Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-05-11

Once more he was back to the old
parsonage parlOr: once more he saw
the girl sitting there. in her simple,
white dress, which. in his young chival-
ny. he had told himself was as white
and stainless as her soul.
He could never tell her how, through
the long years, that cNenn al been
his lodestar ambition: how he had gone
out into the night with his friend. 81
lent and dreaming: and how as time
went on, he realized that in those few
short hours his heart had departed for
ever from his keeping.
! The death of his father had called
him home almost Immediately after
that meeting. and for nearly two years
he had been compelled to remain there
and attend to his duties as the sole eX-
rcutor Of Il large estate
Then he returned to England with
one hope. one dream. one ambition-too
WOO and win Florence Nane for his
Wife. He returned to find the most
cruel of all awakenngs. for the woman
hr loved was already the wife of an
other more beautiful. more radiant
than even his memory had pictured
| her. but lost to him forever.
is. Sometimes she had passed him in
her carriage on the Bots. giving to him
til" careless. unrccogniZing glance she
gave to all the rest of the unknown
crowd. Sometimes he had been able.
at the opera or theatrr, to fix his glass
es upon her He had seen the fond
pride with which she had turned to her
husband whenever she addressed him,
! in, l.,,. h,n l,n Iol fn,1IH tho
| only consolation he could claim.
! Bat last night he knew that This cas-
tie had been built. too. upon the sands.
| He would have been content to have
| buried lis own dreams in its ruins, but.
| 10. body and soul it crushed her iii its
| fall.
{ Kind of me-" he echoed. holding
| warm and tight in both his hands the
! little. icy fingers Let mo but serve
sou. and it is YOU who will show me
your debtor"
You are very good: but no one can
serve me. I think. And yet. tell me.
car Il man go through Il marriage cere-
! mony With Il girl who firmly believes
he is making her his Wife. and then de-
ny her claim? Is it possible 4 wrong
81 Slcil. SO Slllcl, Coultt Dt lJCt DCtlsl
cd?"
Il fear it is. But tell me the circum-
stances of your marriage. He would
hardly dare. l think, shield himself
from the consequences of such an ac
ton behind so glarng a fraud"
"Ah, he would say l, too, We're par
ty to it, and consented for purposes of
my own. He is very wealthy. and his
-; ~, Il
sail it. l signed my name to some pa
per. l did not know what it contained
at the time. l was numbed with ex
citement and fear. l obeyed him blind
ly. We had crossed the channel from
London, and We're married in Paris. in
the early morning. He told me after
ward that l had sworn in that paper
that l was an orphan. and had lived
six months in France OF course, such
an oath might make it all invalid.
His influence made the paper good.
Whether he bribed l did not know:
but all Francc-all Paris. Shall right
me yet Merciful Heaven. What am
l."
She clasped her hands above her
head in agoniZng appeal. For Il mo-
ment the man was tempted to>reply:
You are the woman whom l love.
If YOU are nameless. let me give you
my name. II you are homeless, l have
my home"
But he could not speak such words.
She must be rightcd if ii We're within
the power of the law to right her. No
selfish hopes or desires must influence
him. Besides. what was he to her! \
very stock of stone. Il plank to be laid
across Il bridgeleSS stream-nOthing
more.
If Dalrymple We're here. he might
help us he said, thoughtfully. His
family would give him no aid. but his
name itself would carry weight, mas.
much as he succeeds to the title when
his brother dies, and Lord Montfort's
life hangs on Il thread. He has had an
affection of the heart for many years"
An expression Of wondering surprise
WAS upon Florence's face.
What can you be talking Of" she
questioned. slowly. What possible in
terest can anyone by the name of Dial
| rymplr take in my affairs? Why
; should he interest himself in me-"
us il possible YOU do not know he
said.
"Know WHAT" she answered.
That Herbert Dalrympla was mar
ried six moth ago to your sister Dor
othy.''
"Dorothy!'' she echoed "My little
sister married. and 1 not even con-
scious of i'll in ignorance even of her
husbands name? Oh they must, in
deed. have thought badly of me ut
home. that they sent me no word. But
she is only child to marry. Yet, l
forget. | am no older than she in
years. but in all else-in all else-ah.
my darling never will grow as old as
am! But tell me of this man whom
she has married. l forget myself and
all my own misery in thinking of her.
He is great and rich. you say? He will
one day be one of England's lords?"
THE latter. yes: but he is neither
great nor rich now. His mother is 1,
! woman of immense pride and AFRO
gance. She was very angry that lie
| wished to marry one whom she termed
so far beneath him.
''She told him that never would she
! give her consent. Not only would she
cut off the allowance which he then