Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-04-20
CHAPTER Nylu.

room. in Park lime. the hour is four
O'Clock in the afternoon. and the dra-
MATHS pcrsonac are Miss Ncvill. very red
in the face. standing in the corner. he
hind an olIong velvet table covered with
china ornaments. and NJ. lie Nicomtc d.
Ar!!et. also red in the face. gcsticnlaiing
violently on III" further side of it.
Monsieur h'.Arhlct. l must implore You
to calm ynursclf.' She says. desperately.
".And. now madcmoiscllc. l ask YOU.
am l 10 be calm when You speak of
SCATTERING the hopes of my life:" cries
The viromtc. who is dancing about fran
tically backward and forward.
"Oh. il you would only come outside
and nave it out ON the Staircase muir
murs Vera. pitconsly.
NO. | will never leave this room. new
or. m,ilemoisellc, until You give me hope:
never will l cease To isEportune you I'M
til your heart rrlcnts toward tho miscra-
bic man who adorrs .ou.!'
Vera cast II GeSpairins glance across
the room, at the bell handle. which WAS
utterly beyond her reach. There was
no hope in that direction. Apparently.
moral persuasion w:is her only chance.
"Monsieir d'.Arilct. l forbid you to aid
vance IL step nearer to me"
~ VII EH' WIFI IL Ptoi'ittil SlSus
"M~adrlmoisellc. | love you to distrac-
ton. am unable to diSohey your COM
mands."
"i'or goodness sake. 10 he reasonable.
Monsieur d'.Arblct: YOU know perfectly
we'll that ! never encouraged You. for
the very good reason that there has new
or been anything tn encourage. W. have
been very good friends. but never any
thing MORE
"M~ademoiSrlle, YOU do me injustice"
ION the contrary. l give you credit
for Il great deal more COMMON sense,
US IL rule, than o seem disposed to
evimce to-day. / nm quite certain that
you have never entertained amy warm
err feeling toward me than friendship
Nj. d'.Arblet stood still and locked at
her tixedly and mournfully; his hands
had dropped fecbly by his side, there
was M air of profound melancholy in
his aspect; he regarded her with ii pro-
found intensity.
Miss Ncvill," he said. gloomily, III
will accept Nour rejection; tomorrow
will say good-by to this country forcver..'
wv are all going away this week."
said Vera. checrfully; this is the end
of July. You will come back again next
year. and enjoy your season as much as
ever"
"Never-nevcr. Lucicn d'.Arblet will
visit this country no more. The words
that L am about to speak to you now
the request that l am about to make of
you are like the words of IL dying man;
like the parting desire of one who en-
pircs. Mademoisellc, / nave a: request
to make of you."
II am sure began Vera politely. IF
there is anything 1 can do for yo,-'
She breatled more freely now he talked
about going away and dying; it would he
much better that he should go away. and
so die. than remain Unfortunately on the
rampage in Mrs. Hazcldinc's drawing
room. Vera had stood siege for close up
on an hour. The moment of her deliver
ancc WAS apparently drawing near: in
the hour of victory she felt that she could
afford to be generous.
There is something ] am forced to 90
away from England without having donc:
a solemn duty l have to leave unpcr-
formed. Miss Ncvill. will you UNDER
take 10 do it for meg"
"Really. Monsieur d'.Arblct. You are
very mysterious; it depends. of course,
upon what this duty is-if it is very
difficult or very unpleasant
lit is neither difficult nor unpleasant.
III is only to give Il small parcel to IL gen
tleman who is moi now i'll England; to
give it him yourself, with Your own
hands,"
THAT does not sound difficult. certain
" said Vera. smiling: but how ann 1
TO find this friend of yours?"
Miss Ncyill, do you know IL man call
ed Kynaston? Capt. Maurice Kynas-
tony lie was watching her kccnly now.
Vera turned suddenly very white: then
controlling herself with an effort she an
severed quietly:
Yes. l know him: whyy"
"Because that is the man ] want YOU
to give my parcel TO-" He drew some
thing out of his breast coat pocket and
handed it to her across the oblong table
that was still between them. She took
it in her hands and turned it over doubt
fully and uneasily. 1t was IL small square
parcel, done up in brown paper. fastened
round with string, and sealed ut both
ends.
II had very much rather that you ask
ed somebody else TO do this for Won.
Monsieur d'Arblet,' she said.
lit concerns the most sacred emotions
of my heart. mademoiselle." he said. sem
%satiOnally. II could not intrust il to an
Indifferent person."
will it hurt or injure Capt. Kynaston
in any way? she asked.
Far from it: it will probably be of
great service to him. Come. Miss Ncvill,
promise me that you will give it to him:
any time will do before the end of the
year. any time that you happen to see
him. or to be near enough to visit him.
After all, it is u very small favor 1 ask
you."
Was it not better to do this small thing
for him, and to get rid of him? She
knew that. sooner or later, down ut SUIT
ton or up in London, she and Maurice
were likely to meet. 1t would not be
much trouble to her to place the small
parcel in his hands. Surely. to deliver
herself from this man, it would be easier
to do what he wanted.
"Yes, 1 will give it to him." she said
finally.
you promise me f~aithfully?"
Faithfully"
Three minutes later Mrs. Ha.eldine