Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-03-12
CHAPTER III.


Il was one Of the Honorable Mrs. We.
rulam's musical evenings, and nearly ev-
cry one worth knowing In town was pres
ent.
It was considerably after midnight
when young man, entering an antecham.
Der, added yet another TO the already
numerous assembly. He made his way to
where he saw Mrs. vefulam standing In
what looked like q cloud Of yellow net
relieved here and there by q gleam Of
yellow topas.
"At lastr she said, giving him her
hand. II had ceased to hope--1 had quite
given you up"
II had given myself up, for the matter
Of that" returned Lord Wriothesley.
But knew how to wait, and, as you see,
oil things have come TO me-"
$50 embarrassed a. an thatT said she,
arching her pretty broFs. "A man 80
rich 10 singularly ungrateful when he
.ars q countenance as dissatisfied as
yours" she said, laughing maliciously and
leaning toward him with an affected air
Of sympathy. "who Is she then2 Can I
help you to look for herY''
"Whom should be looking fort Have
I not found your"
'"rhat suficcs, my good cousin. I shall
let you of the rest" retorted she, max.
ing him q little moue. I'VE have loved
each other too well and too long for that.
Yet one more question. Why are you
not at the Towers just now? You were
due there on the nineteenth-ehT
Business, business, business-that most
hateful Of all things! I fancied myself
sure Of my leave, or shouldn't have nam
cd the nineteenth when writing to Lady
Mary; but the fact IL the colonel can't let
me Of until the day after tomorrow"
Something In Wednesdays face pug
sled Lady verulam. He was not attend
Ing to what she was saying, and he was
looking over her shoulder at some object
behind her. He did not actually start,
but an indeAnable light cleaned from his
eyes. II was light not to be mistaken
by 80 clever q student Of human nature
a. Lady verulam, and II betrayed him
to her.
air. she said, slowly, turning her head
and looking toward the end Of the room,
where stood small group Of four or ave
people.
The party had emily Just entered, and the
central figure stood out from the others
rather prominently. She was tall won.
an, slight without being thin, clad In an
exquisite brocade Of an aqua.marine
shade. The other members OF the group
were men, and they seemed to. follow her
and bend over her with an assiduity that
bespoke an eager desire to please.
80 II 10 Mrs. ScarlettT' said Mrs. We.
rulam, turning again to her cousin and
speaking somewhat cxcitcdly. my dear
Fulke, can hardly congratulate you."
Certainly not. II ID far too soon," he
retorted, with laugh, purposcly misun-
derstanding her words.
"Ah-sof' she said, coldly. 1T IL Of
course well to understand how things are
going. You knew Mrs. Scarlet In In
diaT'
"for Q month or six weeks-a mere mo.
ment out Of ones life-in fact, made
her acquaintance just before leaving"
"You both returned to England In the
same ship, did you notT'
| eyes"
"Anothcr six weeks! Why, you arr
quite old friends! I have heard that q
sea.voysge ripens cniship - swiftly
as m italian SUM-"
$50 have I. It has. however, hardly
ripencd the friendship you speak Of. Al
yet Mrs. Scarlet and are mere &C
quaintanccs."
"she does not look like any mans &C
Quaintance," said Mrs. verulam, vague
~. "Her male friends should be all In oil
or not at all to her. should fancy-heI
slaves or nothing"
"You dislike herr" said Wrlothesley
glancing quickly at his cousin. II won
der you asked her here"
AS to that, one must follow the fash
Ion; and she II the fashion now. Hel
fame Travelled from India faster than sh'
did, and though we know she was orig
inally only the daughter Of petty cOun
try squire, still we are oil very eager 4
get her to come to our houses"
"Her famew said he, Questioningly.
"As the clevcrest beauty Of her time
BY the bye. who il that with her now ?
An old man had Joined the group roun'
Mrs. Scarlet and was shaking hand
with her.
''The Duke Of Dawtry." said Wriother
Icy.
'Of course-I should have known.
Mrs. Verulam was silent for few mo
ments, then added presently: "Considel
Ing who she was, must do her the justic
to say she has made very good runnin
In short time-al0ne. to0-veFy little bel
was given her."
He bowed very low to her and crosse
the room to where Mrs. Scarlet sat en-
thrOned amidst her courtiers. He stoo
ON the outskirts Of her little court, unit
presently, one after another Of her admit
ers having moved away, he felt himsel
almost alone with her.
A Wriothesley approached her MIR
scarlctt--who very seldom gave any ma
her hand In greeting him wit
, smile.
"You are late" she said. Her v0ic
was low, clear. Her eyes rested on hill
thoughtfully for o few moments; an
! then, apparently satisfied with whateve
/ knowledge she had gained, she turne
them away from him.
! 'Those are kinder words than you hav
said to me for many day; they ut leai
} permit me to hope that you have misse
me-" he said.
ut Ia you who have missed something
J she said-"mOre than you know"
"Not more than ] know" he replies
3 looking at her earnestly. "YOu miss a
ways; and these last interminable hOul
In which I have been kept from you,
t spite Of all my efforts, have been wor'
4 than DEATH"
"How you squander your talentsw 81
=, continued. "Have you no thought 4
the morrow II you expend your enti
stock of sentiment now, what will "
have In the futuref'
I "YOu, hope" no returned, promptly.
), "YOu are bold" she said. presently, "