The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-07-13

"Tell him ! cannot see him." said
Rosalind, trembling.
"But this ID Ruric Newell, my mis-
tress.p
Y 'Ruricw uttered the fair maid
en-, starting up, while the rich blood
mounted TO her brow and temples
"Oh, | am glad he has GOMEZ Ny
prayers are surely answered Lead
him hither, Zenobie"
The girl departed, and ere long
afterward Ruric entered the apart
ment. He walked quickly TO where
Rosalind had arisen TO her feet, and,
taking one of her hands in both his
own, he pressed it TO his lips. He
had had we'll formed speech upon
his lips when he entered the room,
but twas gone now. He could only
gaze into the lovely face before him
and murmur the name that sounded
so sweetly 10 his ears. But the emo
tons Of his soul became calm at
length, and then he spoke with more
freedom.
LADY" he said after he had TAX
en- his seat, "you will pardon me for
this visit when YOU know its cause,
and you will pardon me, too, if |
speak plainly what have to speak !"
"Surely, sir
ooh, call me Ruric. Let us at
least not forget the friendship of
childhood"
"Then am not LADY," said Ros-
alind, smiling.
"No, Rosalind."
"Ah, Ruric"
"As we were in childhood" whis-
pered the youth.
"In all but years" returned Rosa
lind in the same low tone.
"And ! may wear the same i'm
age in my heart 2"
81 cannot cast it from mine if |
would"
"The image of childhood, dear
Rosalind?"
"Aye, save that it has grown to
manhood, dear Ruric"
What more could he ask for love?
He had not aimed at this confession
so soon. but he put il not from him
now. lie cazed a moment into the
fair maiden's kindling eye, and as
he saw the loveit tear gathering
there and the happy smile working
its way about the rosy lips and
away in the Joyous dimples he
opened his arms and clasped the
fondly loved one TO his bosom
ooh, / am not deceived in thisw
he murmurod speak, dearest one"
81 cannot forget the love of the
happy times agone," the noble girl
replied, gazing up through her hap
Ply tears. ooh, how many and many
an hour have ] prayed to God that
those days might return and that
the one true heart Of earth / loved
might be mine once more. Ruric,
why should | hide the truth or why
set it aside? To me thou art all in
ALL ] have no one else TO love and
none to love me else save the noble
Girl who brought YOU hither ] can
tell you no more"
Happy Ruric! Happy at that mo-
ment, forgetting all else but the
love that cleaned out upon him
then, he clasped the cherished OBJ
ject ardently to his bosom.
But the moments flew on, and at
length his mind came to the sub
ject Of his visit,
"Rosalind," he said, holding one
Of her fair hands in his grasp, "you
know the Count Conrad Damonoff?"
cave" returned the maiden, with
shudder. Gle is here very often,
and he has forced himself upon my
companionship when, if he had
sense, he must have known ] liked
it not"
'He is a sutton for your hand, is
he not? 2"
ole was, but he is not now"
"Not now ?" repeated Ruric, with
surprise. "What mean you"
''Why, simply that he has asked
the duke for my hand and that he
was answered in the negative"
'Did you hear the duke answer
him so?"
'No; but so the duke assured me
he had done. But what mean you ?"
81 will tell you. Yesterday the
count came to my dwelling accom-
panied by Stephen Urzen. He had
a paper drawn up by the dukes own
hand in which / was made to say, or,
rather, by which the writer said,
that he dsclaimed all pretensions
TO your hand and that he wished
not TO marry you; that he freely
gave you up, meaning TO seek with
in the sphere Of his own social circle
some companion when he wished.