Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-06-21
Continued.

What IS he like-this Miss st. Nor
MANI" asked Sir Oscar.
Have you not seen herr" cried
three Of tle group at once.
No. She was at Lady Cranes ball,
believe; l met her father there, but
did not stay long. have never seen
her What is she like?"
Like no one whom you have ever
seen, or whom l can name" replied
the major. "She is very clever" con-
tinued the speaker, witty, quick at
Tepartee, and brilliant in sarcasm.
But she is not to be judged by ordi
nary rules"
Why not?" asked Sir Oscar.
Because she is not like ordinary
people She is proud and cold, with a
certain graceful haughtiness about her
"a proud serene Indifference which
cannot describe You must see her
in order to understand me. l do not
believe she cares for compliments;
nor do l believe there is man living
who could bring a bright flush to her
beautiful face"
Has she been unhappy in any love
AFFAIR."" asked Sir Oscar
Il think not" answered the major,
laughing with all her stately beauty
and queenly grace, her proud indif-
ference and imperial reserve, she is
only a girI-not more than eighteen
! am sure. Look! those are the ST.
Norman Iiveries. Now you will see
her"
AS he spoke a carriage passed slow
ly along. Sir Oscar, looking up saw
girl who seemed to him more lovely
than any artists dream-a beautiful
face, dainty in bloom, perfect in feat
ure, lovely with an ineXpressible
charm, yet with a touch of sadness
which frightened it's beauty. The
curved faultless lips were sad, the
bright proud eyes, not melancholy,
not pensive, but sad He saw rich
masses of gOlden-brown hair. He
OOked at her lingeringly, and, as the
carriage passed, her eyes met his. At
that very moment she was thinking of
the memorable words that he had
spoken to his brother; the sunshine
and the flowers had brought to her
mind st. Ina's, with it's sad memories.
She had just repeated his words to
herself when she saw him.
Their eyes met, ana they looked at
each other-the two who were to love
and suffer as few did-and then the
carriage passed on Sir Oscar gazing
after it, and then rousing himself with
a deep sigh, as one who awakes from a
dream.
She is very lovely" he said, slow
ly, but not happy; her face is perfect
but it is not a happy face Young
as she is, there is story in it-one
not pleasant to remember"
The same thought struck me-" &C
Snowledged the major. Il have been in
f9ve many times in my life, but l real
~ never did admire any one so much
as | do Miss ST. Norman"
You had no chance, | suppose, ma
jor?" Intercepted Lord Cation.
Not the least in the world" he con-
fessed, contemporary. L do not
think she saw me more than once, and
then her beautiful eyes dismissed me-"
Why did she refuse the Duke of
Southmead?" asked Sir Oscar.
She did not love him." answered
Lord Cation; she is a girl who would
consider the world well lost for love-
that is, if her face tells the truth"
The group separated soon afterward
but Sir Oscar thought long and deeply
OF the fair-faced girl who had refused
duke because she did not love him
There must be plenty of my ia
yorite virtue there" he said to him
self; she must have plenty of cour-
age"
1t was not long before the news had
spread. Fashionable London had been
startled once, and that was when it
was first known that the duke was in
love with Miss St. Norman; now it
was startled again on hearing that
she had refused him-"had positively
refused him, with his ducal coronet,
his handsome face, and his rent-roll of
over two hundred thousand per an
num-.
Ladies held up their hands in won
der. What was she waiting for
what did she expect? They were re-
Eeyed, yet angry. Having refused
him, she had driven him from London;
for that they were annoyed.
But he was still free; and now there
was a chance for some other fair face
Ethel had been famous for her
beauty but now she had a new claim
10 honor. She was the beautiful Miss
st. Norman who had refused the Duke
Of Southmead." She was more cele-
brated for that than she would have
been if she had married him.
Some pronounced her ambitious;
they said she must be waiting for a
foreign prince and that her pride
would have fall. Others smilingly
asserted that she was romantic, and
had ideas Of love which could never
se realized.
Who guessed the truth, that the
young, beautiful and beloved daugh-
ter Of an ancient line, the heiress of
great wealth, was the wife of a COM
mon felon? Who guessed the terrible
secret that by night and by day stood
by her side and darkened every mo-
ment of her lifei
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Dinner-Party.
Ethel had felt OrOfoun6 Ditv for fhe