Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-12-09

Upon my soul one would think you
were smitten by that girl of my broth
er's."
Il am not smitten by her, but I am
deeply interested in her fate. Good
| night"
Goodnight" answered Lashmar,
moodily.
CHAPTER XVI.
After that evening Lashmar yielded
himself tC the allurements Of Gree, in
the person of Lady Carminow, with less
reservoir than he had hitherto shown, and
In proportion az his attentions grew more
marked, Clarice became more enchant-
ing.
BY this time Lashmar had decided that
destiny meant him to be Lady Carmi-
now's husband. He had escaped the
doom once, he had plucked himself out
Of the web: but this time he felt that he
was caught.
He could account for his tepid emotions
by no other theory than that nature had
made him colder than other men. He
fancied that he had even an aversion for
women, aud that he would have ended his
days a bachelor, were it not that self-in-
terest and his mothers incessant prompt
Ing urged him to marriage. He had had
everything to gain from q union with
Lady Carminow, and it was sheer wan
tonness In him to hang back: and yet he
put of from day to day the utterance of
those fatal words which would seal him
as a slave forever.
He had promised to drive to Brumm
with Claricc and Mrs. Mulciber that at
ternoon, to 60 over the great Danebrook
iron works, Of which Lady Carminow was
sole proprietor. Her name was on the
carts and wagons. "Clarice, Marchion-
ess of CnrMinow." Lashmar had Y
been over these mighty works, and he hat
ed seeing works Of any description-hated
the thud Of the engines, the smell Of the
furnaces, the CRIME and dust upon every
thing, and was not very fond wen Of the
operatives, though a humanitarian age
insisted that he should adore them.
Brumln and the outskirts Of Brumm
looked a little more detestable than usual
to Lord Lashmar that October afternoon,
although Lady Carminow wal sitting op-
posite him. clad in rudy brown velvet
and sable tails. with q little sable bonnet
that harmonized deliciously with her rich
gold-brown hair. II the beauty Of a
woman or the luxury Of q barouche could
have sufflced him, he might have been
happy: but on this particular afternoon
he behcld e-en Lady Carminow's perfec-
ton with a %jaundiced eye.
The visit to the great Danebrook works
did not serve to change his mood, as the
workmen were on the eve of striking and
received the visitors in q rather surly
name
It was between six and seven when
Lady Carrinow and her companions re-
turned to the castle. Afternoon tea was
over, and the shooters had retired to the
bathrooms and dressing-rooms, and there
was the sound Of a piano and q very thin
soprano voice from the d~rawing-room,
| whereby Lashmar opined that Mrs. Vava-
sour was INDUCING in a ballad alone or in
| company. He went to the library, intend
ing to enjoy a quiet half hour with the
newspapers before he dressed.
The room was only lighted by the burn
ing logs in one Of the two ireplaces and
a single lamp on a reading table. The
| Lashmar crossed the room toward the
slowly past the windows.
he OHCuCU o C0oCAC0e uAu lOUACV OuLs
A man and woman were standing q little
way off in earnest conversation. The
woman, black robed, bare headed, tall and
straight and slim, was Stella. The man
was Nestorius.
He was bending to speak to her. until
it seemed to Lashmar that his lips must
almost touch her hair. His hand was on
her shoulder, as IL he had been pleading
- ---.?.- ..sAA S-k>~~~Hk ~nAA~4n- Gs,l
denly Stella released herself from that de-
tanning grasp, knelt for an instant ut his
feet and clasped and kissed his hand
with quick, passionate gestures, then rose
as quickly as she had knelt, and rushed
away to the other end Of the terrace.
Only southern blood would have shown
its feeling in such imprisoned move
ments. Strange 40 the act was, It seemed
In no wise false or theatrical. All was
natural and spontaneous. To Lashmar,
who had seen the girl silent, ~statuesque
in her imm0bility, this new aspect Of her
character was startling in the extreme.
HAS she zone suddenly out Of her
witsY" he asked himself, angrily. "Has
| Nestorius infected her with lunacy, or II
she playing q deep same9 Yes, that y 1t.
no doubt. She Z to hook our enthu-
siast. He II more impressionable than
| Ulysses, and che II ~ crafty - Calypso.
Those silent women with lowered eyelids
are always shy"
He went out into the cleaning. Au-
tumnal mists were rising Ill over the
park. Night was coming up from the
valley and the river Ike = palpable pres
ence, 4 mighty winged manstef, spread
ins wide rinions over the earth. curtain
Ing and covering homestead and meadow.
man and beast, diHusing 1 false air Of
peace and silence and solamnitJ evss III
thiaSa.
CHAPTDR XVI.
1heso ~ - peaes = IAGknArs
$780, uAteA Was vl11D ~ v1tA onGqg.