The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-10-07

| night-wind beating on her burning fore
! head, takes possession of her.
| Catching up a light shawl to cover the
| evening gown she wears, she steals. care
| fully as might guilty soul, by Griselda
| bed, along the dusky corridor, down the
staircase, and past the servants quar-
| ters, where Il light under Mis- - rs<
-is.~ -. l>Aussu' ,o surrender herself
| to slumber.
a small door leading into the garden
is close to this. and moving swiftly uI
| the narrow stone passage that brings hel
! to it she opens the door. and so closing
1T after her that she can regain the house
| at any moment, she turns to find herself
/ alone in the exquisite perfumed silence
of the night
How long she thus gives herself up to
the sweet new enjoyment of life she
| hardly knows until she hears the ancient
! belfry clock telling the midnight hour.
/ 1t startles her. Has she indeed been
| here SO long? What if Griselda should
wake and be alarmed for her? She
moves quickly in the direction of the
| house, and at last, regaining the inner
| garden, begins to think her pleasant So
| journ at an end.
! voluntarily turns her glance their way as
they lie upon her left; involuntarily, too
she seeks to pierce the darkness that en-
| velops them, when she stops, and presses
her hand convulsively to her breast. Who
is it-what is it, moving there. in the
mysterious gloom?
Don't be frightened. 1t is |, Seaton, ~
says most unwelcome voice.
oh hn &c
doubt, and still further angered by the
knowledge that there is more of relief
than coldness in the simple exclamation.
Il had no idea you were here at all, -
| she says, family, after pause that has
grown sufficiently long to be awkward.
Il am afraid l have startled you If |
had known l should not, Of course, have
| come here"
You make it very hard for me-" she
says, with a touch of passionate impa-
tience.
THAT is unjust" says he, reused in
turn. ITO make your life easier is my
hearts DESIRE
Are you succeeding, do you think !
Does it, with gathering scorn, make
my part smoother, when you compel me
to see that you stay away, or only come
here at hours inconvenent to you, be-
cause-because of meV'
She turns aside sharply. and walks a
step or two away from him. Somehow
early night seems th TO EagG sfFfs nSfG Gh a rth
on her senses, and a shiver not to be
suppressed stirs her whole frame
You are cold" he excaims, coming
up to her with a hasty stride. What
madness it is, your being out at this
hour. Come, come back to the house,
She agrees silently to this proposition,
and follows him across the grass to the
small oaken door that had given her
egress-only to find it barred against her.
SeatOn, having tried it, glances at her
in mute dsmay.
Crunch must have fastened it, on her
way to bed. The bolt is DRAWN SAYS
| he, slowly.
DO you mean that I can't get in 2?
asks she, as if unable to credit so terri
| bic an announcement.
"Oh, | dare say it can't be so bad as
that" hastily. Only" hesitating, as il
! hardly knowing how to explain, "the
! front door is of course locked and chain.
ed, and the servants, with the exception
Of Crunch. all asleep at the top of the
house; late arrangement of my fathers
as the original servants quarters lie be
| low. | am afraid, therefore, that if we
| knocked forever, it would have no effect
! However, | can try to do something, but
in the meantime you must not stay out
| here in the cold"
You may feel It cold | don't" re
turns she ,perversely. Not so long as
the moonlight lasts. shall I find it lonely
either. t. raising her unfriendly, beau
. tiful eyes to his-"I assure you / shall be
quite happy out here. even though l stay
till the day dawns and the doors are
open again
Happy" AS he repeats her worC
he looks at her with keen scrutiny. a
word out of place, surely; given the best
conditions, | hardly dare to believe you
could ever be happy at Greycourt"
Happy or unhappy" says she, with
| quick resentment, her mind being dis
| tressed by this awkward fear of having
! to pass the night from under any roof
! surely it can be nothing to you. Why
affect an interest in one who is as hate
ful to you as | amp A little fire has
fallen into her tone, and there is ill-sup
pressed contempt in the eyes she lifts tc
his. Perhaps he is driven by it into al
anger that leads to his betrayal.
Hateful TO me, Do you think you are
| that, Vera ?" says he, in a low tone. bu
one full of fierce and sudden passion
passion long suppressed. DO you hon
est!y believe that?' His manner is al
| most violent. and as he speaks he catche:
both her hands in his, and crushes then
| vehemently against his breast. Il woult
| to heaven" he says, miserably, 'tha
| that were so,'
As if stupefed by surprise. Vera stands
motionless. her hands lying passively il
his. She is aware that he is looking a
her, with a new, wild, strange expression
in his eyes, but horrible sense of bein:
powerless to resist him numbs all he
being And suddenly, as she struggle
with herself, he bends over her, ano
without warning lifts her hands an'
presses warm, fervent kisses on th
small. cold hands.
Then she is aroused indeed from he
odd lethargy. and by a sharp moyemen
wrenches herself free.
Don't" she cries, family; ''it is in
sufferable. | cannot bear it. Have yol
no sense of honor leftT'
Her tone calms him, but somethin,
within him revolts against the idea o
apology. He loves her-let her know II
He will not go back from that, though
her scorn slay him.
There is nothing dishonorable," b
says. steadily. Il love you; l am gla,
you know it. Despise me if you can, re
icct me as know you will, ! am still tn
better for the thought that | have lai'
bare TO you all my heart And now
T bar ha oh
IL, as though fearing to wait for her mex
words; .the night is cold and damp
There is the summer house over there,
pointing in its direction; ''go and res
there. till | call you"
Vera hastens TO the shelter suggested
and sinking down ap0a the cue ssat