Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-07-15

bent seriously on the book she held
sighed once or twice heavily as though
she were tired. There was a change
In the girl,-an undefinable something
seemed to have passed over her ant
toned down the redundant brightness
of her beauty. She was paler,-and
there were darker shadows than usua
under the splenior OF her eyes. Hel
very attitude. as she leaned her heat
against tile dark, fantastic carving o.
the porch, mad touch of listlessness
and Indifference in 1t; her sweetly
arched lips dropped with a plaintivt
little line at the corners, and hel
wEt lie air was indicative of fatigue
mingled with sadness. She locked III
row and then from the printed page
and her gaze wandered over the stretch
of the scented, flower-filled garden tt
the little silvery glimmer Of the Fjord
from whence arose, like delicate blacl
streaks against the sky, the slender
nasts of the Eulalie,-and then she
would resume her reading with c
slight movement of Impotence.
The volume she held was Victor
Kugo's "Orientales," and though hel
sensitive imagination delighted In
poetry as much as in sunshine, she
| found 1t for once hard to rivet her at
tention as closely as she wished to dc
on the exquisite wealth of language
and glow of color that distinguishes
t,it ~
France. Within the house Britta was
singing cheerily at her work, and the
sound of her song alone disturbed the
silence. Two or three pale-blue but
terjiies danced drowsily in and out a
cluster of honeysuckle that trailed
. WI wards, nearly touching Thelma's
shoulder, and dim.nutive black kit
ten, with a pink ribbon round its
reok, sat gravely on the garden path
washing It's face with its TRY velvety
raws in that deliberate and precise
fashion common to the spoiled and
pctted members of it's class. Every
thin was still and peaceful as became
O. Sunday afternoon,-so that when
the sound of heavy advancing foot
step disturbed tho intense calm, the
girl was almost nervously startled,
and rose from her seat with 80 much
precipitation, that the butterflies, who
had possibly been considering whether
her hair might not be some new sort
of sunfower, took fright and flew far
upwards, and the demure kitten,
scared out of its absurd self-conscious-
ness, scrambled hastily up tho nearest
little tree. The intruder on the
quietudo of Guldmar's domain was the
Rev. Mr.. Dyceworthy,-- and as Fhelma,
him coming, her face grew stern and
resolute, and her eyes flashed dis
painfully.
Ignoring the repellant, almost de-
FAINT dignity of the girls attitude Mr..
DyceTorthy advanced, rather out of
breath and somewhat heated, and
smiling benevolently, nodded his head
by way OF greeting, without removing
h., hat.
All F'roken Thelma!" he observed
condescendingly. "And how are you
to-day? You look remarkably we'll
remarkably SO, indeed!' and he eyed
Ter with mild approval.
"I am we'll, | thank you" she re-
turned quietly. my father is not in,
Mr.. Dyceworthy."
I'VE shall, no doubt. entertain our
selves eXcellently without him! 1t is
with you alone, Froken, that am
DESTROYS to hold converse"
And. without waiting for her permits
sion, he entered the porch and settled
himself comfortably on the bench OPP
posite to her, heaving sigh of relief
as he did so. Thelml remained stand
ing and the Lutheran minister )
cCvetous eye glanced greedily over the
sweeping curves of her queenly figure,
the dazzling Wilderness of her slim
archod throat, and the glitter of her
rich hair. She was silent-and there
was something In her manner as she
confronted him that made it difficult
for Mr.. Dyceworthy to speak He
liilllliiCi dlu liuWCu StNtIul llultS, anu
settled his stiff collar once or twice as
though 1t hurt him; finally he said
with an evident effort
Il have found a-a-trinket of
yours-a tritling toy-which perhaps,
you would be glad to have again" And
he drew carefully out of his waistcoat
pocket small parcel wrapped up in
tissue paper. which he undid with his
fat fingers, thus displaying the little
crucitiX he had kept so long in his
possession. Gone, rning this" lie
went on. holding 1t up before her, ri
am grievously troubled, and would
fain say u few necessary words"
She interrupted him. reaching out
her hand for the cross us she spoke.
THAT was my mothers cruclix,"
she said In solemn, infinitely teader
accents, with Il mist as of unshed
tears IN her sweet blue eyes. 1T was
round her neck when she died. | dc
thank you with all my heart for
bringing it back to me"
Aud the hauteur of her face relaxed
and her smile, that sudden sweet
smile OF hers. shono faith like a
CLEAN of SuuShin athWQrt Il cloud