Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-04-27

M 4
of yellow light from the lamp within.
lying i'll Il golden streak across the lawn.
she leaned over the gate: an archway
of srccncry. lark in the nights dim
light, WAS above her head. M clusters
of pale. creamy roses hung down about
her on every sidr.
III WAS that sort of owl ligh, that has
no distinctncss in it. and vet is far re-
moved from darkness. Ncra's perfcc, fig
IRE. clad in soinc white. ~clinging gar
men' that fell about her in thick. heavy
folds. stood out with IL s%tatuc-like clear
ness against the dark shrubs hcAind her.
She seemed like some sladowS queen of
tile night. Out of the dimncss. the clear
oval of her perfect face sllonc pale as
the waning moon far away behind the
chu"cl. tower. while the dlsky veil of her
dark hair lost itself vaguely in the Shai-
w and melted way into the back
ground. y poet might have iiymncd her.
thus. but no painter could have painted!
her.
For the first time in many weary weeks
and months hc w;lS alone with her: for
the first time he could spcal; To her freely
ana from his heart. He knew not what
ii w:s that had made her send for him.
or why it WAS that he had come. He
,!id not remember her note. or tina; she
had said that she had something for him.
MI he knew was that she had sent TO.
HIM, and that he WAS with her.
There WAS the gate between them, but
her white soft hands were claspcd loosely
together over the top of it. He took
them feverishly between his avn.
II am latc-you have waited for me.
dear: Oh, Vera, how glad 1 am to he
With you"
There was IL dangerous tenderness i'll
his voice that frightened her. She tried
to draw away her hands.
II had something for you, or | should
not have scnt-plcasc, Capt. Kynaston
-Mauricc-plcase let my hands GO"
For heavens sake, have pity upon
me, Maurice..' she walled. 1t was u cry
OF Il broken heart.
Forgive me-" he murmt.rcd, humbly;
II had forgotten myself. See, | have let
you so. l will not touch you again. Vera,
it is wonderful that you do not hate me.
III it is any comfort to you 10 know it,
l, too, am wretched; now it is too late;
l know that my life il; spoiled Also
mo; why should that comfort meg
she said, wearily. She leaned half Jack
against the gate-if he could have seen
her well ill the uncertain light, he would
have been shocked at the worn and hag-
gard face of his beautiful Vera.
Il am sorry that l asked you to come
1t was not wise, was it. Maurice! How
long must you stop at Kynaston: Can
you not go away? We are neither of us
strong enough to bear this-l. L cannot
go-but you, must you be always hcre:'
Il swear to you that 1 will go away il
it is i'll my power to CO."
THANK YOU" Then, with an effort
she reused herself to speak to him: but
that is not what L wanted to say: let me
tell you why l sent for you. l made a
promise. Il wrctchcd, stupid thing, to u
tircsome little man l met in Lonlon-a
Monsieur d'.Arblct, IL Frenchman; do you
know hing
"D'.Arblct.. 1 never heard the name in
my life that l know Of"
REALLY. that seems odd, for 1 have Il
little parcel from him to you, and,
strangely enough. he made me promise
on my word OF honor to give it to you
when no one was near. 1 have it here;
let me give it to on. and have lone with
the thing: it has been Oh my mind"
She drew Il small packet from her
pocket. and was about to give it to him.
when suddenly his ear caught the sound
OF an approaching footstep; he looked
n%ervously round, then he put forth his
hand quickly and stopped her.
Hush, give me nothing now!.'' lie said,
in Il low, hurried voice. ''To-morrow we
shall meet ut %Shadonakc: if you will 20
near the Bath some time during the day
after lunch is over, 1 will join you there,
and Won can give it to me: it can be of
no possible Importance; go in now quick
ly: goodnight. 1t is my Wife"
She turned and fled swiftly back to the
house through the darkness. and Maurice
WAS left face to face with Helen.