Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-06-21
Observation-Disclosures
CHAPTER vIn.-tContinuedJ

Closer and closer he came; his eyes
bent on the ground, his hands behind ms
back, evidently lost in the deepest ab-
straction. he had approached TO Wlthlh
a few PAGES Of the summer house. Esme
heart was humping as loudly as Dig
drum, it seemed to her own terrified ears
and that every other sound was swallow
ed up IN its audible pulsation. Miles
came nearer. He was within yard OF
the summer house, and while they them
selves were wrapped in darkness, he HIM
self stood in the full view of the search
ing moonlight They could note the ac-
curacy of his tie, the rather withered
little flower in his buttonhOle, the part
ing of his hair. the gold links in his shirt
cuffs. Now he stood on the very step.
Then he turned slowly away and began
to retrace his footsteps
''Oh, Ted, feel so dreadfully fright
ened,' murmured Esme. Il know I'm
very foolish; for, after all, if he had come
in, and | had told him who you were
there would have been 60 harm done"
''Of course he has never heard of me
the family black Sheep
Il believe Mrs. BrabazOn told him you
were dead."
Upon my word! She does not stick
at a trife."
''Oh, Teddy! may not l 1ell him."
''You shall the moment l get my COM
mission-no sooner! Just nave patience!
You're always so impetuous, and in such
a hurry about everything I'm glad I've
had a good stare at him. He's a good
looking fellow; very like that picture in
the hall-the chap with the dish-cover
and red sash, that was killed at Naseby!"
Il suppose you mean Rupert BrabaZon,
in the steel cuirass?'
''Yes. I'm glad to have seen him. nod
ding his head toward his now distant
cousin, but / doubt if the satisfaction
would be mutual were he to see me-"
In another moment Esme had said a
hurried good night to her brother, dart
ed round the corner of the summer
house, and buried herself in a thick,
dusky walk, which led straight to the
friendly side door, through which she
vanished.
Miles had been a prey to Mrs. Braba-
zon all the evening, her grand friends,
her health, ard her airs; bound to her
side by strong social cords, he could not
get away, but he had not been indiffer-
ent to the fact that Esme had stolen out
of the room an hour ago. He had seen
her running down the pleasure ground.
Why should he not slip out, too, and me-
ander by her side through the shady
walks under the chestnut trees, instead
of being pinned to the apron strings Of
a prosy, egotistical old woman? At last
he was released, and had come out in
hnrnS of TUa o.
away for a whole week, and to return
and learn his fate at the bachelors ball
at Scarborough, which was to take place
within a week. Something told him that
the answer would be Yes" But that
photo he had seen On the moss at his feet
that very morning kept protruding its
ugly presence into his rosy dreams, and
trying TO Undue his mind with the poi
sonous faint of suspicion. Who could it
have been? A man in uniform. mo
one that Esme cared a straw about" he
kept assuring himself, but still it was a
man in uniform! His soul shrunk from
the plain truth, but was compelled to en-
brace it, all the same; Esme and his aunt
had positively assured him that she had
no other suitor but himself, and he be-
lieved them. He was not such an infidel
as to doubt the solemn word of two ladies
of his own family-One who bore the
weight Of years of uprightness, and the
other who looked at him with eyes SO
true and so frank that, II her tongue had
dared to s.ser a falsehood, they them
selves would have betrayed her.
That meeting at the gate he had now
put down to Miss Bell. Yes, he had
loa,, LNS,,,o NTiec pa1I
friends; she had been from home, and
she was an unusually tall young woman,
of almost masculine proportions. Yes,
the apparition at the gate was peacefully
laid 1t is wonderful how young men in
love will eagerly furbish up and present
excuses to themselves, and accept them,
rather than be brought face to face with
any little imiperfectiOn or flaw in their
divinity. The photograph, Miles boldly
told himself, was some public character.
Girls carried all manner of queer things
in their pockets, as he knew from his
experience Of his own sister. Esme had
a craze for collecting the photos of roy
alties and celebrities. Why should not
that suspicious picture be the Crown
Prince of Germany, our own Prince Of
Wales, or that handsome man, the late
Emperor Of Russia? What a fool he
was not to have asked her!
HE is an idiot about you," said Gus
sic, one afternoon, in a sudden burst Of
frankness, "and it is very plain that he
has never been in love before; if he had
he would know better than to show his
hand. If he were to 'disSemble' as they
say in plays, or to bully you a little it
would be all the better for him, poor, de-
luded young man1' From which it will
be seen that Augusta pitied Miles.