Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-12-02

position and getting your superiority rec.
ognized by the very best people,
Il don't care for the best people," the
girl answered bluntly. "They are nothing
to me. l would rather be with Mr.. Yer
ner than with the finest of Lady Lash
mars friends
You forget that Mr.. Nestorius is
among those very people. To know such
Il man Is Il liberal education"
MIR. Nestorius is very clever and very
kind, but | would rather see him at Mr..
Nerner's cottage thar among the fine peo-
pie downstairs"
"You are inc%orrigible!' exclaimed Mrs.
Mulciber. "Your only chance of getting
on in the world is knowing smart people"
"Ihcn ! shall never get on, for l hate
smart people"
games; dumb crambo, charades, clumps,
the usual kind of thing. Lashmar de-
tested this kind of fooling, so he went off
to the library and plunged into the thrill
ing pages Of Hansard. He was interested
in u factory bill that was to come on next
session. He had begun to read after ten
o'clock, and he read on till after twelve,
by which time the house party hard finish
ed their gaines and retired for the night,
Mr.. Nestorius yawning tremendously di-
rectly he escaped from that appreciative
circle Of which he had been the life. Deep
in the report Of Il case of tradc-union
tyranny, which had gone almost as far
as murder and quite as far as arson.
Lashmar was unconscious of the opening
Of u door near him, and only looked up
from his book when he felt a sudden
Frightening Of the light in front of him.
1t was his mothers slave, standing there
in her black gown with a candle in her
hand.
II came to look for n book for her lady
ship. l did not know you were here, my
lord" she faltercd, startled to find any
one in a room she had expected to find
empty.
Can help you? What book is it?'
"Sir Thomas Mallory. The Morte OAR
thur"
"Why, that is the very book" began
Lashmar, and then stopped abruptly with
a smile, looking at the pale, grave face
in front OF him, which rave no answering
smile. 1t was the very book she had been
reading seven years ago, perched oil the
ladder yonder at the other end of the
room. ~lnvoluntarily he glanced toward
the spot, shrouded in deepest shadow.
There Is another copy" she said; Il
know where to find it,"
She went to a shelf a little way off and
selected n small octave.
He had been looking at her deliberately
while she found her book and moved
quietly toward the door, looking at her
with the thought of what Mr.. Nestorius
had Suid about har in his mind
One thing was certain. The ugly child
If ugly she lac ever been-had grown
into a very interesting woman. He did
not know whether to call her beautiful.
The small features were delicately mold
ed, but they had not the %statuesque beau
ty of Lady Carminow's outline. The lit
tie nose inclined to the r%etrouse, the lips
were too thin for loveliness-lips of Mi
nerva rather than Of Venus-lips of Sibyl
or mystic rather han Of lovable woman.
The complexion was a pale olive, that
tint which suggests bronze rather than
marble. The hair was blue-black, lus-
trous, heavy: The eyes were the most
glorious orbs that Lashmar ever remem-
bered to have looked upon; eyes full Of
thought and full of pride; eyes Of a queen,
and Of a queen who would rule her king
dom.
He looked at her gown, the black mer-
mo gown, with its plain, straight skirt
and demi-train; just such a gown as ev-
cry housemaid at Lashmar wore Of an
afternoon. His mother had not been
~over-indulgent to her dead step-son's pro-
tege.
He opened the door for her.
DO yon know that it is just past twelve
= Y 4 L. -. HT
are over for tonight"
mo; l shall be reading for some hours.
perhaps. Her ladyship is such u bad
(, sleeper"
"Rather hard upon you"
"Not at all. l am fond of reading, and
I am always interested in the books her
ladyship chooses"
She was gone, and he stood riveted
where she had left him.
$50 this is the tawny-visaged brat with
the goblin eyes that my poor brother
brought into the castle in his arms that
midsummer night nearly fifteen years
ago." he said to himself. poor old Lash!
How proud he would have been of his
bantling if he ha1 lived to ses her as she
is tonight. A girl who warns an ex-
prime minister to enthusiasm; a girl who
for distinguished looks and pride of mien
could hold her own in any coterie in Lon
don, Paris or Vienna. And she has grown
up to this under my mothers stringent
rule"
And then going back to Hansard, and
finding it impossible to revive his interest
in trade unionism and Mary Ann, he said
| to himSelf.
"She looks as il she had a temper
just the same kind Of temper that made
her f1out Claricc seven years ago in this
very DON She looks as if she had
nerves. Why doesn't my mother let her
go out into the world? 1t is like claiming
an eagle to keep her here"
CHAPTER XIII.
Lashmor heard voices-a musical BARI
tone-a aubdued contradiction the ter
race. under his window, at eight o'clock
next morning, aud looking out saw Mr..
Nestorius and Stella walking up and down