The Red Cloud chief., 1901-05-17

strike despair n remOrse INTO tne
hearts OF her hearers; and, indeed. in
Lady Caroline's breast 1t woke min
gled feelings Of Joy and terror, though
in those of Mildred and Mabel the JOY
reigned supreme.
Lady Caroline attempted a faint re-
monstrance but was sternly silenced;
and on Wednesday, two days earlier
than that on which she had originally
decided. the old lady. bag and bag
gage. swept out Of Kings Abbott, very
much to the relief Of those she left
behind.
And now came the most trying time
In all poor Mildred's life. During all
of the past weeks that she had been
suffering violence at the hands OF her
relatives, Lord Lyndon had become a
constant, untiring visitor at King
Abbott. taking no rebuffs, nor open
sights, nor petulant actions to heart,
but, as might a faithful animal, attend
ing all the more ~assiduously to her
wants who was his acknowledged mis-
tress.
Patience. assisted by perseverance,
has ever been known TO work wonders,
SO IL followed that in process OF time
he became-though SO im~perceptibly
that Il was without her knowledge
necessary to Mildred: 30 much so In
deed that fewer and fewer grew the
sights and unkindnesses on her part,
while In their place a certain winning
f%riendliness came and increased. rails
ing false hopes in Lyndon's breast that
should never have been there.
The end OF all this was that close
upon Christmas-time, somewhere b
the middle of December, while all their
minds were fully occupied with Lady
Eagleton's sayings and doings, Lord
Lyndon proposed for Miss
and was rejected. This blow might
perhaps have effectually daunted All
other man; but Lyndon, still following
up his trusty instincts. determined to
bide his time and never surrender hope
until a more favored sutton took his
place.
Mildred, having lively recollections
Of the treatment she had received on a
similar occasion, thought well to keep
her W counsel in this matter; and
so It was agreed upon between them
to hold the entire circumstance q Sc
cret from the rest Of the family-to
insure which, things Of course wen on
in the usual way, he calling every 9th
or day and she accepting his atten-
tions-which were never Of the obtrus-
i've description-in the same manner as
formerly. SO we'll did they sustain
their several parts that even Lady
Harriet's keen old eyes failed to de-
tect that anything was amiss.
Sir Georges affairs at this time were
going from bad to worse. He had been
hard at work for the past two months
trying to find the ways and means TO
ward of the inevitable day of reckon
ing, and had suggested plans and pur-
sued theories, all OF which his man of
business had frowned at and pooh
poohed as utterly impracticable. Moth
ing but the possession OF a large sum
OF money-and that to be written In
five Hgures-stood between him and
complete ruin; and how to secure the
: money was the dificulty-a difficulty
beyond all surrounding unless some
body could be found who for pure
4 friendships sake would lend 1t for ar
indefinite period, trusting to time ant
chance for repayment. Such a frient
was hard to and.
One evening Mildred, on her way tt
her mothers room, was stopped by
=, servant with the intelligence that Lore
). Lyndon had just called, and was In tn
d~rawing-room.
Would Miss Trevanion go down ant
:. receive him, while she informed he
n ladyship Of his arrival?'
To which Mildred made answer tina
she would tell Lady Caroline herself
and went on to her mothers apart
% ment.
# When she came Il the bedroom sh
is found the door closed, but opening !
n passed on toward an inner room be
yond. where Lady Caroline usual
p sat, and whence voices, suppressed we
u distinct, reached her. AS she ap
% preached still nearer, they rose stiI
higher. and words became intelligibl
to her ears.
E.. "If do not get this money withou
ne delay we are simply ruined" said 81
is George. irritably.
m Then | suppose there is nothing lei
at you but to ask Mr.. Younge for it." re
10 turned Lady Caroline, in a reluctar
IN tone.
III Il suppose not" said Sir George.
Ask Mr.. Younge! Ask the father {
the man whom she had not considere
:, good enough to harry for money
u What could II all mean?
Mildred stopped short and presse
-, her hands tightly together. Surely sf
~ had not heard Alright, They could M
mean She drew her breath har
and swept like a whirlwind into II
We room.
mt Papa" she said, what are yc
ut thinking Of? What have you bee
ID. saying, I heard you as l came alon