The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-09-13
NKY.

III
In "A lovely little miniature-when
* the housemaid brought the pack
.et to him. The girl entered timidly,
with a furtive glance mt her master,
for whom her heart was bleeding.
No sign of tears-either past or pres
.ent-was visible in the young mans
eyes They were hard and bright.
Hard. also, was his face and the
aclenched lips like adamant.
He took the thick envelope. glanced
sat the clerkly writing. and at the back,
upon which was stamped in blue let
ters wv Robinson & Co." Then he
flung it on the table. and as the servant
Aeft the room, the sound of harsh
Daughter broke upon her ears. She fled
ito the Kitchen, and with scared face
whispered that she thought poor Mr..
cord must he going mad.
He had written Il few days before to
william Robinson for those patterns
trbat he might choose the materials for
NIs wedding suit. May was so particu-
Aar about what he wore He used to be
~ little careless about his dress once.
Then, in his endeavOr to gain Mays
appreciation. he had overdone it in the
opposite direction. sporting collars of
absurd height, and impossible ties, en-
Sluring like a martyr the pinch of pat
cent leather shoes a size too small for
taini, and getting himself little chaffed
10y appearing in suits which were I'M
mist8kably in advance of the fashion,
May. with gentle tact, had changed all
this.
lie had written for the patterns from
MObinsOn's few weeks before the i'm
pOrtAnt suit should be needed as he
Nvanted TO have Mays opinion with re-
gard 10 the materials. He consulted
her about everything. He had no sis
tiers. and until the last year-when the
death Of an uncle and the Inheritance
of a fortune had made him his own
-master-he had lived solitary life in
"a remote country town with the rela-
tion by whose sudden death he was en-
riched
After that laugh of harshness which
had SO startled his servant, Laurence
ord went back to the study of Mays
portrait y sob of anguish broke in a
agroan from Ord's pale lips. He had
tried to realize that those dancing eyes
1were closed forever.
The idea of May-May, the merriest
little person in the world-lying cold
and silent was too much for the young
man who last had seen her having
wild game with a kitten on the deck of
- friends yacht.
He had dreaded that little cruise more
than lac could say. He had all but ask
I'D her not to go, but from this he had
refrained deeming it mere selfishness.
You don't mind me going, Laurie
edo yOu| she asked, when the trip had
been first suggested, and with a little
pleading look in her eyes which was
irresistible, especially as he had not yet
the absolute right to give or withhold
permission IN only be gone three
weeks. and then-if you still have n
.smind tO-you may take me and keep me
forever. \ large order Laurie! Shall
yoD want me for so long. do you
think?"
He had gone to see her off on board
ithe Orchid and she had stopped in the
middle of one of her airy whirls with
zhe kitten and piece of scarlet ribbon.
mind you have the patterns ready
aby the time | come back!
"1'he yacht Orchid. which was
wrecked last night on the dangerous
reef outside Alwyn Bay is the proper
Ey of Mr.. Gritiiths of London. All ON
board were saved except the unfortu-
nate lady whose body was washed
ashore early this morning. 1t has been
identified as that of Miss May Garden"
This was the paragraph which had
caught the eye of Laurence Ord as he
had run over his morning paper at
gDreakfast Afterwards he had come
upon the first and longer account. but
this was evidently "A little paragraph
inserted when further information had
Ebeen received.
His senses had at first been blunted
by the shock. Now they were awaken
ed TO full consciousness of the immeas-
urable pain. He laid the miniature
down, and began to walk about the
sroom. He moved things here and there.
de wound the clock--then his nerveless