The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-02-10

IN MS eyes, but one day whefi they return
ed his face Tas old and pallid, and there
was u little hardness about her mouth, SO
that knew he had spoken, and she, as
usual had LcGn merciless. He left for
England the next day, though all his in
terests were in the country.
When Lewis Lyndhurst walked into the
shade of her red lamp l was SO busy al
laying my fears of Deshorough that l
hardly noticed him. So he and Dorothy
trod the old path unrestricted by my
guarding eye and he drank deep of the
cup of Circc. All, and she put her lips
to it, too, and so was the tragedy of Iris
tram and Iseult once moro to tell
1t came upon me very suddenly. l
was sitting by her as she lay among tho
purple silk cushions of her divan with her
hands under her head among her glimmer-
ing hair She was wearing what 1 called
her tragic" gown, u loose tea gown of
emerald green satin, with gold dragons
vomiting scarlet peoples all over it, and
she ecssiped casually while stroked tho
glossy dragons
"Peter," she said suddenly, "a certain
person is beginning to occupy my thoughts
more than is quite cool or comfortable"
Dorothy, don't talk rot" said, with
BuuStls 1ou 10
to make me miserable"
"He wears red ties, dear, and he says,
Amt you coming?' Whatl How can
ono help caring?'
For moment my fears were soothed.
Then the doorbell rang and Lyndhurst
was shown in l wonder If man will
ever look at me as he looked ut her? 1t
would be something worth living and
dying for, think. turned to her, ard
the light behind her eyes as they rested on
him shriveled my soul within me.
Soon "the beginning came Of the end
ing" One morning as sat ut breakfast
with my brothers came little note to
me, addressed simply to PETER" as was
her quaint fashion. "Come to me-" was
all it said. l flew, and, coming, found
her on her divan. She was clad in her
tragic gown, and her face was heaven lit
like lustrous sunset and happier than l
had ever seen it. / knew at once what l
was to face. knelt down and kissed her
again, and then, being weak fool, cried
all over her face and her lovely gown.
"We are going tonight, Peter" she
crooned in her golden voice.
"No, no, Dorothy, darling; never, new
er. You shall not go"
"We arc going tonight, dear" and she
stroked my hair; "going together to find
those islands of the best"
mo, Dorothy, no., moaned.
"Mayn't have little happinessP" she
asked fiercely. "What has my life been,
Peter?" Then relapsing into an infinite
tenderness, "You see, Peter, he cannot do
without me-we cannot do without each
other. ;"
Later when l was stonily calm, she told
me their plans. They were going to take
horses that night and ride for Umtali,
getting fresh horses there and cart to
take them to Beira-and then straight
home. Once out of the country they were
safe.
"But Kniven?' asked. He will fol-
low you, and you arc not good rider,
Dorothy"
sob, 1 will ridc-I'n ride like the
devil" with little laugh. "AEd shaH
be with him, Peter Kniven will DO away
at billiard match, and we shall get u
good start-and he may not follow us"
thought knew him better.
In the twilight I saw them off. She
went i'll her riding habit, taking nothing
with her, and for the last time l straight
ened her shirt for her and gave her tho
reins. Then l took Lyndhurst by tho
IOOhIIiS lulO cSCS CTlCu "
him to be good to her, to love her all his
life, never to let her regret, and he prom
ised in q voice deep with love. They say
dark men are us true rs men can be. Then
when had kissed her little stockinged
ankles and she had said, BLESS you, little
Peter, if n wicked wOman's blessing can
do any good, and Eoodby,' they rode away
into the night, and l lay down on my
face in the grass with my heart full Of tho
tragedies Of life. After awhile stumbled
blindly homeward, wild wish struggling
within me that some one would come and
take me away, too, and that We four
Dorothy, Lewis, the other and might
all go together and find the islands of the
blcst. AS l ncared the house man came
into view under lamp some few yards
off. He had Il white, fury dashed face,
with mouth set hard and cruel. Then 1
tainted.
1t was only horse against horse, and he
came upon them at a farmhouse before
they had even got half way.
1 rode out with my brothers, who had
loved her, too, and the clergyman who
buried them. When had hidden the ugly
mark on her forehead with flowers, there
was nothing TO revolt in the sweet calm
of her face, but we covered his face all
over with them. And 1 believe they are
forgiven and have found the islands of the
blest.-Denver News.