The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-11-01

90 " WulCu Was
the more beautiful. The Countess Car
aven was a woman of stately lowell
ness, Lady Hamilton Of fairy-like
beauty.
The ball was a marvellous success.
Lord Damers, who had come to Raw
ensmere ~phrposely for it, said that he
had never seen anything like it. He
went up to the earl, who, looking very
handsome in his evening dress, was
watching the dancers.
DO you know, Caraven," he asked,
who is the handsomest woman here ?"
The earl looked round with a smile.
Amidst so many how can l decide? 2"
THE decision does not require amin
ute's hesitation" said Lord Damers.
Look round and you will see that
there is no n to compare with your
wife. She is by far the most beautiful
woman l have ever seen in my life"
The earl looked up wonderingly.
us she? Do you know that | have
never thought so much of her p
ance?"
Then you have been blind. Look at
her now"
Lord Caraven looked up. He saw a
tall, beautiful figure and a magnificent
face, with dark, proud, brilliant eyes
and a lovely mouth, round which
played a half-grave, sweet, timorous
smile. He seemed to be impressed.
you are right" he said; "she is
very beautiful"
II should imagine So" returned Lord
Damers, emphatically. why, by her
side even the brilliant Lady Hamilton
looks faded. Every one is talking
about your wife; you do not know how
many envy YOU"
Lord Caraven laughed aloud. Per-
haps II the world knew all, he told him
self, there would be little cause for
envy.
"She Is beautiful" he repeated to
himself. He had suddenly awakened to
the knowledge of the fact. He said to
himself that he must have been blind.
Had this woman been any other than
his wife, he would have thought her
perfection. AS he looked at her he won
dered that he had ever boosted If his
preference for blondes. What could
compare with the splendor of those
dark eyes, the exquisite coloring of
that noble southern face? He must
have been blind. He crossed the room
to where the young countess stood talk
ing to Lady Hamilton.
Mildred" he said, simply, will you
save one dance for me?
She looked at the pretty tablets and
then smiled at him.
II am not engaged for the next
waltz" she said.
Then give 1t to me-" requested the
earl: and the dark eyes were raised to
his.
If I had been engaged I should have
felt inclined to break my engagement"
she said.
Lady Hamilton was not quite
pleased. Two suns could not shine in
one hemisphere; and If Lady Caraven
had any idea Of outshining her, the
sooner that idea was abandoned the
better.
1T is rather odd" she said, with one
OF her brightest smiles, ito see hus-
band and wife waltz together-one
would imagine you were still lovers"
Hildred was on the point Of retort-
Ing that they had never yet been that.
but prudence restrained her.
"You will not forget your promise? p,
said the earl. y
And Lady Caraven took up the pretty
tablets again.
They held many Against the
waltz she wrote. my husband"
He was watching her intently, and
when she had finished writing he took
the tablets from her hand. How
strange the words looked! There were
noble names above them, noble names
below them. my husband" He won
dered why she had not written Lord
Caraven" instead, or his initials. AS he
returned the tablets to her, their. eyes
met in a long, lingering glance. Sud-
denly she turned from him with her
face on fire; and Lord Caraven, with
a strange sensation at his heart, began
talking to Lady Hamilton.
This is my waltz said Lord Cara
ven, shortly afterward, as he came up
to his wife. She did not raise her eyes
to his; she was afraid to do so. What
II they should tell him her secret
What. ii he should read love for him
self shining In their depths.
The earl half smiled, half sighed at
the piquant strangeness Of the stu
alton. This noble woman, to the
knowledge Of whose beauty he had sud-
denly awakened, was his own wife.
They had spent much time together,
both sang and worked together, yet he
never remembered to have embraced
her; now his arm was around the sup
pie, graceful figure-the lovely face
was close toAhis own. He saw before
him the whole time, standing out clear
and distinct from the others, the two
words, my husband"
Lord Damers had told him that he
was a subject of envy. The past had
all hoon a cOrrv nfctoIo How hoo,%}-