, 1897-03-08
A WOMAN'S HEART.

with every INST Of the chilly wind But
tbo cozv Ebro,v of Ash1e.n Eo,sa mo
-.
,N..,t -,
ene "i'io"' "iSn' D
cheellls Ill 'he WIZ ~ i''>lil'H'" h-i'S
and played on the faces "l the occupants
OF that delightful room, where high
Japanese screens kept out the drafts and
warm plush curtains draped the tail.
old fashioned windows. II WAS scarcely
o,o1o,,, b,,. +bo d,rI;rbt ,r,s u.,xir.
..:..a...;1 Ill .tor,.o hr ~,
heavy ram o''
AS captain ooi"oh ""l'i'" INC "1""-
tlful face or MS companion ana hostess
bent over her work a sudden, short, i'm
patient sigh escaped him, and he tCrIod
his head rcstlessly amid the cushions OF
the couch on which he lay, for, although
he was more than co~nyulcsCcnt. he liked
to indulge in some of the remaining
privileges of iuvalidism which had
chained him TO that sofa for some time.
How lovely was the perfectly chisclcd
face opposite him. and how serene, how
cold! Would nothing ever shake that icy
serenity? he wondered rather bitterly rs,
shading his face with his hand. he let
his eyes dcvour every feature. Would she
never guess the mad, wild, u~nrraSoning
love he boro her:
As he lay watching her his thoughts
went back with a leap to the day he had
first met her. He had not long rcjoincd
the headquarters of his regiment NJ Bal
ly-Mahon, as he had previously been in
charge of Il detachment elsewhere, and
it was at Il garden party he had first
seen her. He and several of his brother
officers had driven over TO N.ll,Cn to-
gether, and from the mCncnt h. IlI
been introduced to hcr-taIl, sl-nIar.
beautiful-at the first glancn Of / r
glorious, serene, gray eyes. it seemed to
him he had worshipcd her. Th,r had
exchanged the usual conmoun'.,ns. L.
had walked by her side ro,.ld tn,
grounds, and he had got her M ice.
Nothing very romantic, but every G,tail
of that afternoon stood out wildly il
his mind. After that Glv lc lad mot
her constantly, rs one j. hound 10 meet
in Il small ncighhOrhocd, and he became
a frequent guest ut her house. where her
husband, Il CHEEKY, hard riding Irish
baronct, always accorded him IL hearty
welcome.
The summcr had wancd and died, and
in that sporting ncighhOrhoCd every one
turned his attention to hunting. Gordon
among the rest. for he had always been
u keen sportsman up to this. But fire.
Q~uently he would cut some of the best
meets of the season t ospcnd Il few hours
of the short, dark afternoons at Ashlecn,
where its mistress, who didn't hunt, al.
ways greeted him with tranquil cordial
ity, and he would sit i'll the glow Of the
cheerful freight with her discussing
the various topics of the day, only too
content to watch the play of her lovely
face and the swift movements of her
slender fingers as she worked. Then the
spell would be broken when her husband
returned, noisy, CHEEKY, bringing Il blast
Of cold outer air with him, and he would
rally Gordon on having missed Il bril-
liant run, while the latter murmurcd u
vague excuse about his horses not being
fit or he had been detained by some rcgi-
mental duty.
Then had com the day of his acci
dent. Lady Lcxlcy had been driving,
and, while pottcring about the cover,
which bounded the roadside, he fingered
by her carriage. not caring very much
about the chances Of . good start while
she was there and re could look ON the
beautiful, proud face, with its cxprCs-
Clio, ,f e,,,,, ;,,I a.. ro,,,, T., ,,-n,ovtbi,,.