Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-06-22

Had Arkwright lifted again the vel
vet curtain of Madame Florence's win
dow, which had fallen behind him just
when that low cry smote his ear he
would have found her sitting, just as
he had left her, and dreamed only that
his senses had deceived him.
The smile had not vanished. Her
| eyes were undimmed by that moisture
which, later, had sprung to his own.
He would have looked and one again,
but that quick glance would not have
betrayed to him that the smile had
frozen on her lips, and that her eyes
were hot with a pain which only the
tears which We're dried up in their
channels might assuage.
For the first time In all these weary
moaths. when her heart had fed only
on the just r~etribution 1t had wreaked,
| she had believed it stone. In this mo-
ment a sharp and sudden pang of ag-
| ony darted through 1t. Arkwright had
left her, and left her forever. Yester-
day he scarce hao crossed her memory;
t)-day-she would pursue the thought
no further.
she rose and rang for her maid. Her
breakfast she left untouched, except
\ lOT TIE IIdGItlt Nlbtud. nuitu SnS TIL
gerly drank. She ordered her horses;
then donned her sables.
II would look my loveliest to-day
she murmured: Sin honor of the lieu
tenant and the prince. Where Is the
battle ground, l wonder? And who
SHOWS? Perhaps, IL M. Gervais is in
st. Petersburg, he and | may chance
TO meet. Does he carry yitrial2 II
u.n,,lI no a yrlOar rayanua lint curap
But her drive was unmarked by any
incideM. save the curious gaze of adj
miration which ever followed her.
The afternoon was late when she
stepped from her carriage at the palace
gate.
"A lady waits TO see madame" said
the man who held open the doors that
she might enter.
Doubles some privileged friend had
taken this liberty. Perhaps the count.
ess," was her thought. as. vouchsafing
to tie lackey nc reply, she swept on
into her drawing room.
For a moment she thought IT deserted
Ia moment only. for. on hearing the
rustic of her skirts, someone standing
in the deep embrasure of an allowed
window turned, and came quickly, inn
4 Dtttottotf Nat a. INV RlHs
which she knew not betokened joy or
pain.
The face, the figure of the stranger
were young and girlish. but a woman's
anguish was painted in the lines about
her mouth. a woman's pain in the
brown eyes which fixed themselves up
on her. half In horror, half in imploring
petition.
Yet there was something about the
face that seemed familiar to her sight
& Surely, she had seen ii before-some
where met the gaze of those great, vet
vety eyes. and felt their innocent love
liaess smite her with sudden pain. In
bringing back q glrlhood which lay il
! numbered years SO hort a time be
fore that on which she had gazed, but
! marting time by feeling, seemed to in
/ terpcse between the two Il segment OF
! eternty.
A din recollection swept over her
too. that If. indeed. the two had met
n before. y had been in happier scenes
= when the color had not been blanchet
from the Young cheek, 10Y so color
Q less. and tle smile on lip and eye ha,
n not been sladowed by grief's blacl
a pail.
i "You wishel to see me?' asked Flor
q ence, in her sweet. low tone. which hat
swayed SO maIy TO her will, and which
q now struck on The girls a with al
the magic of itA music, and sent a RAJ
n of hope and renewed courage to hel
q heart.
A woman with a soice like that coult
not be all hard, all ,ruel.
r II have waited to SIC you, madame
she answered while, mconsciously tn,
Il two little gloved han,s locked them
IS selves tightly together7"waited. Will,
II every mcmert, every hour. has beer
Ie torture In its long-draNn agony. II
you had not come-oh, Gol. IL you In,
rot come, I sAould have bne madr
A momentary thought cEssed Flor
ence's mind that already sole trouble
IS had unseatcd the girls b~rain,else why
lie should she, a stranger, address to hel
words like these.
"You were so impatient Of M com
ingY" she asked.
And there was now a tender nty IL
1t her tone.
$50 impatient. madame. that mo
% ments heightened into endless days
have lived a year since | entered tss
room, and yet, already. We waste tin
too precious In this idle talk. Madam
you do not know me, but ! know you
{ I know your grace, your beauty, you
fascination! DO not Let me learn ths