Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-06-02
CHAPTER I.


that gives harmony to their slightest
movements, and sweetness to their most
trivial acts, SO that IL they but speak TO
you, you are conscious of a charm In the
accent and cadence Of their words; IL they
only so much as cross floor your eye
follows them with the came sort Of pleas
ure with which your ear listens to mu-
sic; but Margaret Egerton was not one
of these happily gifted people. she was
young, yet she had not much Of the bloom
OF youth: her features were delicate. and
vet few People called her pretty; she was
straipht1y made, with figure that was
light and slim, vet In its action there was
niwnvs N certain stiffness. aud the nwk-
wardncss that came from self-cOnscious.
moss. She was n woman to whom lit
tie admiration from the people whom she
loved would have given warmth and life;
but she did not arouse admiration easily.
and pcrbaps the person In the world who
cared FOR her most wls the one who was
most kccnly alive to her deficiencies.
She was standing at table In her co'ls-
in Godfrey Helstonc's drawing room, ar
ranging some flowers In u bowl, and ar
ranging them Ill enough. for she had not
the knack Of doing that sort OF thing
gracefully. Godfrey. glancing up once or
twice from his book, had experienced
mixture of amaxemcnt and irritation Mt
her want Of success He had seen other
women set cluster Of flowers with
few careless touches, but poor Margaret
had been toiling over her work for ten
minutes, and the result was only taste
less mass Of closc-packcd roses.
Don't you think you might put some
more grcenery thcreT he said to her'
suddenly.
The girl glanced up when her cousin
smoke. Perhaps she had already had
s,,spicion that Godfrey, although he seem
ed to be reading. was sufficiently aware
Of her occupation to be capable OF criti-
cising Il, and the suspicion had possibly
helped to make her ungraccful fingers
even less drft than usual ut their work.
II nm afraid I am not clever at arrnng-
ing flowers" she said, gently.
Aud ,h,n no held his peace, That fact
ro. so solf.ryidcnt that. not being man
who mil commitments. he probably felt
siionco IN mo his hest response. They
woro worry good friends. these two, though
Ntoryorci Ind no more charm for God.
Trcy ,hnn n she had been a boy instead
90, I, ,,iri NJ twenty. Two wears ago,
,,.hon hcr snthcr died. II was bcswho hud
Gr.t nronns.i In his mother that she
shoui,i co,,,c md live with them. Mar
,,t,., v.. ~. only child OF Mrs, Hell.
s,ono.s hro,hor. who Ind bccn rich ma n,
mud his wonlth Ind nil gone to her, with
tho vro,t house I'm which she Ind grown
nm md which. indeed. ms Godfrey said,
woulL have bcen a dull nlnce for her to
hovo continued 10 live In alone, Iyor
Hn,i. they called II. II stood within u
mil" of Godfrcy's own more modest house
the Dene. When Godfrey snid to her,
"Come and make your home with us," she
had come willingly. She would have done
most things that Godfrey asked her to do.
When he said, "COine to u.s." he brought
the color to her cheek. and one Of those
rare looks into her face that gave her
for moment touch Of beauty.
Mrs. Helstone was widow. and God
frey was her only son. lie was twenty
four, and had just taken his degree ut
Oxford, and come into the enjoyment Of
the estate which his fathers death had
left to him. II was not large estate,
but II was large enough to make him In
dependent. lie was something OF stu
dent, too, and had good library. For
his age, he was rather a grave man.
though social In a fur degree, ana FOND
Of travel, and sport, and active life. He
was good son. too, and good friend.
Both Margaret and Mrs. Helstone had
been making much OF Godfrey OF late, for
he had come from Oxford with some hon.
ors on his head, and Of course they offered
incense to him. They had been very
happy together for a week, blu, on this
day, when Margaret had made her pom
derous bouquet, Godfrey was on the eve
Of taking his departure from them again
for little while.
you must want holiday now. my
dear" his mother had said to him. you
look well, certainly-nOt as II you had
been Overw0rked ut all-but still you
must really be IL need Of thorough
rest"
II am not so sure about being In need
Of one" Godfrey replied; but think of
taking one. ! have promised Dallas to
70 for months fishing with him on the
Trent"
And accordingly he was Oh the eve now
Of surfing on this expedition. He was
rather an ardent fsher--his intended
companiou was man whom he liked
the weather was all that weather ut the
end OF June ought to be.
Mr., Helstone and his friend were to
meet at the inn Of Brentwood, a village
on the Trent, but when Godfrey reached
this place upon the following day, he
found not Mr.. Dallas, but u letter from
him. pOstponjng his arrival until the next
'.....oo,, r,ha daioy III ,,ot ,,o..o. a.