Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-12-02

Sir Francis Lennox, that fashionable
young man of leisure,-and she had
| for him an instructive, though quite
unreasonable aversion. He was cour-
tesy itsclf-he spared no pains to
please her. Yet she felt as IL his
basilisk brown eyes were always upon
| her,--he seemed to be ever at hand,
ready to watch over her In trifes,
such as the passing OF cup OF tea,
the Offering of her wrap,-the finding
of char,-the holding Of fan,-he
was always on the alert, like re-
markably well-trained upper servant
She could not, without rudeness, re-
ject such unobtrusive, humble SER
vices, ana yet--they rendered her
uncomfortable, though she did not
quite know why. She ventured to
mention her feeling concerning him to
her friend Lady Winsleigh, who heard
her timM remarks with a look on
her face that was not quite pleasant.
poor Sir Francis!" her ladyship
said with a slight, mocking laugh.
Hes never happy unless he plays
puppy dog! Don't mind him, Thelma!
lie won't bite, | assure you,-he
means no harm. It's only his little
way OF making himself agreeabe!'
George Lorimer, during this particu-
lar London season." fled the field of
action, and went to Paris to stay
with Pierre Duprez. He felt that it
| n tn
enemy too often for he knew in his
own honest heart that his passion Tor
rhclma increased each time he saw
her-so, he avoided her. She missed
him very much from her circle of in
Inmates, and often went to see his
mother, Mrs. Lorimer, one of the
sweetest old ladies in the world, who
| had at once guessed her sons secret,
but like q prudent dame, kept it to
herself. There were few young wO-
men as pretty and charming as old
Mrs. LOfimer, with her snoW-white
parted hair and miLa blue eyes, and
voice as CHEEKY as the note of thrush
in spring-time. After Lady Win
sleigh, Thelma liked her best of all
her new friends, and was fond of
visiting her quiet little house in Ken
sington, for it was very quiet, and
seemed like q sheltered haven OF rest
from the great rush OF frivolity and
fclly in which the fashionable world
delighted.
And Thelma was often now in need
! ,,r, A., he n,1c
it's close, she found herself strangely
| tired and dispilited. The life she was
compelled to lead was all unsuited to
her nature--it was artificial and con
| strained, and she was often unhappy.
Why? Why, indeed! She did her best,
but she made enemies everywhere
Again, why? because she had Il most
pernicious. most unpleasant habit
OF telling the truth. Like Socrates,
she seemed to say-"lf any man
should appear to me not to possess
virtue, but to pretend that he does,
1 shall reproach him" This she eX-
pressed silently In face, voice, and
mahner, and, like Socrates, she
might have added that she went about
''perceiying, indeed, and grieying and
alarmed that she was making herself
odlons' For she discovered, by de-
grees, that many people looked
strangely upon her-that others
seemed afraid Of her-ann she con
tthually heard that she was CON
sidered Eccentric So she became
more reserved-eyen cold, she was
content to let others argue about
tribes, ana air their whims and follies
without offering an opinion ON any
side.
And by-and-by the first shadow be-
gan to sweep over the fairness of her
married lite. 1t happened Mt time
when she and her husband were not
quito so much together, society and
it's various claims had naturally sep
alated them u little, but now II ques-
tion Of political ambition separated
them still more. some well-inten-
TONED friends had persuaded Sir
Philip to stand for Parliament-and
this idea no sooner entered his head
than he decided with impulsiye nrdor
that he had been too long without II
career and career" he must
'nave In order to win distinction for
his wife's sake. Therefore, summon
ing his secretary, Neville. to his aid,
he plunged headlong into the seething
turgid waters of English politics, and
shut himself up in his library day
after day, studying blue-books, writ
Ing and answering letters. and draw
ing up addresses, and with the gen
eral proneness OF the masculine mind
to attend to one thing only at Il time,
he grew so absorbed in his work that
his love for Thelma, though all UNI
changed aud deep as ever, fell slightly
into the background Of his thoughts.
Not that he neglected her,--he simply
concerned himself more with other
things. So 1t happened that GER
tain indefnable sense OF loss weighed
upon her,-a vague. uncomprehended
sol. tune began to encompass her,--a
solitude even more keenly felt when