The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-26

life again.
1t might have been if he had seen Nora
Drummond in The little Leicestershire sta
ton on ST. Valentines morning; but, as it
was frank, sweet face, lighted up by pair
of fine grey eyes, forever haunting him.
and he doubted his Cousin Isobel's power to
charm it away from his mental vision.
Ali this he fully admitted to himself; but
at the same time he could not but remember
that, under all the circumstances it was sheer
weakness to continue to think of Nora Drum
mond possible wife; and as in the nat
ural order of things, he must needs wed some
day. how could he do better than marry this
beautiful cousin of his, whom he had once
loved with very young mans unreasoning
ardor and who in her maturer womanhood,
loved him SO deeply still?
MY dear Isobel!" he said pressing her
hand very gently.
'Oh. Basil, is that really true? Am I still
dear to you?' she whispered.
You are, indeed, ISobel," he said, speaking
truly enough for although all the old pas
sionate love was dead, he still felt for her the
calm, kindly affection of cousin; and if
you really think we could be happy together,
shall the risk of another refusal, and
ask you again to be my wife. L can't WOO
you in the wild, fervent fashion did years
ago. AS we grow older, outlive all that,
think; but, if you'll take me, dear, I'll do
my best to prove that I'm not ungrateful to
you for thinking me worth caring for through
all these years.
| He spoke very kindly, and with some touch
of tenderness even, but he could not help
betraying that he had, in truth, no love to
offer-nothng but his hand.
Most women would have dsdained to accept
him such terms, and my lady felt her
heart sink like lead she realized how COM
pletely she had lost the hold she had once
had this man.
To do her justice she loved him; and it was
his love she longed for rather than the po-
sition of mistress of Dorincourt.
Indeed the richly-dowered widow of Sir
Robert Tudor might, with her great wealth
and much admired beauty, have done even
better for herself than to marry Sir Basil
Brooke.
1t cost her a bitter pang to reflect that he
would simply marry he from feelings of
honor and compassion; but not upon that
account did she, fer moment, dream of
lrelinquishing him.
| His wife she was resolved to be-if only to
prevent that honor from falling to the lot of
Nora Drummond.
And so she encircled his neck with her arm,
and pillowed her face on his shoulder, while
she whispered
| ooh, Basil, you have made me very happy,
A little while ago, felt l shouldn't mind very
much even if I had to die here; but now L
hope someone will come soon and save us. 1
want to live my darling-I want to live for
ycu!"
Tt was. not long before they were released.
About half an hour after this. someone was
heard descending the stone steps, and, in
| another moment, the door was unlocked and
flung open by one of the gamekeeperS on the
Tudor estate.
He explained that he had just met man
who had told him he thought someone was
shut up in the ruins, he had heard strange
sounds proceeding from them.
1t had not seemed to occur to him. however,
that he himself might have gone down to see.
He had quietly gone about his business as
soon as he had communicated his information
to the keeper
"Was he a stranger, Smith," asked Lady
Tudor, when she and Sir Basil were safely in
the open air
I, ha 1aHx r i6n't
know him. He was rather Strengthening
man, with a great scar on his cheek"
"Oh!" said my lady, carelessly and thought
no more of the matter.
Naturally, she was very much agitated af-
ter what she termed their fearful peril; and
she leaned on Sir Basils arm all the way to
the house, looking up into his face the while,
and plainly showing, by every word and
glance, that she regarded him as her own
dear and precious property-her future hus-
band.
Their absence had not been of sufficient
length to be much commented on.
Mrs. Forster said TRANQUILITY that she
beginning to think Lady Tudor would tire
herself with her walk, and greatly astonished
she when she heard of their incarcera-
ton in the dungeons
"But, my dear Lady Tudor, you need not
have distressed yourself she said, when my
lady was dilating on her fear lest she should
be doomed to die a lingering death in the hor-
ribe place. 81 knew you were going to look
at the ruins and should certainly have had
them searched if you had not returned"
you knew I was going! Why, who told
you?" asked my lady.
"You yourself did. Don't you remember
my dear? You said, Mrs. Forster, 1 may he
away time, I going to explore the
old castle ruins"
Lady Tudor opened her lovely eyes wide in
well-simulated sun rise.
Did I really tell you that?" she cried.
"Oh Basil if only l had remembered, we
might have been perfectly easy in our minds.
But forgot completely that had mentioned