Evening journal., 1897-02-09
A WOMAN'S HEART.

WIN every .sOhl OF tlc emily N4llN. D~N
the cozy library of Ashleen House pre-
sented striking contrast to the dreary
scene without. A bright fire blazed /
cheerily in the wide, old fashioned CRATE
and played ON the faces OF the occupants |
of that delightful room, where high |
Japanese screens kept out the drafts and |
warm plush curtains draped the tall,
old fashioned windows. It was scarcely !
4 o'clock, but 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 sudden, short, i'm
patient sigh escaped him, and he turned
his head restlessly amid the cushions of
the couch on which he lay, for, although
he was more than convalescent, he liked
to indulge in some of the remaining
privileges of invaldism which had
chained him to that sofa for some time.
How lovely was the perfectly chiseled
face opposite him, and how serene, how
coldl Would nothing ever shake that icy
serenity? he wondered rather bitterly as,
shading his face with his hand, he let
his eyes devour every feature. Would she
never guess the mad, wild, unreasoning
love he bore 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 rejoined
the headquarters Of his regiment at Bal
ly-Mahon, as he had previously been in
charge Of detachment elsewhere, and
it was at a garden party he had first
seen her. He and several of his brother
officers had driven over 60 Ashleen TO-
gether, and from the moment he had
been introduced to her-tall, slender,
beautiful-at the first glance of her
glorious, serene, gray eyes, it seemed tc
him he had worshiped her. They had
exchanged the usual commonplaces, 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 vividly in
his mind After that day he had met
her constantly, as one is bound TO meet
in a small reighborhood, ard he became
a frequent guest ct her house, where her
husband, a CHEEKY, hard riding Irish
baronet, always accorded him a hearty
welcome.
The summer had waned and died, and
in that sporting neighborhood every ON,
turned his attention TO hunting, Gordor
among the rest, for he had always beei
a keen sportsman up TO this. But fre
quently he would cut some Of the bes
meets of the season to spend few hour
of the short dark afternoons at Ashleen
where its mistress, who didn hunt al
ways greeted him with tranquil cordial
ity, and he would sit in the glow of tn,
cheerful freight with her discussing
the various topics of the day, only to-
content to watch the play Of her lovel.
face and the swift movements of he
slender fingers as she worked. Then tn
spell would be broken when her husbar
returned, noisy, chcery, bringing q bias
of cold outer air with him. ana he woul
rally Gordon on having misie bril-
liant run, while the latter murmured
vague excuse about his horses not bein
fit or he had been detained by some regi
mental duty.
/ Then had come the day of his acci
dent Lady Lexley had been driving
! and, while pottering about the cover
which bounded the roadside, he LINGERIE
by her carriage, not caring very muc
about the chances Of a good start Will
she was there and he could look on til
beautiful proud face, with its expires
sion of serene indifference to everything
as if nothing ever interested her yer
, much.
e Then the fox was viewed away, an
hounds and horsemen started Off in ho
! pursuit, as if the aim and object of eac
man among them was to break his ow
, neck or his horses, while the carriage
Z made the best of their way along deviou
y short cuts ON the chance of picking u
= the hounds again later.
{ 1t was on topping a bank into th
road that Gordon's horse fell, and e
gether they came with a crash to III
ground. For a moment or two he 7,
membered nothing. Then, as his sense
d slowly came back to him, he found hin
Q self being supported by somebody's 3 arr
s while some one else was holding flas
bl WHISKY 10 Ills Ups n l4itlc group
; the carriage folks surrounded hin
\, among whom was Lady Lexley, and Ia
4 eyes Iact hers, in whose depths shone a
. expression cf womanly compassion, bI
e he could not speak.
8 81 fear he is very much hurt, " 81
said, and not a tremor shook her cain
even tones to his strained and disal
pointed ear. "He had better be take
/ straight to Ashleen. 1t is the neare
: place, and he can have every attention.
n SO to Ashleen he was conveyed wit
# all speed, and doctor was summone'
V His injuries were not so serious as
;. first supposed-slight concussion and
e couple Of broken ribs After day
y two in bed he was allowed to come dow
J. to the library and lie on the sofa.
During those days of conyalescon,
and all the restful luxury of scmi-ii
4 validism Lady Lexley had been his COZ
e. stant companion, and sudden thri
IS set his pulses tingling as he dwelt {