New Ulm review., 1901-04-24

too stunned to answer.
He went off one day last week, ?
he continued; ''he seemed upset about
something or other. I could not per-
suade him to stay an hour longer
A bitter laugh fell from Alyne's lips.
ssHas he gone to shoot big game %
she cried, harshly. 81 hope he will
| have good sport, 2 and then she nodded
her head by way of adieu and hurried
away home.
| But, alas, her heart was breaking
| breaking. Why had she not run after
him that day in the drive? A little
word, a whisper, would have made it
all right. But now it was too late,
and he had broken with her irrevoca-
bly,.
1t was two years later. Lady Mar
shall was sitting in her drawing-room
in Mayfair, talking seriously to her
niece.
'sSir Neil Chester would be an ex-
cellent match, Maud. I am delighted
he is coming to stay for a few days,
she said. 81 do hope you will make
the best of your opportunities.
Maud smiled rather too confidently.
From my previous experiences
don't think my task will be very diff
| ficult,'' she answered, taking a fur
tive look at her fair face in the glass.
| perhaps not, if prettiness were the
only matter in question. But your
admirers have been only boys so far
Sir Neil is quite 80 years, and has trav-
eled a great deal; indeed, it is only a
few months since he came home from
| Africa. And man does not only re-
| quire his wife to be pretty-it is much
more important to him if she is
smart and charming; and you know, !"
| looking anxiously at her neice, "you
| do require a good deal of dressing.
| You look twice as well when your
| hair is properly done, and Elsie does
not understand the shape of your
head. You never look so nice as when
that girl from Lascelle's in Bond
street has dressed your hair. I really
think that I shall have her round here
every morning during Sir Neil's visit
And as Maud was delighted with
| this idea she wrote off at once.
| Sir Neil arrived about tea time, and
Maud carried out her purpose and
made the most Of her opportunities.
Chester had altered great deal dur
ing these two years, for he was very
| bronzed and his hair was growing
| gray. There was also stern express
sion on his face when in repose, and
his features rarely relapsed into a
smile. He wondered vaguely what had
become of Alyne. Of course, she was
married had probably married that
| brute, Osbert Bowden. And his face
would darken at the thought.
He mounted the stairs in Lady Mar
shalFs house a little wearily on his
way up to dress for dinner-he was
not looking forward to his few days
visit.
His thoughts were SO far away that
he did not notice girlish figure com
| ing down until she. was quite close
| to him.
| He stood aside at once to let her
| pass, and a cursory glance assuring e
him that she was pretty, he looked
again, and his breath came quickly.
"Alyne!' he cried in hoarse voice.
"Alyne!"
The girl shivered little, and for a
moment her large violet eyes met his
full.
II did not think you would recog-
nize me- she said, half nervously.
mot recognize you?' he repeated,
while his eyes devoured her face that
same face that had haunted him so
| long-paler, indeed, and thinner, but
| still, thank God, the same.
| "Are you staying here?" he cried,
eagerly.
A faint smile curved her lips.
mo! Oh, mol" she answered, 81
have only come to dress Miss Mar
shall's hair. I am hairdresser now,
| you know, with Lascelles in Bond
street.
"You!" he cried. "You a hairdress-
er. You-the daughter of the squire
Of Bandford? You are joking
Her face was grave enough now.
1T is no joking matter to me-" she
said sadly. 'My father has been dead
more than a year." and she turned
away to hide the tears that would
come to her eyes.
"But-but-" he cried-sshe was
rich
Alyne interrupted him by putting
up warning hand, for the sound of
an opening door upstairs fell on her
ears.
II must go,'' she said, hurriedly;
"and please please do not say that
you have-have met me before. They
know nothing about me, and perhaps
it would prevent my coming here
again" and without a word of fare
well, she hurried down the stairs.
'Alyne!' he cried. 'sAlyne!''
But she had disappeared, and with a
groan of disappointment he ascended
the staircase.
He was late for dinner that night.
He was longing to ask about Alyne,
but his tongue was tied. He could
only glance at Maud's head and notice
1 I, IL / 81