The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-06
A WOMAN'S HEART.

| whose lcafless branches swayed and bent
with every gust of the chilly wind. But
| tho coy library of Ashlcen House pro
scntcd Il striking contrast to the dreary
scene without A bright fire blazed
checrily i'll the wide, old fashioned grato
and played Oh the faces of the occupants
| of that delightful room, where high
japanese screens kept out the drafts and
warm plush curtains drapcd the tall,
old fashioned windows. 1t was sclrccly
o'clock, bat the daylight was waxing
| very dim outside, helped thereto by the
heavy rain clouds
AS Captain Gordon watched the beau
tiful face of his companion and hostess
bent over her work a sudden, short, i'm
patient sigh escaped him, and he turned
his head rcStlcssly amid the cushions of
the couch on which he lay, for, although
he was more than cOnvalesccnt, he liked
to indulge i'll some of the remaining
privileges of invalidism which had
chained him to that sofa for some time.
How lovely was the perfectly chiseled
face opposite him, and how serene, how
cold. Would nothing ever shake that icy
serenity? he wondered rather bitterly as.
shading his face with his hand he let
his eyes dcvour every feature Would she
never guess the mad. wild, unrcasoning
love he bore her?
As ne lay watching her his thoughts
went back with Il leap 70 the day he had
first met her. He had not long reioincd
the headquarters of his regiment ut Bal
ly-Mahon. as he had previously been in
charge of detachment elsewhere and
1t was at garden party he had first
seen her. He and several of his brother
officers had driven over to Ashlecn to-
gcther. and from the moment he had
been introduced To hor-tall. slender.
beautiful-at the first glance of her
glorious, serene, gray eyes, it seemed 20
him he had worshipcd her. They had
exchanged the usual commonplaccs. he
had walked by her side round the
grounds, and he had got her an ice
Nothing very romantic, but every detail
of that afternoon stood out wildly i'll
his mind After that day he had met
her constantly, as one is bound to meet
Ill Il small neighbOrhood, and he became
frequent guest ut her house, where her
husband. CHEEKY, hard riding Irish
bnronct, always accorded him hearty
welcome
The summer had wancd and died, and
i'll that sporting neighborhood every one
turned his attention TO hunting. Gordon
among the rest, for he had always been
Il Keen sportsman up to this But fire.
qucntly he would cut some of the best
meets OF the season to spend few hours
OF the short, dark afternoons ut Ashlocn,
where its mistress, who didn't hunt. al
ways greeted him with tranquil cordial
lty, 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 mu11nured Il
vague excuse about his horses not being
fit or he had been detained by some rcgi-
mental duty.
Then had come the day of his acct.
dent. Lady Lexley had been driving,
and. while pottering about the cover;
which bounded the roadside, he fingered
by her carriage not caring very much
about the chances of Il good start whilo
she was there and he could look OH the
beautiful, proud face, with its express
sion of serene Indifference to everything,
as if nothing ever interested her very
much.
Then the fox was viewed away, and
hnnn1c and hnrcnr,o, OF, 90 I.
pursuit, AS if the aim and object OF each
man among them was to break his own
neck or his horses, while the carriages
made the best OF their way along devious
short cuts on the chance of picking I'D
the hounds again later.
1t was on topping bank into tho
road that Gordon's horse fell and to-
gcthcr they came with crash to the
ground. For moment or two he re-
membered nothing. Then, rs his senses
slowly came back 10 him, he found him
self being supported by somebody's arm,
while some one else was holding Il flask
of whisky to his lips A little group of
the carriage folks surrounded him,
among whom was Lady LcXley, and his
eyes met hers, III whose depths shonc IN
expression of womanly compassion, but
he could not speak.
Il fear he is very much hurt, " she
said, and moi Il trcmor shook her calm,
even tones TO his strained and disap-
pointed car. He had better bc taken
straight 10 Ashlccn. 1t is tho nearest
place, and he can have every attention. =
So TO Ashlccn he was conveyed with
all speed, and doctor was summoned.
His injuries We're not so serious as at
first supposcd-slight conclusion and "a
couple of broken ribs. After day or