Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-12-23

ing heavily upon her shoulders Her
flesh shrank, but angry at what she
thought her own ungracious weakness,
she stood motionless.
He looked into her eyes admirtngly.
Anne, won't you reward me by let
ting me kiss you once?" he asked. Il
shouldn't think there was another man
on earth engaged for months to . girl
whom he worships, and never once al
lowed to kiss her lips. It's nothing
short of cruel, nay darling, and II l
were not absolutely your slave. ]
would never have stood 1t. just once.
Anne. Here we are alone, and not a
soul can see."
'No-no!" she cried, pale as lily
"Do forgive me, won't you? / know
I'm in the wrong butt simply can't
Wait!-after-after October you will
have the right, and won't deny it to
you. If you try to force me to it be-
fore I'm afraid / shall almost feel
as thought hated you"
She was sorry as soon as she had
spoken, seeing the hurt feeling on his
face, but, though she honestly tried to
take back her words, and even to say
she would grant what he had asked,
she found herself unable to do so.
Endeavouring to compensate for her
unkindness by profuse thanks for the
gift she had pust received she made
an excuse to return to the house. They
had been too long already. He must
see how dark it was growing. Why
consulting the plain little watch that
had been her mothers, it was five-and-
twenty past eight. Dinner would be
announced, and everyone would be
wondering.
He urged her no more. She did not
see him alone again, but throughout the
evening her heart was heavy with a
sense OF ingratitude, and remorse, for
the icy coldness towards him, which
would not be thawed After dinner,
when the men returned to the drawing
room, Randall Palgrave came and sat
down beside her for few moments,
looking, as she could but notice, un-
wontedly haggard and old
Forgive me if l comment upon the
jewel at your throat" he said, with the
wolfish smile which she had always
tried not to hate, since she had eaten
his bread and salt "It is a thing which
all Blandons know, even poor rela-
tons like myself. I must say, Lady
Anne, that you are brave girl to wear
it. Have you heard the story-or have
you only just been made the owner Of
the ornament"
st was given me tonight" the girl
answered, blushing a little under his
eyes, "but-I have been told the story.
l do not think, though, that l am su-
perstitious, at least, no more than all
women are at heart"
THAT is WE'LL" he responded sug-
gestively, as he turned from her max
ing room with unusual graciousness
for the Duke, he muttered Queer
thing that she should have got the
Evil Eye straightforward Of all
other nights
1T was late when Anne went to bed,
and she knew, from the beating OF
her pulses, that she should not be
able to sleep for long. Daughter of an
Earl though she was, and heiress to
q great name and wide-spreading
lands, there were few girls, save the
poorest, who had less of luxury than
she. Everything that she could deny
herself she joyously did, that the
money saved might be given to the
peasants whom she thought of as her
own people; and she had not even a
maid to take off her little simple
white muslin dinner-gown (washed
and mended many tines or unbin'i
the masses of her waving hair
1t would have been nice to have