Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-12-04
CuApTERu Ill

rive years nau passed since Sir Charles
Roodcn was laid to rest. May had come
ound again, with it's wealth of foliage
and of tiowers-a fair, bright May, such
as poets love to portray. The London
season WAS IL brilliant one-there had not
been Il better for many years. The draw
ing-rooms had been well attended,: Il great
many presentations had been made, and.
better than all, an unusual number of
beautiful faces had appeared at court.
One of the most commanding houses
overlooking Hyde Park, one of II stately
row called Palace Place, was especially
noticeable this May morning for the love
ly flowers that filled the light Italian bal
coiiy. A beautiful girl STOOD near the
blooming hyacinths which occupied one
of the windows--a girl with Il sweet, paS-
sionate face, and eyes that. lovely as
they were, could not be easily read. Near
her stood n tall, handsome man. Captain
Vance Wynyard. The girls face revealed
her love-story clearly. 1t paled and
flushed as he spoke to her: the proud
sensitive lip tremblcd. the eyes deepened
and frightened, as his words of love fell
upon her ears. The beautiful, passionate
face and eloquent eyes were those of
Gladys ltane. IL niece of Lady Kinloch, IL
debutaEte of the season, whose beauty
had made its mark.
Lady Ninloch. the mistress of the man.
sion renowned for it's famous flowers and
known as Loeb House. WAS n rich and
childlcss widow. She had adopted the
only child of her dead sister, and had
brought her UP in the hope that the beauty
of which her g;rlhood gave promise would
develop to maturity, and that she wc.!l
ore day make n brilliant match: but
whether Lady Kinloch would ever see
her adopted daughter make the brilliant
match she had hoped for was more than
doubtful, for Gladys had fallen in love
With handsome Captain Wynyarl. who
had already lost two fortunes. and was
quite ready to lose Il third, should it ever
come within his reach.
Inc bejewcled white fingers toyed with
the flowers. which served also us an en-
cuse for bending her face, lest he should
read the love so plainly visible there.
Suddenly she looked up at him. forgetting
the hyacinths in the interest of her uues-
ton:
Have you heard of the new arrivals,
Vance?"
what new arrivals. Gladys?" he
asked.
Mother and daughter-Lady Rooden
and her daughter Angela. All London is
talking about them. The daughter il
seventeen. the mother thirty-five; but her
ladyship looks-so l am told-quite ten
years younger, and has been pronounced
one of the most lovely women in London,
as well as n of the wealthiest."
Captain Vancc's handsome eyes glenm-
ed with interest.
Erich. is she? Some people are fortu-
nate. To be rich md beautiful is to have
an undue prepondcrancc of this worlds
gifts. Tell me about them. Gladys"
Lady Rooden is the widow of Sir
Charles Roodcn. of Rood Abbey. He died
quite suddenly four or five years ago-he
was drowned, l b%elieve-and left the
w!,ole of his large fortune to her."
"Shc will be a prize, them" continued
the Captain. "And what fortune has the
daughtcr?"
%"!Although he was so wealthy, Sir
Charles left no separate fortune to his
daughter; but at her mothers death every.
thing goes to her-not BEFORE"
"What will happen if the mother mar.
rics again?" asked the Captain.
"Notking. Her husband would have
the full use of her wealth while she lived;
but it would so to her daughter at the
mothers DEATH"
"And what" he asked, looking up sud.
denly-"what If the daughter dies before
the mother?"
"Then the whole Of the property b