Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-04-23
CHAPTER NyI1.

Anne's spirit rose at the tone he adopt
cd. ''They are our own relations" she
said quietly. You know better than
whether they have any claim on you or
not"
"Claim on me? What claim should they
have:" he said, starting into n sitting
posture. and turning n very dark and
lowering cOuntcnance upon her.
"A claim for help and affection. They
have perhaps no very capable person with
them. and if they are ill they must be
miserable. oh. Damcr. ought you not to
find out? Venice is not far off"
III wish it were at the Antipodcs," he
said abruptly. ''rlien perhaps you might
not he so eager to send me-"
Had you heard of her illness. then.
Damer?' she asked. letting her fingers
close upon one of his hands as she looked
down at him.
Lawrence WINGED ut the innocent in
QUESTION. II heard Il rumor of tin
fact. it WAS mentioned in IL letter that l
received the other day; but l did not
think it anything serious. If you knew
my aunt You would not be so easily
alarmed. my dear Anne"
But you will find OUT: she said earn
cstly.
YES. certainly. l will find out" he said,
biting his mustachc.
He knew all about his aunt's illness
better than Anne supposed. He had a let
ter from Mrs. Seymour's daughter in his
pocket at the very moment when Anne
asked her unsuspecting questions: n let
ter entreating him to meet his aunt in
Venice. and giving II long account of her
attack of bronchitis. He knew. too, that
Mrs. Seymour was now convalescent and
did not require his presence in the least.
But lie had reasons of his own for wish
ing to see her; and, after his first vexa-
ton at Mrs. Burton's interference, lie saw
that the opportunity was a good one for
leaving Anne for a time without exciting
her suspicion. And when he returned
say. in three weeks time or a month-his
engagement should be made public, and
the marriage should follow almost imme-
diatcly. He made a bargain with Anne
10 that effect.
The DumaresQ party returned to Alex.
anlria on the Thursday before Easter. II
was in Easter week that Mrs. Dumareso
took up the Egyptian Gazette. looked at
the list of arrivals from Europe and Mt.
tered a sudden cry of surprise.
why. Anne" she said. these must be
the very relations whom Mr.. Lawrence
went to see! Mrs. and Miss Seymour.
from Venice! How vexed he will be to
have missed them! l wonder if they will
go on to Cairo or stay in Alexandria?
III will be very sorry" said Anne,
with a qualm of regret for having dis
patched him on n bootless errand.
She soon heard more of Mrs. Seymour
and her daughter. Mrs. Burton called
upon them, and reported to A%lexandrian
society in general that Mrs. Seymour was
in a weak and suffering state, but that
she meant to stay Mt the Hotel de TEu-
rope until her nephew came>to fetch her,
and that she would be glad to make ac-
Quaintance with any ladies who liked to
so and see her. And Mrs. Dumaresq at
once suggested to Anne that they call In
company with Mrs. Burton.
Anne was rather glad of the opportu-
nifty of making the acquaintance of Da-
mer Lawrence's relations. She was shy,
too: and she wished that matters had
turned out differently, but at any rate she
would see his aunt and his cousin, and
she hoped that they would like her as she
was prepared to like them.
Mrs. Burton, Mrs. Dumaresq and Miss
Carteret were ushered by an Italian watt
er into n sitting room on the first floor,
overlooking the square. Here they found
Mrs. Seymour. a little, gray, dry-lipped
woman, with a self-contained manner
which was indescribably chilling. If Anne
had hoped that Damer's aunt would be
like Damer, she was very much mistaken.
Mrs. Seymour had been fair: but the
had long ago faded out of her cheeks
lips, out of the hair that had once
! En- golden and the eyes that had once