Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-01

1t was a rudy CLEAN of freight on
| a golden head, which shone for an in
| slant in the warm light like FURNISHED
| copper, only a rosy glow on girls
white dress, a simmer seen between
| the parted folds of dark, rich window
drapfngs.
For a second only the vision was
granted me. A tall, slender form rose
from it's kneeling position before the
fire, and in so moving passed beyond
my line of sight. But my pulses
leaped, and l rejoiced in the good for
tune which had brought me at an hour
when Karine was not absent.
l stepped quickly from the cab and
! would have given much for the right
| of greater intimacy-right to go to
! the window and knock, begging the
| girl l loved to let me in, to grant me
the heaven of ten minutes alone with
| her. before the necessities of conven-
| ton called upon me to ask for Lady
| Tressidy.
l imagined what it would be to have
this right; 1 pictured myself tapping
! at the panes of the long French win
| dow, l saw the dainty girlish form
/ coming towards me, the start of sur
| prise, the flush which I might read
as l would, the raising of the latch,
and the two warm little hands held
out to me in welcome.
| But it was all a dream, vanishing as
| quickly as the rainbow colors in a bub-
! BILE and leaving only the darkness of
the dull winter twilight behind. Such
privileges were for a happier man than
| l.; | was at best only her friend ,"
Never could l hope, whether success or
failure crowned the effort l was impa-
tent to begin-for more than that.
Instead l walked soberly up to the
door and knocked, telling the cabman
that he might wait-and wishing that
he might have to wait for long.
Presently in answer to my summons
a footman appeared "a fellow / re-
membered to have seen ait the town
house when | had called, and it struck
me that, as l inquired if Lady Tressi-
dy was at home, he eyed me more
piercingly than a we'll trained servant
usually eyes guest.
Il am sorry, sir" he answered with
slight hesitation, that her ladyship
is out at present. What name shall l
! say when she returns?"
| ''Mr. Stanton" l unsuspectingly re-
piled, though it did dimly occur to me
that the man might have left me to
| give him my card. 1t seemed almost
| too good to be true that Lady Tressidy
| should be away from home, for now
felt perfectly certain that l should have
the unexpected joy of seeing Karine
alone, speaking to her far more unre-
STRANGELY than | could do in the pres
ence of her hostess, and explaining in
way satisfactory to us both of my in
! tended absence.
Il am sorry" I hypocritically re-
marked, mot to see Lady Tressidy, but
| have come some distance, and per-
haps Miss Cunningham would spare me
few minutes"
II am afraid, sir"-still stammer-
| ing uncomfortably-'th Miss Cum
bingham is away with her ladyship."
| uroc oh OF thic niopo of in
! formation, for | was absolutely sure it
was Karine whose shining halo of hair
and white gown l had seen in that rosy
space between the window curtains.
! Of course the footman might honestly
believe that she was not at home; but
] did not mean lightly to abandon the
chance of a few words with her.
Il think you are mistaken about
that" | boldly said. please be good
enough at any rate to inquire"
The fellows face Redeemed, constarst-
ing unpleasantly with his powder, but
he persisted in his story.
Il am quite sure l am right, sir" he
went on more firmly. Miss Cunningham
is with my LADY,
| My impulse was to slip couple of SOW
| ereigns into his palm, and insist that he
| should ascertain If Miss Cunningham were
not after all at home, for l was beginning
| to be suspicious of a plot to thwart me.
| If such a one existed I could not think
| that Karine had been a party TO it, for
| though of course she could not care to see
| me, in at all at the same way in which l
| yearned for a sight of her sweet face, 1
| believe she would not wish me TO be sent
| away from the house Inundated. My
hand was beginning to move toward my
pocket when suddenly 1 reconsidered. If
! l took such strong measures to secure a
| tete-a-tete with Karine it might appear
| that we were in collision, and trouble
| Tressidy and Sir Walter. l could not risk
causing her uneasiness, especially as 1
was going far away; and with a pang l
saw that 1 was in a trap.
There might be one way out, and took
! it.
It will wait" I answered, until the
ladies returun. Or possibly Sir Walter
Sir Walter won't be here for a day or
two" promptly responded the man.
So thoroughly miserable did he look,
though his manner had gained confidence,
that I thought he must be new to the
service, which must foster a certain
amount of conventional decait