The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-19

could fail to understand it, seemed to Odille
Thorne that he the beau ideal of
EngliShman
This was Odille Thornes reflection as she
now looked at the young earl; and with the
reflection came a sigh, while a shadow, born
OIL sadness, stole over the beautiful express
slve face. She remembered the time-not SO
very long past ether-when a man of the
sWarthy Southern type, with eyes of flame
and glance of fire, had been her ideal of
manly beauty. And now the mere sight of
a man with black hair and eyes made her
sEue-der-and for good reason.
~, Glorious weather for hunting, Miss
reins together in his wen-gloved hand
Doesn't it make you repent of your refusal
to join uS?"
1T is a lovely morning." was the young
girls evasive reply; but my father does not
wish me to hunt"
Surely he would not be nervous knowing
that I should not leave your side?' said the
earl.
Hardly that; and vet he may be. You
see, 1 am his only child"
oh, L quite understand and sympathize
with his anxiety on your account replied
Lord Roseraye bending from his saddle and
speaking in so low a voice that his sister
who had riddenl-on a few PAGES, could not
everhear what he said. Il know that if you
belonged to me, Miss Thorne," he whispered
lpasslonately,, his glance giving unmistakable
meaning to his words Il should be afraid and
unwilling to let you go out of my sight for
single moment. AS it is
But the sentence remained unfinished. The
horse his lordship rode, growing restless
swerved and reared impatiently and Lady
Lillian, looking back over her shoulder made
a signal with her whip, and reminded her
brother that the meet" was al half-past ten,
and that if they did not start at once they
would certainly arrive the last in the field,
lif not too late.
1T is all your fault, Miss Thorne" said the
earl, in tone half bantering, half serious,
as ne turned his horses head in the direction
or the avenue. There must be something of
the sorceress about you, besides your beauty
for you have the faculty of making me for
get what l ought to remember, and remem-
Der what 1 ought to forget
And with these enigmatical words that
brought a burning blush to the cheeks of her
to whom they were addressed, Lord Roseraye
Fitted his hunting cap from his closely-cropped
fair head, settled himself in his saddle and
rode away Lady Lillian waved her whip in
farewell, and a moment later, Odille Thorne
having watched till the last. glimpse of the
earls scarlet coat had disappeared behind
the winding avenue of chestnuts. found him.
self alone in the silent portico-alone with her
own thoughts, which, judging by the bitter
weary, sad expression of her fine noble face
were far from being happy of cheerful ones
|, And yet, on the surface, there appeared to
be no reason for her melancholy. She was
young. in perfect health, watched over by
loving parents, surrounded by every comfort
and by the kindness of sympathetic friends
least admired the peculiar Oriental type of
her beauty could not close their eyes to it,
Had Odille Thorne had a sultan for father
and a Moorish princess for d mother, instead
Of was the case, being born Of parents
who had not a drop Of even Scotch or Irish
blood in their English veins, she could scarce
ly have appeared in coloring or feature more
purely odalieque. Nature has these caprices.
we know; but it certainly seemed incredible
that this girl with the raven-black glossy
hair, the olive-tinted, velvet-smooth skin, the
fnely-marked, slightly Jewish features, the
vividly red lips, the delicately -arched eye
brows, and the languishing black eyes, so
darkly soft, yet so lustrous, yelled to an ex-
quisite tenderness by the shadow of the dusky
sliken lashes, through which they shone like
stars in a twilight sky, should be the daugh-
ter Of honest, stern-faced Fergus Thorne, with
his broad, clean-shaven British countenance
short reddish hair, calm, keen grey eyes, and
of Margaret Thorne, his wife, the beauty of
whose still sweet, but faded face had been of
the fair, delicate, ethereal type, with clear
blue eyes, pink and white complexion and
golden-brown hair, that is so essentially Eng
lish.
Odille looked like a Hindoo princess. LADY
Lillian, who was great admirer Of Moore's
poetry, declared that her companion must be
Laila Rookh come to life. AS for the earl.
he had lost his heart, almost at first sight
with Qaille.s pfctrasQ,1e dark 1fasa ns1, sg,ft