Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-08-23

cHAPTER XVI.

1dIv wandering away. She stopped
and placed her hand upon his heart
| but failed to detect the faintest peat.
| She drew her fingers across MS Tore
| head-cold and damp with the chliling
| wintry w;nd-but to her it seemed
touched by the cold hand OF Death.
A terrible feeling took possession OF
her. Was he dead? Was he speech
| IDS. deaf, blind, beyond love- me-
| hope, for eyermore?
Lifting his head onto her lap ana
pushing back the hair from MS peau-
tiful forehead, she murmured 70 nun
| %enderly. almost reproachfuliy, nall
believing the cruel voice he had ioved
so well on earth would recall him even
from the grave. But there was no an
Swer.
She looked up wildly. Would nobody
| ever come? How long they we're
| how long! And, when they ola come
| would it, perchance, be only 10 ten
her that help was needless-that ne
was indeed dead, as he appeared
Efeless within her very arms.
Oh. to speak with him once more
Il only for a moment-just for SO long
| as it would take to let him know how
| we'll she loved him, and to beg on her
knees for his forgiveness!
Why did he lie so silent at her 1eet:
| Surely that calm, half smile had no
sympathy with death. Was she never
to hear his voice again-neVer to see
the loving tenderness that grew IN MS
eyes for her alone?
Was all the world dead or insens.-
BILE that none would come to her call.
| while perhaps each precious moment
| was stealing another chance from MS
life? This thought was maddening;
she glanced all round her, but as yet
no one was in sight. And then she
began to cry and wiring her hands.
'.Denzil, speak to me-" she sobbed.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" .*
Lord Lyndon, shortly after the acct
dent had occurred, turning round in his
saddle to discover whether MISS IRE
vanion was coming up with them, and
| not seeing her, raised himself in his
stirrups to survey the ground behind,
and beheld two horses riderless, and
something he could not discern clearly
upon the grass.
"Sir George, look" he called to his
| companion. What is it-what has
| happened? Can you see Mildred?
He waited for nothing more, but
putting spurs to the astonished animal
under him, rode furiously back, leav-
| ing Sir George to follow him almost
as swiftly.
| And this was what they saw.
Lying apparently lifeless, with one
! arm twisted under him, in that horri-
| BILE, formless way a broken limb Will
sometimes take, lay Denzil Younge,
with Miss Trevanion holding his head
! upon her lap and smoothing back his
hair, while she noanod over him words
and entreaties that made Lyndon's
heart grow cold.
"Mildred!" he cried sharply, putting
his hand on her arm with the inten-
ton of raising her from the ground;
but she shook him off roughly.
LET me alone" she said; what have
you to do with us? I loved him. Oh,
Denzil, my darling speak to me-speak
to me-" ..u
"What is the meaning Of this?"
Lyndon asked hoarsely. "Trevanion,
you should know"
Sir George, who was bending over
the PROSTATE man, raised his eyes for
a moment.
II suppose, as she says it, it is true"
he answered simply. But give you
my word of honor as a gentleman,
was unaware of it, All know'is that
she refused him long before you pro-
posed for her-for what reason l am
as ignorant as yourself. 1t has been
her own secret from first to last"
AS Sir George spoke, Mildred looked
up for the first time.
SIS he dead?" she asked with terri
BILE calmness. .-
"No, mol hope not; a broken arm
seldom kills." answered her father,
hurriedly, drawing the broken limb
from beneath the wounded man with
great gentleness. Lyndon, the BRAN
dy.'
Lyndon, who was almost as white as
Denzil at the moment, resolutely put
ting his own grievances behind him
for the time being, knelt down beside
Sir George, and, giving him his flask,
began to help in tie task of resusci-
tation.
''How will it be?' he asked in a
whisper.
II cannot tell" answered Sir George;
1--WE can only hope for the best. But
don't like the look on the poor lads
face. have seen such look before.
Do you remember little Polly Stuart Of
the Guards? was on the ground when
he was killed very much in the same
manner and saw him lying there with
Just that sort Of strange, calm, half