Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-03-09
only twcnty minutes to dress in-I must
look shnlrAn

"'"'s ~ tV NiCSS ILL must
look %sharI.'
Meanwhile the stranger, MIR. prymc.
WAS following the butler upstairs.
Helen lowered her voice.
Il must speak to you Il moment. Maui
rice: il is six weeks since we have mot,
and To meet i'll public would be too try
ing. Please dress as quickly as ever Won
can and wait FOR me here Mt the bottom
III the stairs-wc might get Just three
minutes together before dinner
Then L must make h,stc,' he said.
and ran quickly upstairs in the wake OF
the other guess.
The staircase ut S%Eadonakc was very
wide and very handsome. and thoroughly
i'll ke"piu;s with tho spacious character of
the house. Al the foot Of the staircase.
and with his bacl, 10 it. leaning against
the bailstrade. stood Captain kynaston.
exactly tonr minutes before dinner WAS
announced.
He stood with his hands iii his trous-
crs pockets. aud his eyes liked upon his
own boots. and he looked as savage us
ii WAS well possible for Il man To look.
Halfway down the stairs came Il WON
an whom he had never seen before. \
black velvet dress, made high in The
throat, with II wide collar of heavy lace
upon Her shoulders. hung clingingly about
the outlines of her tall and perfect fig
IRE; her hands, with some lace ri,fics
falling about her wrists, were simply
crossed before her. The light of 81 dis
tant hanging LAM, slionc down upon her.
lust catching onc diamond star that gilt
tered among the thick coils OF her hair
she wore no other
Maurice drew aside to let her pass him
hooking lit cr-for how could he choose
but look: But when she reached the
bottom of the steps, She turned her face
toward him.
You arc Maurice arc You MDt:' She
said. and put forth both her hands To-
ward him.
An utter hewildcr,ncnt as to who sh.
was made him spccrllcss: his mind had
been full of Helen and his w troubles:
everything else had gone ont of his head.
She colorch :: little, still holding out her
hand to him.
II am Vera" she said. simply. end
there WAS 81 little deirccating appeal in
the words H. though she would have add
cd. "Ec my lricnd.''
lie tonk The hanls-Soft. slender hands
.'iat 'reMh!el Il very little in his grasp
within his OWL. and some nameless
mum ttitil StIitts' ttt,tl prpUIilt "a
sudden lush int" his face. but no applo-
%i'riate words concerning his pleasure at
i~iertin. her. or his qualification at their
future relations. fell from Mairicr Ky
.astor's li!.s. He only held her thus by
her hands. and locked ut lcr--lookcd ut
her rs it hr could never look mt her.
c~noush-from her head to her feet. and!
from her feet up again To her head. Till
II sudden wave of color flooded her face
at The carncstmess of his scrutiny.
"Nrra-Nem Ncvill.,' was all he said.
"Wlat Il charming, tahlcau vivant,r' OK
claims Il voice above them as Mrs. homer.
comes down the staircase. You really
look like !, scene iii 81 play. Pray don't
let me disturb YOU
II am making friends with my sister
in-law that is to br. Mrs. ltomcr." says
Maurice. who has dropped Ncia's hands
with a guilty suddcnncss.
How Mrs. Hotncr hated her then and
There. from that very minute until her
liic's rmd. it would not he easy to set
forth. Not another single word was
spoken between them. for mt that very
minute n door WAS thrown open. aud the
whole of The party in the house anne
| trooping forth in pairs from the drawing
room in IL long procession ON their way
10 the dining room.
Miss Ncvill. OF course. was Il stranger:
Helen had been on intimate terms with
Them NIL for years: Vera, besides, WAS
standing close to Maurice.
please take in Miss Ncvill. Captain
Kylaston: and Edwin, my dear, give,
your arm to Mrs. Romcr."
Edwin. who was n pleasant looking
hoy. with plenty to say for himself. hlr-
ricd forward with alacrity: and Helen
had To accept her fate with the best
grace she could.
We'll, how did you get on with Vera,
and how did you like herr" asked Sir
John. coming round to his brothers. side
of the table when the ladies' had left the
room. lie had noted Will, pleasure that
Vera and Maurice had talked necessarily
throughout the dinner.
My dear fellow cried Maurice,
heartily. "Sie is the hanlsomcst women
1 ever met in my life. give you my
word that, when she introduced herself
tn me coming downstairs, l was SO SUP
p,iscd that upon my life | couldn't speak
Il world could do nothing but stare at
her."
"You like her. thcn:' said his brother,
smiling. well pleased.
II think You are Il very lucky fellow.
old man: Like her! of course / do;
she's q downright good sort..'
And il Sir John was slightly shocked
mt the irrcvcrcncc of alluding to so per-
feet and purc n woman as his adored
Vera by so familiar Il phrase as "a good
sort" he was, at all events. too pleased
by Matrices genuine approval of her to
find any fault with his method of ex-
p%rcssin: it.
CHAPTER VIII.
Leaning against a window frame at
the end of "a long corridor Oh the second
floor, and idly looking ont over the view
of the wide lawns and empty flower beds
which it commands. stands Mr.. Herbert
prNMe. on the second morning After his