Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-11-12

him pursuit Hull VA uOluLIutlOL, uOlf
| speculation. became Mt length a mad
passion, IN infatuation. q delirium! He
could scarcely be said to live out Of
! Alma's presence. The world to him
| soon came to be divided only into two
| parts-where she was, and where she
was not; and time into two eras-when
she was present and when she was alb.
sent. He saw her only ut church ON
| Sundays and the six days that inter-
yened between were to him "spaces
between stars"
TO boldly ask the hand of this heir
ess of her grandfather and her mother,
| was nothing less than madness on the
mart of a young officer with only his
nav. And yet. instigated rs much by
his overwhelming pride as by his head
long passion, Captain Montrose wrote
TO Lord Elverton and to Mrs. Elverton,
asking their permission to pay his ad-
dresses to Miss ElvertOn ut Edenlawn.
IRON Lord EIverton he received q
| conrteous but decided refusal-from
Mrs, Elyerton sharp and peremptory
denial.
And after this poor Alma's only go
cial solace was taken away from her,
md she was forbidden to go to church.
This prohibition, as might have been
expected, did more harm than good; for
whereas, before 1T was issued, the
young lovers met only once Il week 1T
church, in the presence of others, they
now met almost every day alone in the
woods behind Edenlawn. these meet
ings commenced not by appointment,
but rather by accident. Alma, as has
been already sc.d, WAS in the daily
/ habit of walking by the margin of the
| lake below Edenlawll; OF iii tie woods
behind the house.
Norham, missing her from her seat
at church, and forbidden to cali upon
her at her mothers house; and longing
for her society as the dying long for
| life, walked to EdenlaWn and rambled
through the woods, only to be near the
! dwelling that contained his idol. In
these rambles he mot Alma. But an
angel might have been present. att these
meetings for any indiscretiom on the
part Of the young lovers.
Norham did, indeed, use all tile elo-
quence of passion to persuade Alma to
| fy with him to Scotland. But dre:lry
as was the home life of the unhappy
girl, she was so far firm to her filial
duty as to resist all his pcrsuasions.
"No, no. Norham," she would an
swer; "my l:"art rcproaches INC bitter
ly enough fnr walking with You hero,
and I shon!d not do it, perhaps, only /
| feel that if I did not see you some
times 1 should go mad with loneliness.
But, Norham, ! will not further wrong
my mother. Wait until an OF age.
and have a right to dispose of my
| r x,.:t ,.Jn in
YOURS"
And no arguments, c::jreaties or
| prayers on the part OF i;er lover
awaited anything against the c3nsclen-
.tious resolution Of Alma. And, even
when, at length, the leave Of absence
expired. and he was ordered to join
his regiment, which was stationed m
Scotland, he took advantage of this
fortuitous combination of Circumstance
es to urge to upon his beloved Alma
the consideration of the deep pain OF
separation and the facilities for their
union offered by the locality of his ser
vice, she remained true to her conylc-
tons of duty, and had the firmness to
bid him adieu and see him depart.
| To young creatures surrounded by
sisters, brothers and cousins, relatives.
l 4llculS sIuu uclS1lE0IS, lllC oCAA -uShAoA
of this lonely girl will scarcely be ap-
preciated.
From the time of her lovers depart
ure for Scotland she saw no more OF
him until the day Of the double funeral
at Allworth Abbey.
We have already said that III was
only in the times of their atliction that
the Honorable Mrs. Elvepton ever WIS.,
| hor prS
, she was, she had ordered her mourn
ing coach. and with Alma seated by
her side, had attended the funeral So
/ IDENTITIES at Allworth Abbey.
In the course of that day Alma had
exchanged Il glance and q bow with
Norham. And the next afternoon, in
her to take a walk in tine woods be-
hind Edenlawn.
1t. was lovely summers afternoon,
ing his level, yellow rays through the
ing each leaf and twig with a golden
fame.
Alma wandered on, and in that
| clinatiOn, or rather between conscience
, sAA1u AlONSSSAISs tAuL oNSupA0o ohC-AAalAA
| of our inner lives.
She was happy in the thought Of
seeing Norham, and miserable in the
fear of wrong-doing. This is q para
doX Of daily occurrence.
While she walked OH in the dulce-
marah. the b!tter-sweet Of this forbid
den hope she heard the fallen leaves
and twigs' break beneath firm foot
step behind her.
| Her breath stopped, her heart fut-
tered, her cheek crimsoned. She
paused for the coming up of the foot
steps. but she did not turn her head.
II have the honor Of speaking to
Miss Elverton. presume?"
The voice of the speaker was deep,
rich and fnexpressibly mournful.
Alma started, turned around, and
dropped her eyes, while deep flush
mantfed her face.
The speaker was tall, finely formed,
fair-complexioned and very handsome
man. about forty years of age.
While addressing Alma he held his
hat entirely off his head, and stood
with a courtly grace that the girl had
never seen equalled.
She was naturally surprised and