The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-08-13
Chapter WIT

CHAPTER NNII.
Lady Hilda raised her opera glass neg
| ligently; she, looked at the stage, where
Nine. Antolina was singing, with all the
| grace and fervor of which she was mis-
| tress; then she looked around the house.
| Tier after tier, the boxes rose, filed with
| beautiful women; the lights, the jewels.
| the innumerabe bouquets. the costly
dresses, the fair and lovely faces made
an ensemble that filled her with admira-
| ton. She had seen nothing so brilliant in
| her life.
Then, quite suddenly, her eyes fell up
on face that startled her-the glass
| trembled in her hand-a mans face. stat
uesque and handsome, with fair cluster
| ing hair, and bright blue eyes, his mouth
| hidden by a fair mustache. All, surely
| she knew that face.
| She trembled and grew pale as with
sudden fear. Why should the face of
| stranger affect her? She would conquer
| her fancy, and look at it again.
| Again the white hands raised the opera
| glass, and this time, as she looked at that
| handsome face, a low cry that was half
a sob came to her lips. She knew 1.-THE
| white. broad brow. with its clusters of
hair; the head so proudly set, So proudly
J carried; the proud, clear eyes that looked
at everything with calm indifference: the
well-built, manly figure with it's easy
| grace; the air of grand seigneur that be-
came him so well. 1t was he; there was
no other such face-earth held but one
| 1t was as surely her husband, Lord Dun
| haven, as that she was living and looking
at him. She laid the opera glass down.
and tried to steady the beating of her
heart; her face grew deadly pale. The
duchess looked at her in alarm.
Are you i'll, Mamie?" she asked, in
sweet, eager tones.
"No, it is nothing but the heat pray
do not notice it" said Lady Hilda
Yet her heart beat so that her whole
frame trembled, her face was white as
death, the strength seemed to have gone
from her; but she could not go. she could
not leave him: she must look again at the
face she worshiped-the face that made
| heaven for her.
| A few minutes of silence, then the
| duchess said gently in tone of perfect
content:
"There he is-look, Mamie there is nv
crusader 1 am so glad. How bright the
lights are to-night-how beautiful the mu-
sic! am so happy! He is sure to come
and see me-
| "Where is hep asked Lady Hilda.
"Look at the fifth box on the second
tier; he is there, speaking to an elderly
lady with two young girls. Do you see!'
| Slowly the beautiful eyes followed in
| the direction the duchess indicated; they
rested there for some moments with an
expression of dire alarm, then they turned
| slowly to the duchess
81 see no one there" she said, but the
words died on her lips.
| "How strangely your voice sounds. Ma,
mie. Not see him; surely you cannot mis-
take Look at the handsome Saxon face
and clustering hair-that is my crusader"
Lady Hilda was quite silent for some
minutes; it seemed to her that time itself
stood still. She tried to steady her trem-
bling lips, to speak in q natural tone of
| voice.
"What is his name?" she Asked "you
have never told me yet.'
His name?-Lord Dunhaven. How
! strange that | should never have men
toned it! What do you think of him."
| $50 that is your crusader" said Lady
| Hilda, after Il pause.
| YES said the duchess proudly; ''that
is my crusader. You remember the pic
ture at Woodheaton-the knight with the
lily on his shield, standing on the battle
field watching the setting sun.
"Yes Isfemember it, said Hilda, slow
| ly.
"Sce," said her grace, she has bowed
to me-he sees mS-he is coming. Oh,
Mamie, l am so pleased! l like talking
to him SO much! l wonder if YOU will be
pleased with him? l cannot tell why. but
feel quite anxious about it"
| There was Il minute of such suspense
that Lady Hilda hardly lived through
| it: the lights, the flowers, the fair faces
| of the women, all seemed one confused
mass; the music sounded like one terri
Bile crash. She held with firm grasp the
ledge of the opera box, Or she must have
| fallen fainting on the ground; she clinch-
! ed her hands until great red marks blis-
tered them. Could it be possible that she
| was TO see him again-to look into his
face--to hear him speak? Oh, heaven!
That the pain should not kill her, the
pleasure drive her mad! How was she
| to bear it!
Then the door opened slowly. She saw
her husbands handsome face, his fair
head, the clustering hair, the bright eyes
1t seemed to her in that moment of su-
preme emotion that life itself came to an
end. She closed her eyes, for she felt
| that it was easier to die than to look in
his face.
Then-oh, heaven! That the pain and
pleasurs did not slay her! She heard lis