Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-05-31
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

sion TO take his passage in the next
steamer.
Miles arrived in England early in the
month of August, and spent some time
with his sister at FokeStone, staying off
the evil day, as he called it in his own
mind, when he must present himself at
Baronsford III the ridiculous character of
an engaged young man who had never
set eyes on his iancce. Mrs. Curzon was
a well-jointured widow, some years older
than her brother, and any affection she
could conveniently spare from her three
idolized boys was bestowed on him.
There is no use in postpOning the Wis
it, she declared fer the tenth time. 1t
looks so extremely odd; it looks as if you
! did not want to carry out the engage
! ment."
Neither DO, muttered her brother.
"Ycu don't know when you are well
off, said Annie, with decision. Its not
one young man in a thousand VINO has
your opportunities. A pretty girl and a
large fortune for the mere picking up.
You would be mad not to go to Barons
ford, at least to see her. Time is get
ting on"
| LII Iue SIIu HcI eIOQueIlL COulSelS
vailed, and Miles sat down and wrote off
letter announcing his arrival for the
following day. Strike while the iron
is hot" was Mrs. CurZon's maxim The
resources of Baronsford were large, its
hospitality in old days famous. so he
waited for no reply, but turning his back
upon the attractions of Folkestone, set
forth for ThOrnshire the next afternoon
In three hours time he found himself on
the platform at Byford station, about
four miles from BarOnsfOrd and leaving
his pOrtmanteau to follow, set out across
the fields, thinking he would make the
old short cut and meet with familiar stiles
and pathways. But ten years had work
ed a change. He rambled about and lost
his way, and nearly an hour and half
elapsed before the big red chimneys Of
the house he sought were to be seen shyly
peeping through the surrounding trees.
As he approached the gate all his
dreamy speculationS and nervous fore
bodings vanished; his mind was gaIvan-
lied to sudden alertness as he noticed for
the first time the figure of a tall girl in
white standing on the drive beyond the
trees in the full light of the harvest moon
She was young and slender, as we'll as
he could judge. Her head was bent for
ward in an attitude of listening and her
whole pose denoted eager expectation.
She was, without doubt, waiting for
somebody. Waiting for him? ImposSi-
Bile! The instant she heard his footsteps
and caught an outline of his figure, she
made a quick gesture of welcome, and,
gathering up her dress, with one sudden
swoop came flying down to meet him
with the swiftness Of 4 white squaIl
He could now hear her running toward
him in the dark-for it was dark-her
hasty, high-heeled shoes pattering rap
idly over the gravel. Nearer, nearer,
nearer they came. His heart beat fast
er even than when in dense and distant
Indian jungles he had heard the stealthy
tread of a tiger creeping through the un-
derwood and approaching the tree in
which he was posted. She was at the |
gate even sooner than he was She had !
dashed it open with hurried hands, and |
almost before he could realize the fact,
her arms were round his neck
He drew his head back with a jerk,
while she breathlessly exclaimed:
Il can hardly believe it! Eve been
waiting for you for ages, and now you
have really come. 1t seems too good to
be true. But how funny and dignified |
you are. Let me have a look at YOU
she painted, taking him by the arm and
dragging him toward the light
To say that he was astonished at this
but feebly conveys his feelings.
The first shock over, and having success
fully eluded her profered kiss. his next
thought was his unhappy collar.
However, be yielded amiably enough to
her Establishments, and suffered himself
to be almost hauled into the full, search
ing white moonlight to be inspected.
As its first chaste CLEANS fell upon him,
his companion stopped, as if she had been
shot, gaZed into his face with an express
sion of agonized incredulity, dropped his
arm with a kind of smOthered exclama-
ton, and fled up the avenue like an arrow
from 4 bow. He stared after her speed
ing figure in SpeechleSS amazement till |
she disappeared into the shrubbery and
vanished like the Maid of the Mist. The
whole adventure had been so sudden, and
had passed so quickly, that it seemed a
Kind of dream. 1t could not be a ghost?
Another White Lady of Avenel? But no;
hat hug was certainly human.
There is no use in my standing here
md staring like a stuck pig" he said to
limself at last, having somewhat recov-
cred his mental equilibrium; Il may as
we'll be moving on, and ten to one I'll
ind the key to this riddle. It's certainly
some girl who has mistaken me for her
over; She was lady by her voice, and
Toung, decidedly. By Jovei she can run
| bit. May be it's Miss Augusta; there
Ire only two of them."
Supposing it had been his young lady!
But, strange to say, this notion did not
,lease him at all; and, turning over this
cry disagreeable idea in his own mind,
le reached the hall door. He was soon
shered into the drawingroom, just five
minutes before dinner-time, where he
ound Mrs. Brabazon dressed for the
vening, awaiting the gong, with her
ands lying idly in her lap, and an air of
leasant anticipation pervading her aqui- J
ne features. Eight o'clock was her IA
orite hour in all the twenty-four. Flo
ian was lounging in a deep armchair, {
bsorbed in yellow paper backed French |
ovel. Few and evil were the books that t
e read. Gussie was fitting about the +
Dom, putting away papers, work and +
Magazines. $50 it was not Gussie," OBJ q