Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-10-21
At last she MAS well enouef, "a eet mo.

bough Of the still leafiess trees in the park
outside. the little clouds sailing slowly
across the sky, and hundred other sights
of the narrow stretch of wintry land
scape which she had never before no.
ticed. Lord Kildonan, at first rather
pleased by the new interest she showed
in the nature about her. began after a few
days to feel anxious concerning the mean.
ing of the change.
"She doesn't seem at all the same WON.
an vet" he observed to the doctor one
morning, when his wife had been bab-
bling in childish way, as if she had no
recollection of the terrible scenes through
which she had lately passed. "Or is it a
clever device of hers to bridge over the
awkwardness of our intercourse, until
she is we'll enough for me to accuse her
and come to an arrangement"
II don't think it is that, Lord kildo-
nan. said Armathwaite, gravely. "And
| must strongly advise you to give up all
thoughts Of coming to clear understand
ing with her yet"
As the days passed on, however. and
still, while her limbs regained some of
their vigor: and her face much of its
beauty. Lady kildonan remained mental
" in exactly the same state of childish
oblivion of everything but the occupa
ton of the moment. both her husband and
the doctor agreed, reluctantly enough.
that some attempt must be made to bring
her back to reason and remembrance. Ar
mathwaite, therefore, on the occasion of
one of his visits about three weeks after
the accident. led the conversation in such
a manner as to introduce the name of Ned
Crosmont
"Oh, yes she said. smiling, Il haven't
seen Ned to-day. But he is going to drive
me into Branksome this afternoon to get
| some new tennis balls"
Armathwaite laid his hand upon her
arm. Listen to me, Lady Kildonan," he
said, very gravely, foreseeing already that
his words would have little effect: II have
something very sad to tell you about Mr..
Crosmont. He is ill, seriously ill.,"
She looked with child-like stare into
his face and shook her head.
'Oh, no, you have been misinformed,"
she said confidently, as if after a mo-
ment's thought. II saw him yesterday
no, this morning-at any rate, quite re-
Gently, though l can't remember for the
moment exactly when it was" she added,
holding her hand to her forehead and look
Ing rather puzzled. But he's quite well,
I know"
He made few more efforts to bring her
memory back, but quite in vain; the ter
rible events which had had such fatal
consequences both to her and Crosmont
had faded out of her mind so utterly that
not even q vague sense as of an evil
dream remained behind.
So her punishment, tragic as it seemed
to the on.ookers, fell lightly upon her.
Her buoyant animal nature, shaken free,
by the shock she had sustained, of the
vice which had been her ruin, nelped her
to bear her affection with the resignation
of lame dog, who. forgetting quickly
the sensation of the old days when he
secured the fields after rabbits, and leap
ed up joyously as high as his masters
shoulders, takes quietly to the peaceful
joys of the warm hearth and the sunny
doorstep, and dozes the remainder of his
life away in comfortable content.
The person on whom the shock of Ned
Crosm ont's death fell the heaviest was
Uncle Hugh. When the tidings reached
! him, together with an account of Lady
| Kildonan's rather mysterious illness, he
| came back to Branksome in the greatest
| anxiety and remorse, believing that let
| ter he had written to Lord Kildonan had
| been the cause of both misfortunes. The
old Scotchman, who received him very
kindly, assured him that his suspicious
had been reused long before the letter
reached him, and advised him to turn his
attention to comforting the young widow
But there were difficulties in the way Of
this. He would have taken her back with
| him to her friends in London, away from
the scenes of her short, but unhappy mar
| ried life; but Alma, once 90 anxious to 80
| away, now raised unexpected obstacles
| to this course. 1t would make public the
fact that her marriage was a failure, she
said. Besides, she must wait until his
| affairs were settled, and she preferred Sc
clusion for a little while before facing
the curious inquiries of her old friends
| So Uncle Hugh, disappointed in his wish
to carry off his "little one." and resolved
not to have his journey for nothing, OBJ
| tanned q promise from Mile that she
would marry him within two months, on
condition that the wedding should be q
very quiet one.
This promise, at the end of the appoint
| ed time, she faithfully carried out; and
Mrs. Peele, who had never held up her
head with her old majesty since Lord
| Kildonan put her to the humiliation Of
having to give up the stolen papers. soon
| after made up her mind to leave Drank
some for London, in order to be near her
| daughter.
Armathwaite was thus left alone in the
little house: but though he missed Millie.
Of whose sisterly companionship he had
grown very fond, he was not duh, for he
had taken It into his head to refurnish
and decorate the place according to GER
tain ideas of his own, and this occupa-
| ton, to man of limited income and fas-
TEDIOUS taste, afforded amusement and In
terest for some time. The purchase Of
horse, too, besides the late doctors cob,
| was an extravaganza which required de-
! liberation; but there was an animal in
the neighborhood which Frank was bent
on possessing, and after few weeks the
| coveted beasts held place in his stable.
CHAPTER XVII.
It was the beginning of August when
Alma, who, with the recovery of her