The Elbert County tribune., 1900-04-05

ant held in readiness for him, took his
way through the balmy Indian spring
evening toward the pretty bungalow of
Capt. Derwent of the Gordon High
landers
Don's pale cheek was flushed, and he
carried his slim young figure. in its
kharki uniform. with more OF Its old
majestic swagger than had character
lied 1t for many weeks. for he had been
twice in hospital since he had volun-
teered from home for active service on
the frontier with the first battalion OF
the Sherwood Foresters.
He had only now just recovered from
a severe gunshot wound from an
Afridi rifle. received whilst leading a
score Of his brave Derbyshire company
on foraging expedition.
But the exhilaration OF hope more
than of renewed health was account
able for his springing step and the
light In his large brown eyes.
The British mail had brought him a
letter from his cousin Roddy, which
afforded him much satisfaction, for IT
contained the announcement OF Rod
dy's engagement to Don's sister, Diana,
thereby setting at rest forever a lurk-
ing fear In Don's heart that Roddy's
thoughts were centered on Capt. Der
vents fair daughter Lille.
The White Lily" she was not In
aptly called in the cantonment, whittier
she had accompanied her father from
Aldershot some months gone by.
Don rode at brisk canter through
the lines toward the green compound
where teak and peupul trees rose dark
ly against the clear blue sky, and the
red fireflies flashed In and out among
the slender shafts of the graceful bam-
boos.
But in the minds eye of the soldier
1t was another scene which suddenly
rose before him.
He seemed to see a beloved and love-
ly landscape in fair Aberdeenshire. He
heard the murmur OF a river and the
songof thrushes from the privet hedge
rows. He looked upon the lordly Scot
tish home of Gadie Ha'. to which he
had grown up from infancy to believe
himself the heir, and his grip on his
mares rein frightened. and the still un-
conquered bitterness of fierce disap-
pointment swept his heart anew.
His mothers deathbed confession
had proved his foster-brother, Roddy,
to be the heir; but II was not against
Roddy that Don felt any personal
grievance-Roddy. one of the gay Cor
don Highlanders with whom he had
fought side by side through the recent
campaign of the Tirah field force, and
who had heroically saved Don's life in
the deadly thick OF battle.
No; 1t was against the cruelty of
circumstances which had robbed him
at one fell blow of rank and wealth
and that natural case SO dear to his In
most soul.
For king Don." as his brother OH
GERS jokingly termed him. was born to
rule with high-handed self-righteous-
ness. and to his proud spirit disinher-
itance. had well-nigh been more bitter
than death. His uncle. the present
Laird Of Gadie, might still allow him
ample means out Of the Gadie reve-
nues: but to Don 1t were small COM
pensation for his forfeited rights of
heirship.
He might yet succeed in winning the
peerless, heiress, Lille Derwent, for
his bride; but as Don knew in his Sc
cret heart, It was only when Lille Der
went had unexpectedly become an heir
ess his thoughts had ever turned to
her with anything akin to love. and
once already he had well merited her
rejection of his proposal.
Alas! and alas, for 1t was loves
acutest- suffering alone was to prove
to Don at last
Not to understand a treasures worth
Till time has stolen away the slightest
good.
Is cause for half the poverty we feel,
And makes world the wilderness It is.
As Don neared his destination he
rode forward more slowly, for he was
now conscious of little quickening Of
his pulse.
In the circle of home society. an al
ready disappointed man would scarcely
return to his fair one, like moth to a
candle. after lapse of months; but
circumstanced as he and Lille were.
now cast for the time being together
in foreign land. matters seemed very
different.
Capt. Derwent was absent with the
field force; Lille was alone in a
strange country at present sharing her
bungalow with the young widow and
baby boy of an officer recently killed
on the front, and to whom Lilies
heart had gone out in deepest sym
pathy.
Don was subtly conscious that the
Y ~ varv
different Lille from the coquette who
had toyed in the past with his Cousin
Roddy's boyish love. or even the Lille
who had repudiated his own oner OF
marriage with such scorn. For ne
realized now that Lille had come TO
know the solace of reliance upon that
Divine Anchor, whose storm-tossed
souls are never shipwrecked.
Don knew himself to be but rud-
derless barque. drifting on a shoreiess
sea; but though faith awoke no re-
sponsive echo in his own heart, he ad-
mired Lille none the less for the
change which had made her a truer
and nobler woman than the thought
less. somewhat heartless maiden OF the
past
Tne interest sne hau hahi-o'"
is-Don's-convalesce and MS ca
reer altogether. lent impetus to the
thought that she would not refuse MIN
her hand a second time.
Marriage with Lille would mean 10
him afiiuence equal to the rent rolls OF
Gadie, and-well, he admired Lille as
much as Don felt 1t incumbent upon
him to admire any one. to the exciu-
sion of the overruling Idol OF his iife'
and that was self.
But 1t was almost with the air OF an
| .-d>ot yovar non drew rein before the