solemn
and ceremoniouS:
MY child" she exclaimed, you can
bear no better name than your own
II did o mean that, ma" pleaded
Lady Evelyne. II meant that If | mar
ricd Mr.. Maclane / should still be La
dy Evelyne Wynter; but If am mar
Tied TO Herbert | shall be the countess
Of Cleve.'
You really must not think Of such a
thing, my dear" Lady Gwendale re
monstrated. "You are engaged to Mr..
Maclane, and your father and | both
consider IL a desirable engagement.
You are well aware we had sufficient
reasons for closing our doors upon
young Chauncey, and | have learned
nothing which would induce me to
change my opinion or intentions on the
subject. Come, now! Brush the mat
ter from your mind. Think no more
about it,"
1t proved easier to Lady Gwendale
to give that advice to her daughter
than to Lady Efelyne to follow 1t. All
through that morning and afterward
Herbert C~hauncey remained the alb
sorbing object Of her thoughts. The
bright, handsome, boyish face the ten.
derly-iashing dark yes the youthful
form full Of stalwart promise, the
frank and open, hearty laughtcr-all