The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-07-02
DY BERTHA 10 cLAY.
CHATTER xxxv1I.

dthlng az the court, but promised 10 spend
some part Of the evening there.
Lady Darrellha ordered an early. dinner.
and sat in her d~ressing-room awaiting her
maid. OF course she was going to dress fo1
the Captain-to set off her delicate beauty to
the greatest advantage. A superb costume
OF pale pink brocade, with rich trimmings of
white lace was ready for her. A suit OF
pearls and opals lay in their open cases. The
room presented a picturesque appearance OF
~Tbounded and splendid confusion-lace.
jewelry, fans, slippers. all kinds of valuable
and pretty ornaments were there; but moth
ing in that room was one half so fair as the
beautiful woman who sat with a pleased
smile upon her face.
Yet there was something like a sigh on her
lips. Did he love herp OF her own feelings
she had no doubt. She loved him with her
whole heart-as she had never imagined her.
self capable of loving any one. But did he
love herr There was somewhat of GOODNESS
and indifference in his Misunderstanding
che could not understand. He had greeted
aar cnrelessly-he had hidden her Il careless
farewell, she said to herself. Yet lie must
love her; for the face reflected in the mirror
was a very fair one.
Then she remembered Pauline, and the old
~ ' : WHY RNltilG Iidtk- III
ways such great, such mbounded contempt
for him.
Her maid came in and Lady Darrell put
on the pink brocade with its white lace trim
mings. Tho maid, i'll ecstasies, cried out
that it was ~superb-that '.my lady" had
never looked so beautiful"
Lady Darrell took up tho pearl necklace
and held it against the pink brocade to note
tIln Contract Nybiin clio I,nIl ~ IL, I,nr bo .iu
one OF the servants gave a hurried rap at the
door. She zane to announce that Miss OAR
rell had arrived suddenly, and wished to see
Lady Darrell at once.
Miss Darrell! Then something must be
the matter with Miss Hastings. Ask her to
come to me ut oncc.n
In a few moments Pauline was standing
In that brilliant room, looking pale and anx-
ious.
mo" she said, in answer to Lady Oar
relrs eager question; there is nothing the
matter with Miss Hastings. l wanted to see
you; l wantt to see you alone. Can you spare
a few minutes??"
Lady Darrell dismissed her maid, and then
turned to Pauline.
What is itY" she asked. What has
brought you here so s%uddenly!"
Without one word, Pauline went to the
door and locked it, and then she went back
to Lady Darrell, who was watching her in
wonder.
" have done you a great wrong she said,
humbly, "and l have come to atone for it.n
Lady Darfea' drew back, trembling with
strange, vague fear.
"Oh, Pauline, Pauline, what have you
done?'
Pauline threw aside her travelling cloak
and took Off her hat; and then she came to
Lady Darrell.
Let Inc tell you my story knceling here"
she said, and she knelt down before Lady
Darrell, looking as she spoke straight into
her face. LET me tell you before l begin
it." she added, 'tthat l have no excuse to of
fer for myself-none. | can only thank
Heaven that | have seen my fault before
for your sake-it is too late"
Slowly, gravely, sometimes with bitter
tears and with sobs that came from the
depths of her heart Pauline told her story
how the captain had loved her, how Ill no
had taken her repulse, how she had discoy-
cred his vile worthlessness, but for the sake
OF her revenge had said nothing.
Lady Darrell listened asto he rdeath-knell,
sIs this true, Pauline?" she cried. You
vowed vengeance against me-is this your
vengeance to try to part me from the man /
love, and to take from me the only chance OF
happiness that my wretcled life holds?"
Her fair face had grown deadly pale; all
the light and the happiness had fled from it;
the pearls lay UNDECIDED, the blue eyes grew
dim with tears.
us it possible, PauIine?9" She cried again.
"Have l given my love to one dishonored? l
cannot believe i'll will not belieyeit! 1t is
| part oftyour vengeance against me. What
have ldone that you should hate me sop
The dark eyes and the beautiful face were
raised to hers.
"Dear Lady Darrell" said the girl, II have
never spoken a loving word to you before;
but I tell you now that II could give my
life to save you from this sorrow, I would do
so.'
aubrey Langton a thiefn' cried Lady
Darrell. at is not true-l will swear that it
is not true! / love him, and YOU want to
take him from me. How could you dare to
invent such a falselood on him, 4 soldier
and a gentlemen? You are cruel and wick
ed.o
Yet through all her passionate denials,
through all her bitter anger, there ran q
shudder of deadly fear-a doubt that chill
ed her with the GOODNESS of death-a voice
that would he heard, crying out that here
was no falsehood, but the bare. unvarnisiled
truth. She cast 1t from hcr-she trumpled it
under foot; and the girl kneeling at her feet
suffered rs much as she did herself while she
watched that struggle.
You say that he would have murdered
you-that he held a pistol to your forehead,
and made you take that oatll-he, Aubrey
Langton, did that!w
s.He did," said Pauline. "Would to Hcav-
en- l had told you before
"Would to Heaven you llad!' she cried.
Sits too late now, Ilove Ilim-I love him,
and I cannot lose him. You might have
saved me from this, and you would not. Oh,
cruel and false! y
dearest Lady DARRELL said the girl, II
would wash out my fault with my hearts
blood IT. could, there is no humiliation that
l would not undergo, no pain thatl would
not suffer, to save YOU
.You might have saved me. / had a doubt,
and went to you, Pauline humbly, not
proudly. l prayed you 70 reveal the truth,
and you treated me with scoril. Can it be
that one woman could be so cruel to anotll-
er?l II you had but spoken half tho truth
you have now told me, | should have beiiey-
ed you, and have gone away; I Should have
Crushed down tic love that was rising III my
heart, and Iii time / should have forgotten it.
Now it is too late. / love him, and l cannot
lose him-dear Heaven, l cannot lose him Y
She flung up her arms with a wild cry of
despair. None ever suffered more than did
Pauline Darrell then.
.Oh, my sim she moaned, "my grievous
sinW
She tried to soothe the unhappy woman,
but Lady Darrell turned from her with all
the energy of despair.
II cannot believe yoti,n she cried sit is an
Infamous plot to destroy my happiness and
to destroy me. Harkl There is Aubrey
Langton's voice; come with mo and say be.
tore him what you have said to me-"