Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-01-22

your Aress through the trees.. and K-yoa
will Lot be angry?I followed it. 1 have
not seen you for some days, and am
anxious to know how you are"
Angela bowed very gravely. Her face
flushed, her eyes fell before the delight
she saw shining in his, and a sense of
unutterable gladness seemed to fill her
heart.
II am afraid" he continued, "that YOU
must be very dull. You are almost as
much alone in Brantome Hall as you
would be in n desert"
What could she say to him? She could
not tell him that she was only too CRATE
full for the shelter afforded her. The
next minute he was bending over her,
looking at the sketch.
"How perfectly you have caught the
a capital sketch, Miss Charles! You are
an artist"
"Not in e~Xecution-only in apprecia-
tion," she returned.
"In both, l should say" he said. Then,
after q pause. he asked: May I speak
quite frankly to you!"
She looked up at him in wonder. What
could he have to say to her? There was
something in his face which caused her
own to grow pale, something in eyes
which caused her own to droop.
"C%ertainly, Lord Arlcigh," she replied.
"Now that l have your permission, I
hardly know how to avail myself of it,
he continued. Il long to speak to you,
yet l am afraid YOU should think that 1
~prcsumc-that 1 take advantage of your
being under my roof. ever though not
my guest, to pry into Your affairs; but l
assure You it is not so. 1t is simple. gem
uine interest in you-an interest l cannot
help, IL which is greater even than my
fear of displeasing YOU"
He did not know how much of tender
ness had crcpt into his voice, but she 10.
ticcd it.
DO not answer one of my questions un-
less it lleaseS YOU to do So" he Went on.
"Iell me-are You not very Unhappy:
Have yon not some great troublc:'
Tho miserics of the past seemed to glide
before her eve as he spoke-her moth
cr's ~unhappiness. her own danger. the
murdcrous hand that had pursued her
for So long-and she looked at him with
fuivering lips and tear-dimmcd eyes.
"Ics.' she replied; II am in terrible
trouble"
81 thought so," he said. gently. "And
Your trouble has been caused by others:"
'Ycs." she answered.
II WONDER he said, slowly, eff you
would trust ne. il you would let me be
Your friend. if you would allow me to
help you?"
SHE shook her head gravely.
y help can be rendered me-" she an
swercd.
Miss Charles" he pleaded earnestly.
forget that You have known me for Sc
short IL time. Try to think that l am an
old and tried friend. and let me he of
some assistance to GU. Will you trus.
me with your secret, whatever it may
boz
II annot Lord .Arleigh." she replied.
"You are so kind and good that. if it con.
ccrned myself only, l would tell you ut
once; but to communicate all the facts
would implicate Others"
"Shall l never know?' he asked.
81 think mott hope not" she replied
hastily.
Are You quite sure that, if you trusted
me implicitly, ! could do nothing to help
you?"
II nm quite sure she answered.
"You annot tell me your trouble, and
YOU cannot accept my hclp:'
81 cannot,' She replied; II would if ]
could.'
And Lord .Arleigh never loved Angela
better than when She raised her eyes TIC
him so appeaiingly. seeking yet rcpelling
sympathy.
ut thcyc no way in which l can he of
service to you:' lie asked again.
NO she answered.; and then IL silence
fell between them.
lie was the first 10 break it,.
Miss Charles" said Lord .Arlei-h sud
donly. do o thin, that i can be con
tent with this. after having met YOU and
.srown interested in YOU? / could not en-.
dirc that You should pass oft of my life,
and that | should lose sight of You for.
ever
lier heart beat faster at the words. her
face flashed. They were the first of the
Kind that had ever been spoken to her,
and. without knowing it, she loved the
man who uttered thcm.
DO be ~continucd.)