The Van Buren press., 1898-05-07

the pillows and the blue eyes closed at
last in sleep, their long lashes elinging
and wet against the fair young cheek.
But they bore no trace of tears as
that next afternoon she stepped into
the dog cart, assisted by Capt Ran
dolph, while the groom, releasing the
horses heads, sprang into his seat be-
hind. The air was bracing, the road
alive with equipages of all descriptions,
and Grace's spirits rallied with each mo-
ment. Her smile was at its brightest,
her color its most brilliant, when Neil
Horton passed them. He touched his
hat with cold courtesy, but the echo
of the merry laugh which for moment
reached his ear seemed to linger there
for hours in mockery.
False and heartless, a eoquette to
the core; why should | eare?" he
thought, aloud. But, spite of his rea-
soning, the pain at his heart would not
he stilled.
1t was dusk when Capt. Randolph dis
charged his precious burden at her un-
ce's door, and in the shadow he held
for one moment the little hand tenderly
within his own as he whispered:
Remember, Grace, | am to hope! ]
shall not let you forget. | will wait
your answer" and with a look of tri-
umph in his handsome eyes he babe
adieu. The two weeks which followed
were to Grace weeks of wearyng ex-
element. Capt. Randolph pressed his
suit with eager ardor. but the spirit of
reckless defiance was dying out, and
Grace felt that she never could love the
man to whom she stood almost pledged.
81 have come for my answer. Mig
non," he said one evening. "Need | ask
it in words?'
81 fear you will not care to hear it,"
she replied, softly. 81 have done you
gross and bitter injustice, Capt. Ran
dolph. and can only appeal to you for
forgiveness. I can never be your wife"
"Grace, are you mad?"
! The question came short and sternly.
Sometimes I fear | am, but we are
always pitiful to those whose brains are
crazed, are we not 2" This last with
little appealing smile. you are strong
and generous, Capt. Randolph. You
can forgive a weak woman"
81 do not go about crying forgiveness.
ask you once again, are you mad, or
who has done this thing?"
81 am not bound, have never promised
myself to you, that you should thus
question me-"
A harsh laugh broke from the mans
| lips. Not bound-no, not in letters of
iron, but bound by the looks your eyes
have given, the words your lips have
spoken. Last night left you with the
assurance that my answer awaited me
when we next met, with no doubt with
in my mind as to your assent. am not
man to be trifed with, Miss Weir.
Take care lest you try me too far"
"The man who stoops to threaten a
woman is unworthy even her scorn. Do
your worst, Capt. Randolph, only rid
me of your presence"
That night note was put into Grace
Weirs hands. Well she knew the bold,
fearless writing inscribed upon the en-
velope, and she opened it with a sense Of
comfort, a word of forgiveness awaited
her after the excitement of the day. 1t
ran thus:
81 have but few words to say to you,
| Grace, the last I shall ever write. To-
day in the club your name was spoken
| lightly by the man against whom | once
warned you, the man who has come be-
| 4hic bar-
| ing only that your name was a sacred
| thing, though mine no longer the right
to protect it, | sprang across the room
and struck with my glove the mouth
which had dared breathe it other than
! with respect. The room was almost
deserted. and the affair will be strictly
confined to the two or three members
present Capt. Randolph, as a gentle
man (?), could not brook the insult.
We fight at dawn. If | fall Grace, re-
member that I loved you to the last and
could lose my life in no dearer cause.
In either case I shall never see you
again; but. living OF dead keep in your
heart a green spot for the man who. in
losing you. lost all that made life dear.
NEIL HORTON"
"Neil! Nell" burst In a gasping sob
from the girls white lips. and back
upon the couch she sank in a merciful
Inconsistencies. Two days had passed
before her brain recovered The shock
and when the reality of the present
came to her, it was with the fearful
knowledge that all was over-that Neil
was dead or murderer.
"Are you awake, dear?' a soft voice
said, her cousins, who had, unheard,
approached the bed. poor little moth
erless girl" she said, bending over her
with a kiss. at is all right, Grace, dear@
Neil fired in the air. His Antagonist
wounded him, though not fatally Hev
but the sentence was unfipfshed. for
once more consciousness had fed. The
thanksgiving at her souli-had proved too
much for the exhausted body.
"Come in!" said a manly voice. some
two weeks later, in answer to feeble
rap at the door, and then the speaker
sank his heaa back upon the chair,
where he sat billowed up. still weak and
helpless. III tired eyes did not unclose
with the oBening of the door 1t was
only another tiresome nurse. he
thought Until whisper fell upon his
ear simply his name, but one would
have SUPPOSED it breathed by the an
gels, so glad was the light which swept
over hig face.
"Ho5 conquered pride once, Neil"
SAID TIC l4fIn Horf1ra s,Qxu tnapliuO a.
his teet, "and came TO me. | did not