The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-05-12
CHATTER U.-(CoYTrNuEp.,

Clara hesitated painfully. "g dent
know how to begin!" she exclaimed
with burst Of despair. The words
won't come to me-"
Then / must help you. DO you feel
Ill tonight? DO you feel as you felt
that day when you were with my sister
and me in the garden"
"Oh, no."
You are not i'll, you are not really
affected by the heat-and yet you :urn
as pale as ashes. and you are Obliged
to leave the quadriile! There must be
some reason for this"
There is a reason. Captain Held
ing
Captain Helding! What in the name
of wonder has the Captain to do with
it?"
He told you something about the
ATLANTA. He said the 'Atalanta' was
expected back from Africa immediate
ly'
We'll, what of that? Is there any
body in whom you are interested COM
ing home in the ship"
Somebody whom | am afraid of is
coming home in the ship
Mrs. Crayfords magnificent black
eyes opened wide in amazement.
my dear Clara, do you mean what
you say?"
Wait a little, Lucy, and you shall
Judge for yourself. We must go back
If l am to make you understand me
to the year before we knew each 9TH
err; to the last year of my fathers life
Did l ever tell you that my father
moved southwark. for the sake III his
health, to a house in Kent that was
lent to him by a friend?"
NO my dear | don't remember ever
hearing of the house in Kent. Tell
me about ii.
There is nothing to tell except this
The new house was near a fine country
seat standing in its own park. The
owner of the place was a gentleman
named Wardour He, too, was one of
my fathers Kentsh friends. He bad
an only SON.
She paused, and played Eervously
with her fan. Mrs. Crawford looked at
her attentively. Clara's eyes remained
fixed on her fan-Clara said no more
What was the sens Nance" asked
Mrs. Crawford, quietly.
Richard"
Am | right, Clara, in suspecting
that Mr.. Richard Wardour admired
your"
The question produced its intended
effect The question helped Clara to
go on. Il hardly knew at first" she
said. whether he admired me or not.
He was very strange in his ways
headstrong. terribly headstrong and
passionate; but generous and affection
ate in spite of his faults of temper.
Can you understand such character"
Such characters exist by thousands.
I have my faults of temper | begin
to like Richard already. Go on"
THE days went by, Lucy, and the
weeks went by. We were thrown very
much together. / began. little by little.
TO have some suspicion of the truth"
And Richard helped to confirm your
suspicious, OF course?"
mo. He was not-unhappily for me
he was not that sort of man He
never spoke of the feeling with which
he regarded me. II was | who saw
II. / couldn't help seeing It. did all
/ could to show that was willing TO
be sister to him. and that | could
never be anything else. He did not un-
derstand me, or he would not--I can't
say which"
would not is the most likely. my
dear. Go on
1T might have been as you say.
There was a strange rough bashfulness
about him. He confused and puzzled
me- He never spoke out He seemed
10 treat me as If our future lives had
been provided for while we were chill
dren. What could do. Lucy?"
DO? You could has askei your
father TO end the difficulty for YOU.
'Impossible! You forget what have
just told you. My father was suffer
ing at the time under the illness which
afterward caused his death. He was
quite unfit TO interfere"
WAS there no one else who could
help your"
mo one"
"No lady in whom you could con.
fde?"
81 had no acquaintance among the
ladies in the neighborhood mad nc
friends"
What did you do. them"