Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-08-02
CHAPTER XII.

strjka despair and remorso into the
hoorts Of her hearers; and, indeed, in
1ady Caroline's breast it awoke min
o,od feelings Of Joy and terror, though
- those Of Mildred and Mabel the joy
reigned supreme.
lady Caroline attempted 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
caps swept out OF Kings Abbott, very
mnch to the relief of those she left
behind.
And now came the most trying time
- NJ, moor Mildred's life. During all
~ the past weeks that she had been
entering violence at the hands OF her
relatives. Lord Lyndon had become
constant. untiring visitor at Kings
ABBOTT, taking no rebuffs, nor open
s,iehts. nor petulant actions to heart,
nut. as might faithful animal, attend
ing all the more assiduously to her
wants who was his acknowledged mis-
tress.
Patience. assisted by perseverance,
oas ever been known to work wonders,
so it followed that in process of time
he became-though so imperceptibly
that it was without her knowledge
necessary to Mildred; so much so IN
deed that fewer and fewer grew the
sights and unkindnesses on her part,
while in their place certain winning
friendliness 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-t time, somewhere about
the middle of December, while all their
minds were fully occupied with Lady
Eagletons sayings and doings, Lord
lyndon proposed for Miss Trevanion,
y and was rejected This blow might
perhaps have effectually daunted an
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 we'll to keep
her own counsel in this matter; and
so it was agreed upon between them
to hold the entire circumstance Sc
cret from the rest Of the family-to
insure which, things of course went on
in the usual way, he calling every 9TH
en- 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 off 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 large sum
of money-and that to be written IN
five fgures-stood between him and
complete ruin; and how to secure the
money was the difficulty difficulty
beyond all surrounding unless some
body could be found who for pure
friendships sake would lend it for an
indefinite period, trusting to time and
chance for repayment. Such friend
was hard to find.
One evening Mildred, on her way to
her mothers room, was stopped by a
servant with the intelligence that Lord
Lyndon had just called, and was in the
,drawing-room.
iccT inn on n
receive him, while she informed her
ladyship of his arrival?"
To which Mildred made answer that
she would tell Lady Caroline herself,
and went on to her mothers apart
ment
When she came to the bedroom she
found the door closed, but opening 1t
passed on toward an inner room be-
You'd, where Lady Caroline usually
sat, and whence voices, suppressed yet
distinct, reached her. AS she ap-
preached still nearer, they rose still
higher, and words became ineligible
to her ears.
IF do not get this money without
delay we are simply ruined" said Sir
George, irritably.
Then suppose there is nothing left
you but to ask Mr.. Younge for it, re-
turned Lady Caroline, in a reluctant
tone
Il suppose not said Sir George.
Ask Mr.. Younge! Ask the father of
the man whom she had not considered
good enough to marry for money!
What could it all mean?
Mildred stopped short and pressed
her hands tightly together. Surely she
had not heard Alright. They could not
mean She drew her breath hard
and swept like a whirlwind into the
room
Papa" she said, what are you
thinking Of? What have you been
saying? heard you as I came along.