Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-09-11

and re o.cing, which Knocked his doSola-
ito =, and beheld his cnemy
A stranger was Just aiding his sinu-
Gus way among tie chairs to the front
"a tall. 1.-the. dark man Of thirty-fvc,
with Il suggest on Of foreign travel about
his dress and the Un-Eng ish fashion of
hi, beard css face an cnormous coal
black mIStache His pictures lue per-
son and inscrutable c0untenance attract
Cd many an examining glance; but he
nc no eye, nor looked TO ri3ht or left as
he wound piaAtly forward; he seemed
oh ivioaS of all save the pretty danseuSe
Oh the Stayc.
Not until he had r,ached the very
frOat oil he pause; there he loaned
against the corner panel By the mimic
stage, folded his arms, and gave himself
up to the p easure of gazing at Lovcday
Dellamcre.
Lord Inchcapc was white as death as
he shrank ba k in tho shadow of o cur
tain, and a oomy fire g'owed in the
eyes which he ia tened upon the man
wh) had obbed him of wfc and reputa-
on.
LCvcday'S dance won't IN.
Fem tire t. time she flung o timid
ancc at Auberon, noting every change.
Two years had passed since she had seen
him: ho ! d thCn been her intimate and
cndcarcl cOmpln on, capable now OF
teasing her with ali boy Sh pranks, and
now of subdu,ng her by his dreamy,
visionary moods; but whatevor he d,
go dress always remained, to fivct
her Innocent love. She saw him now i'll
the oriOus spr:ngtdc Of manhood,
gifted and Fascinating; and as she StO.e
these shy glancts and perceived how
calm and serious though kind his look
was. wJn ans ambiti for the first time
fired her ul, and she rts0l, cd that he
should feel her maiden power.
Then hcr.wholc aspect changed as IL
she was iEsD rcd; she slackened the airy
We octy of her steps to all undulatln9
motion, ho slowly CutStrctched her
white arms her head sank back-She
raised hcr soften'ng eyes upward with a
look o. solemn feryOr. she seemed to be
wOoing down sOmo tranScendcnt spirit
from the heavens
She made All i'm! ASSIGNED picture!
The effect was overwhelming.
Forgetting that she was an amateur
forgetting everything save her beauty
ami inspiration, the spectators burst
into storm cf applause; in a moment
the stage was spr.nklcd with a drift of
AowerS, torn from tic ladies bouquets
and the gentlemons coats
But Aubcron? Her heart sank-he
had ceased to smile at her, his beautiful
face expressed severity and surprise;
clearly, he thought her bold to display
hcrSo in that moment OF suplcMc las
c,nat,On save of those who loved her.
She suffered a moment of SuifOcatin2
shame, but recovered herself sufficiently
to finish the dance; but TIC sweet flush
faded from her check, her eyes were
hidden beneath the golden lashes; more
languidly she reyOlved to the lengthen-
ing adayo of tic music, as if oppressed
meath the weight Ct that austere gaze;
at last she sank to earth i'll a final
curisy, rose softly and qlidcd behind
her fairy companions and was lost 10
view.
The dark stranger, who had deyOured
with his eyes her every motion, when
she was no longer visible, drew q
faint sigh and passed his hand over his
face, as If awakening from a dream; and
not till tn II did he appear to realize his
surroundings, and cast a leiSurely, care
less glance around
The first eyes he met were Lord Inch
caIe's.
The deadly foes were face to face,
Neither spoke each scanned the
hers ashcn cOuntenance keenly.
Inchcagc'S was fierce and bttcr,y scorn-
full, the lightning of his eye made the
other quail, and thcn rage and sickcn
with mpOtcn6 revolt az the open insult
OF such look.
"Go." said tho Earl .-onc deep-tOned
word. like q knell.
In the rust!ing, gathering music OF the
elfn mar b, TO which the ewes were now
sweeping round the sage, the brief col
O0uy was lost to all ears save these OF
Mrs. Crccy and Mrs. Delamero who sat
nearest. Ever since the Strang RS aD'
pearancc they had remained mOtiOnleSS,
pa'e and trembling, and holding each
other by the hand
At sight of the raging, dcmOniac face
OF LorI Inchcape'S Zoe, Laura Della
acres hand had dropped cold and Ian
guild from Mrs Crecy'S, and she sank
back with a stihcd moan and closed
eyes. For once they had Owed, these
two; twas a first love,
"G0!" said Lord Inchcape.
"My lord" writhed the other
"Out, tatid" lie advanced witt
flaming eye upon him; tho man rccoiled
then tried to make stand, but cOulc
not face that scorching gaze, and cow
cred backward from before him, step by
step, writhing, and wincing. teeth
gnashng and knees knocking together
all down the ais e, to the side door, the
earl marching upon him with an ire
sistiblo front; and 50 out at the door
both of them, and the door shut.
$50 mach for Richard Accrington"
exc aimed she; "thruSt out from th'
presence of honorable men. Think yor
he would have wrigglcd away like {
driven serpent if guilt had not made c
coward of him? He is Il convicted vii
lain before al SalfOri."
She ceased her hot speech and looked
closer; Mrs. Delamero had tainted il
her chair
CHAPTER ".