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

Nevertheless, some subtle instinct warned
the girl that that sweetly-smiling, beautiful
woman not her friend.
She caught false ring in the sweet voice;
she saw SelfShneSS in the curves of the soft
red lips and in the lustrous eyes,
What is her motive in wanting me to go
down to the draWng-room when ne is here?"
she asked herself. She has a motive-Im
sure Of that
Presently she put away the lesson books
with weary little sigh and repaired to her
own to dress
She felt strangely detected this evening.
Her usual brave, high spirit seemed to have
deserted her, and she could summon
Icheerfuness to her aid as she unused upon her
probable future
Inc thought of remaining in a dependent
position was keenly painful to her
Wealth she had never known, for her uncle,
IN his best days, had been in somewhat strait
ened circumstances but she had known the
delights of independence, of minglng with
people of birth and refinement as their equal.
Ana now all this was gone, and she had
nothing to look forward to but the dreary life
Iof governess, chained TO the schooroom,
save when the whim of her employers called
for her to appear as dependent among their
guests.
And then another vision presented itself to
her mind-a vision of what might have been!
She saw herself as the wife of Sir Basil
Brooke, mistress of Dorincourt. Then she,
too might have worn rich, softly flowing
robes, and have given orders instead of re-
ceiVing them.
And the chance had been hers!
II she had said the word, she might have
held that high position.
1t had been offered to her and She had
refused it
Sometimes now she asked herself whether
shA mad been mad on that day; whether it
was possible that III her sane, sober senses,
she could ever have put from her the one
golden, glorious opportunity which had of
tered to her all the happiness she could have
wished for in this world.
Yes herself he frop
sadly enough, that she could have loved Sir
Basil Brooke-nay, that she did love him,
with love it was little likely she could feel
for any other man.
Starting with a prejudice against him and
her pride keenly aroused by the recollection
OF what ne had overheard her say she had
refused him on the spur of the moment, and
IN less than ten minutes had regretted that
refusal more bitterly than she had ever
regretted anything else in all her life
She had never harbored the hope that he
would seek her out and renew his offer; but,
nevertheless, it cost her a bitter pang now
that she was brought face to face with the
conviction that he was about to become the
husband of Lady Tudor
In her heart she was quite sure of this.
My lady had played her cards so cleverly
that Nora, even though not particularly dis
posed to accept as gospel truth all she chose
to say, could not but believe that Sir Basil
meant to make her his wife,
When she heard him call her by her Chris
but suspect there was something more than
Icousnship between them; and when my lady
once let fall a letter: which Nora could not
help seeing was in Sir Basils handwriting
and which commenced My own dearest Iso-
bel, what further room there to doubt?
She mistrusted my lady, it is true, but her
own mind was too frank and unsuspicious for
her to suspect that that letter was purposelv
dropped where she would see those endearing
words, or that the letter itself was written
years ago.
Painfully thinking of these things Nora
dressed for the drawing room, putting on a
black silk with little white lace about the
neck and bosom.
She added a bunch of violets; and thrill
OF painful recollection passed through her as
she did so, for violets were the flowers she
had worn on that night when she had dned
at Dorincourt, and it's master had held her
hand, and asked her softly if they might
be friends.
When she entered the drawing-room. she
saw at once that Sir Basil was the only guest
there
Lady Tudor had said something about
having arranged to get another gentleman to
meet him, and how at the last moment the
other had not been able to come.
But the truth was, no one else had been
invited
She intended to have her old lover to her
self as much as she possibly could
1t was not without deep motive that she
had invited Nora to come downstairs this
evening.
L. Hau OCCulIeU 10 neT lndl 1t would be an
admirable opportunity for convincing the girl
if there was still any doubt in her mind that
Sir Basil was her. Lacy Tudor's lover and
affianced husband.
She intended to conduct herself with such
tendresse towards him, that Nora must needs
BE- sure there was an understanding if not an
absolute engagement, between them; and at
the same time, she was quite certain she
could SO monopollZe him TO make it i'm
possible for him to nave any private CONVEX
sation with Miss Drummond.
1t was a skilful stroke of policy, one which
required the most delicate manipulation: and
r11lC he n0nfaSSpd hat my lodi