The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-05-06

DOt'S LelRh very soon, anu leave you ia
take care of Nellie"
Then Lady Elinor began to tell all about
the meet and the luncheon, and of course
Valerie came to the front. Flow she look.
ed, what she wore, how everyone sid 1t
would be "a match" with Lawford; how
she tlirted, and M the rest of it. To which
Colonel Beaurcgard listened with a due
amount Of interest, and gave no hint that
he was on the rack the whole time; and
Lady Elinor afterward said complacently
to her husband:
ut is lucky Max doesn't seem to have
taken q fancy to Valerie Herbert. He
wouldn't get over it as most men get over
disappointments."
II she had seen Max Beauregard when
he was alone again-seen the gray agony
of'his face, heard the whisper: ooh, Heay.
en-! oh, Valerie! my love, my lovel'-her
shrewd ladyship, who tiattered herself that
few men or women could deceive her,
might have owned that one man, at least,
new how to keep the penstcri Streiu be-
hind the volto settle.
CHAPTER xxIv.-"I cANNoT MARRY YoUl"
"she is false and fickle-not worthy any
mans second thought" said Louis Char.
teris to himself, as he turned away from
the railing near the Magazine. 81 will not
see her Tomorrow" And he went back tc
the office and wrote a letter to Valerie full
OF bitter reproaches, which he tore up as
soon as it was finished. Hope was not so
dead within him as he had imagined; and
he woke up on Thursday morning with the
resolve to go and see Valerie. Surely she
could not intend to throw him over for o
fellow like Lawford, rich though the latter
was.
The young man knew not whether he
hoped most or feared most when he took
his way to Upper Brook Street. but he
rallied himself us he drew near the house.
and was able to ask calmly for Miss Her.
bert.
The footman, who had lis orders, con.
Quoted the young man at once to the
drawinR-rooln, and, opening the door, n
nounced:
"Mr. Charteris."
For a moment Louis only saw, as Ii
through a mist, a tall, slender form stand.
ing at the other side Of the room, a CLEAN
OF golden hair, a flow of white draperies:
but as the figure moved forward slowly.
the mist rolled away, and he beheld Va.
lerie clearly, her face as white as her robes,
her large eyes fixed on his with a strange
mingling of fear and appeal, and all the
power of her rare a9d pathetic beauty re.
asserted itself and held him in its spell.
He sprang forward; he would have clasped
the girl in his arms, out she stopped short,
and with n wild gesture, with almost a cry,
checked the impulse. He reeled back.
"Valerie!" he gasped, half dizzy with the
sudden revulsion.
Not that!' said the girl, hoarscly. her
lips, every limbquivering-"that can rcver
be again! Louis, bear with me. Oh! what
can say to you-how she'll 1 tell youtn
But Louis only stood and looked ut her,
the flush on his cheek fading slowly away
and leaving intense paleness. He seemed
Incapable of speech.
Valerie went on. desperately:
Ut was a mistake from the beginning
on my part. But how should l know ii
then? Iloved you only rs 1 had always
loved you, and as l love you low. / can
not marry you, observation-disclosures
"Stay!' said the young man, hoarscly.
He moved a step nearer to her. "Haye
they taught you to be untruthful as we'll
as mercenary and worldly You loved me
until you learned to love wealth, and au.
mlration, and position more. Az, YOU NAV
shrink from me"-for instinctivcly she had
recoiled before the accusation so false, vet
against Whiecl she dare not defend herself
but you know that what / say is true,
You are breaking your promise to me for
the sake OF a man You do not and never
Will love; but he is a millionaire, and i
have nothing. He will load you with lew.
els, n give you all else tbat you hive
learned to value SO much moro tiIan love.
And you will count yourself happy. Hap
pyF' he laughed, harshly. "And II Rut
what is that to you? No matter what /
suffer, II you can be the rcigning beauty
the wife of a man whose wealth will
enable you to outstrip every u
Not u word did Valerie utter; not by q
sign or gesture did she offer to interrupt
this TRADE, which Louis poured out. not
standing still, but walking excisedly up
II down. She only set herteeth in silent
endurance. He wronged her, but she must
bear1t. Better a thousand times that he
should believe I'LL that no had accused her
OF h ~ even suspect the truth. She had so
dreaded the charge!
cit is Max Beauregard who stands he
tween us. For his sake you are false to
me!''
She brcathed more freely when told that
she was untruthful, mercenary, worldly.
1t was hard to be misjudged by one she
so dearly loved. But when Max Beaure-
gard must SO misjudge her, and she could
endure it, what other suffering could over.
tax her powers of endurances
Louis paused suddenly, looked ut the
motionless figure, tho white face Of the
girl, and drew near to her again,
What" no said, ''huve you no answer
no denial2 For Heayen's sake, Valerie.n
he stretched out his hands, the words were
almost u cry of anguish, don't tell mo
that you IRE SO false-so miserably nm.
worthy"
The blood rushed to Valerie,s cheek ard
brow. Passionate denial was on her Inns.
Then, with a ~quick-drawn breath. she
surned away, locking her hands over her
breast. She dared not plead the truth; Shit
could moi speak a f%elsehood.
0 drew back and folded his arms
There was a dead pause.
The girls face had grown white again
she scarcely seemed to breathe; her ewes
were bent down, her head dropping; sht
stood before her lover like a guilty crea3
tnre; U oh, how beautiful-how beautifr
she was! and that beauty she wass going tt
sell for goldl That thought nerved Louis
Silent stillr' he broke forth at last, lay
ing a sudden grip on the girls slender
Wrist-she did not shrink or tremble low.
YOU own It, thenf own sthat you are
ready c barter your youth and beauty fol
money! fou will give yourself, body and
SOU, tc q man old NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. faith
q. NOT oecause he e nobas ma good, cad