Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-09-13

you should not hit man when he
Is down." he said, reproachfully.
Il don't think you will be long
down. returned Blount with an en-
couraging nod that somehow made
Denzil's heart beat high, though he DID
not dare to take the words in their
under meaning. "And now | must be
of. No, thank you, my dear can
not stay to dinner; I have SO many
things to attend to before seven. But
tell Sir George l will look him up
again in the morning. And give my
love to the girls; and tell Mildred that
I know, and she knows, there is but
one man in the world can ever make
her happy"
He looked kindly at Denzil as he
spoke, but the latter would not accept
the insinuation conveyed in his words.
Mrs. Younge, however, noticed both
the glance and the significant tone, and
a light broke in upon her.
When Lady Caroline had followed
Dick Blount out of the room she went
over and knelt down by her son..
''Denzil," she said, lovingly, II know
1t all now. But am never to speak
of it,"
And he answered as he kissed her:
do notrlet us ever mention it again
there's darling mother"
But all that night Mrs. Younge
gazed at the girl and wondered, pom
dering many things and blaming. wom-
an-like, yet feeling in her heart the
while that the choice her son had
made was indeed a perfect one.
After this Denzil made rapid strides
toward recovery, growing stronger,
gayer and more like the Denzil they
had known in the first days Of their
acquaintance than he had been for
some time before his illness. He could
now walk from room to room and take
long drives, though Stubber still in
sisted on some hours in the day being
spent on the sofa. Miss Trevanion
| Denzil saw daily, though seldom alone
and who shall say how much this
conducted toward the renewing of his
! strength?
| It wanted but fortnight Of Charlie S
wedding day, and Denzil, who was feel
Ing little tired, and was anxious to
attain perfect health before the event
came off-haying promised to attend
| in the character of "best man"-was
lying on the lounge in the library
when Mildred came in.
II did not know you were in from
| your drive" she said. There was less
constraint between them now than
there had ever been. Ibid you enjoy
! it?''
Very much indeed
$50 you ought" she said. could
there be more beautiful day." She
threw up the low window as she spoke
i and leaned out. 'tThe air reminds me
of summer, and the flowers are becom-
sought longingly one by one
Eyes," returned Denzil, vaguely,
thinking all the time what an exquisite
| picture she made, framed in by the
window and it's wreaths Of hanging
Ivy.
by the bye, did you like the bunch
gathered for you this morning? See
there they are over there
Were they for me?" asked Denz;l,
looking pleased. Il did not fatter NY
self that they were
well, yes, think they were chiefly
meant for you,'' returned Mildred,
carelessly. ''Invalids are supposed to
get every choice thing going-are they
not?-though indeed you can scarcely
come under that head now"
She threw down the window again,
and came back toward the center of
the room.
Mildred said Denzil suddenly--he
had risen on her first entering, and
stood leaning against the chimney
there is something connected
with my illness:s dream it must have
| been, that, whenever I see you. preys
upon my mind. May I tell it to you?
The vivid impression it made might
perhaps leave me if l did"
"Of course you may" answered Mil
dred, growing a shade paler.
Come over here then and sit down,
can not speak to you so far away
She approached the hearth rug and
stood there.
Il will warm my hands while you
tell me-" she said, determined that,
should it prove to be what she half
dreaded to hear, he should not see her
face during the recital
well, then" he began, II thought
that, as lay in bed one evening, the
door opened, and you came into the
room, and, walking softly over to my
bedside. stood there very sorrowfully
looking down upon me. We were
alone, I thin" passing his hand in a
puzzled manner over his forehead, as
though endeavoring vainly to recollect
something-"at least I can remember
no one else but us two, and it seemed
to me that presently you began to cry
and stopped over me, whispering some
thing, forget what, and 1 took your