Hutchinson gazette., 1901-11-14
CHAPTER Ill.

she returned her y. btef huNhhfeu 10 nuI
from the back drawing room, the fold
ing doors between the two rooms be-
ing al before, Wide open,
What fine collection OF bracelets,
Allcel" she exclaimed, as she took the
letter, Are they spread out for
show2"
mo" laughed Alice; Lady Sarah
is going to the opera, and Will be In a
hurry when she comes up from dinner
She asked me to bring them all down.
as she had not decided which to
wear"
"I like to dress before dinner on my
opera nights"
"oh, 80 OF course does Lady Sarah, v
returned Alice, as her sister descend
cd the stairs, but she said It was too
hot to dine In bracelets"
1T ia fearfully hot Good'by, Alice,
Don't ring; | will let myself out
AllcO returned TO the front room
and looked from the window, wonder
ing whether her sister had come In
her carriage. No, A trlllIng evening
breeze was arising and beginning to
move the curtains about, Gentle as II
was, II was grateful, and Alice sat
down In II, In very few minutes the
ladies' came up from dinner
Have you the bracelets Alice Oh
| see"
Lady Sarah went to the back room
as she spoke, and stood before the
table looking at the bracelets, Alice
rose to follow her, when Lady Frances
Chenevlx caught her by the arm and
began TO speak In covert whisper,
"Who was that at the door Just
now? II was a visitors knock, Do You
know, Alice, every hour since We came
to town I have fancled Gerard m ght
be calling. In the country he could
not get to us. but here, Was 1t
Gerard"
"It-.it was my sister," carelessly an
swered Alice. II was not a true an
swer, for her sister had not knocked,
but II was the readiest that rose 10
her lips, and she wished to escape the
questioning,
"only your sister" sighed Frances,
turning to the window with Il gesture
Of disappointment,
which have you put on" inquired
Alice, going toward Lady Sarah.
"These loose fancy things; they are
the coolest. really am 80 hot; the
&C. up was that favcrlte soup OF the colo
nel's, all capsicums aud cayenne, and
the wine was hot; there had been
some mistake about the ice, Hill
trusted the new man, and he did not
understand IT, It was all hot together.
What the house will be tonight |
dread to think Of.
Lady Sarah, whilst she spoke, had
been putting the bracelets into the
Jewel box, with very little care,
Il had better put them straight re-
marked Alice, when she reached the
table
DO not trouble returned Lady
Sarah. shutting down the lid, "You
are looking flushed and feverish, Alice;
you were wrong to walk so far today,
Hughes will set them to rights tomor'
row morning; they will do till then.
Lock them up and take possession Of
the key"
Alice did as he was bid She
locked the case and put the key into
her pocket,
Here is the carriage" exclaimed
Lady Frances, "Are we to wait for
coffee?"
Coffee in this heat" retorIed Lady
Sarah, ut would be adding fuel to
Hre. We will have some tea when we
return, Alice, you must make tea for
the colonel he will not come ont
without It. He thinks this weather
Just what 1t ought to be; rather cold,
II anything"
Alice had taken the bracelet box IN
her hands as Lady Sarah spoke. and
when they departed carried 1t upstairs
to It's place in Lady Sarah's bedroom,
The colonel speedily rose from the
table, for his wife had laid her com
mands ON him to join them early.
Alice helped him to his tea, and as
soon as he was gone, she went up
stairs to bed
TO bed, but not to sleep, Tired as
she was. and exhausted in frame,
sleep would not come to her, She was
living over again her interview with
Gerard Hope. She could not in her
conscious heart affect to misunder'
stand his implied meanlng--that she
had been the cause Of his rejecting
the union proposed to him, 1t diitused
strange rapture within her, and
though she had not perhaps been
wholly blind and unconscious during
the period OF Gerards stay with them,
she now kept repeating the words;
Can It be? can 1t be-"
1t certainly was So Love plays
strange pranks Thus was Gerard
Hope, heir to fabulous wealth, con
sciously proud of his handsome per
son, his herculean strength, his tow
ering form, called home and planted
down by the side of pretty and noble
lady on purpose that he might fall in
love with her--Lady Frances Chnevix.
And yet the well.lald project failed: