The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-30
THE DUKES HEIR:
Sc circumstances, may 1,
not entirely forgotten ?"

care 1, hope not entirely forgotten p"
ne queried, eagerly.
She laughed.
You speak in enigmas'' she said care
iessiy, and with a little impatient shrug. for
the bright inquisitive glance of Lucy Ravens
WOOD was still fixed upon them though Cas-
tlemalne, manlike, was sublimely unconscious
OF Watchful ears and eyes; ''and 1 confess to
pelng in no humor tonight to construe con-
undrums And behold, they have finished at
last those terrible contortions that would
make the bones of our ancestors turn in
THEIR graves. Gavottes were only meant for
the good old days of dignity, patches and
powder
And they are asking for a waltz now"
ne interrupted, eagerly. May 1 have the
honor?"
She willingly assented, and they glided
away happily together.
Years afterwards Castlemaine would recall
that waltz, almost with tears as she hoated
IN his arms over the polished floor to the
soft rise and fall of the pathetic refrain her
glossy hair almost touching his shoulder her
dreamy face and half-closed eyes so danger
ously near his own.
Toujours fidele. Aye, and what profit
Heart-break loneliness and despair.
From his station in front of the fire the
duke looked on and smiled sardonicaly as
he saw the look Castlemaine's face and
dubbed him fool for his pains.
He knew his crony Patrick O'Shea Earl
of Kralin, far too well-for had not the sub
1ect been preached more than once between
them?-not to know that a poor FOREIGN Of
nee clerk with $500 year, however bril-
iiant ms prospects, ran small chance of win
nlng that lmpecunious old peers daughter,
unless the duke showed himself little more
generous towards his heir than he had done
hitherto and still had no intention of doing
Let US go into the conservatory the heat
IS lnsufterabie, suggested Castlemaine, when
his partner pleaded fatigue, and they made
their way into the great glass building lead
ing out of the hail. a veritable fairyland of
shaded lights and odorous bloom, already ten
those skllful arrangements of statuary and
anted by couple, screened from view by
| foliage
"Toujours fidele,'' he said, dreamily, as he
broke off the leaf of a huge PALM and famed
her lightly with it as they strolled along,
while the music softly rose and fell, and
| stole in through the open doorway
'Toujours fdele, toujours fidele! Do you
! remember that last glad night?
| Toujours fdele toujours fidele! In the whirl
of the dance and the jewels so bright
Toujours fdele! How it rose and fell-when
our hearts were glad, and our steps were
light
" Toujours fidele, toujours fdele! Have
you forgotten? Can I forget?
Toujours fdele, to1jours fidele! Your hours
delight, and my life's regret
! TOujourS fidele! How it rose and fell-When
it held you them it binds me yet
He repeated the words softly, looking down
| glance
! had ever troubled.
"Toujours fidele. How that refrain will
haunt me when 1 go back to my lonely cham
bers," he said, after pause while his hand
closed tenderly over the little fingers resting
on his coat sleeve that not Immediately
withdrawn. Adding, abruptly, do you be-
lieve that under those circumstances-two
people indicated to have loved and parted
eternal constancy would be possible or prob
able?"
"Oh, yes she answered, carelessly, but
unwise.''
Why unwise?" he queried, eagerly
For the simple reason that if circum-
| starces were too strong for them, it would
be folly to wreck ones whole life on a mem
ory,' she answered, with the worldly wis
! dom of eighteen.
Then you do not believe in the love that
/ lives though hope be dead ?' he quoted a
| little disappointedly. But 1 suppose YOU are
/ right, he went on, slowly. The pity is we
are not all possessed of your worldly wisdom,
Lady Kitty; but, Carlyle says we are
mostly fools therefore cannot rule our feel
lngs according to Our circumstances If we
could, what far lass unhappy marriages
| there would be in the world, and what far
less human miseryi"
His tone was bitter, but glancing at the
girls averted face, he saw that She was
smiling
Il thought were speaking in he abb
stract,' she said quietly, but something in
/ her tone, in the expression of her lovely
piquant profile sent the blood throbhine tn
| his brain.
He drew nearer, unconscious Of the close
proximity of the unseen couple whose heat
ed conversation at their approach had sunk
into a sudden silence, and who were observ-
ing the two with critical eyes from behind
a eafy screen.
Then in the concrete the case might be
different?" he queried. eagerly, while his
eyes devoured her downcast face
But what else he might have said was
never uttered, for at that moment there was
a rapid movement, a rustic of silk and lace
a quick footstep. ard the other OCCUPANTS of
the conservatory came forward to meet them