Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-01-24
CHAPTER III.

q Alice left her sister standing IN the
room and went upstairs. But she was
more than one minute away; she was
three or four. for she could not at first
lay her hand upon the letter When
she returned her sister advanced to her
from the back drawing room, the fold.
ing doors between the two rooms be-
Ing as before, wide open.
y what fine collection OF bracelets,
Alice!" she exclaimed, as she took the
letter. Are they spread out for
show?"
NO." laughed Alice; Lady Sarah
IN going to the opera, and will be in a
hurry when she comes UP from dinner
She asked me to bring them all down,
rs she had not decided which to
wear"
4 II like to dress before dinner on my
opera nights"
ooh, so Of course does Lady Sarah"
returned Alice. as her sister descend
ed the stairs, "bnt she said it was too
hot to DIM in bracelets
ut is fearfully hot. Good-by. Alice
Don't ring; will let myself out"
Alice returned to the front room
and looked from the window, wonder
ing whether her sister had come in
her carriage. No. A trifling evening
breeze was arising and beginning to
move the curtains about. Gentle as 1t
was. it was grateful, and Alice sat
down In it. In a very few minutes the
ladies came up from dinner
Have you the bracelets, Alice? Oh,
I see."
Lady Sarah went to the back room
as she spoke. and stood before the
table looking at the bracelets. Alice
rose to follow her, when Lady Frances
Chenevix caught her by the arm and
began to speak in covert whisper.
Who was that at the door just
now? It was visitors knock. Do you
know, Alice, every hour since we came
to town I have fancied Gerard might
be calling. in the country he could
not get to us. but here. Was 1t
Gerard ?'
Tit was my sister," carelessly an
swered Alice. 1t was not a true an
swer, for her sister had not knocked,
but it was the readiest that rose TO
her lips, and she wished to escape the
questioning.
{ "Only your sister," sighed Frances,
turning to the window with gesture
Of disappointment.
(Which have you put on?" inquired
Alice, going toward Lady Sarah.
These loose fancy things; they are
the coolest. / really am so hot;, the
soup was that favorite soup OF the colo
neps. all capsicums and cayenne. and
the wine was hot; there had been
some mistake about the ice. Hill
trusted the new man, and he did not
understand it; 1t was all hot together.
What the house will be tonight
dread to think Of"
Lady Sarah, whilst she spoke, had
been putting the bracelets into the
jewel box, with very little care.
II had better put them straight" re-
marked Alice, when she reached the
table.
"Do not trouble" returned Lady
Sarah, shutting down the lid. "You
are looking flushed and feverish, Alice;
you were, wrong to walk SO far today;
Hughes will set them to rights tomor.
row morning; they will do till then.
Lock them up and take possession of
the key.
Alice did as she was bid. She
locked the case and put the key into
her pocket.
Here is the carriage" exclaimed
Lady Frances. Are we to wait for
coffee?''
Coffee In this heat" retorted Lady
Sarah. sit would be adding fuel to
fire. We will have some tea when we
return. Alice, you must make tea for
the colonel; he will not come out
without it. He thinks this weather
Just what it ought to be; rather cold,
If anything"
Alice had taken the bracelet box in
her hands as Lady Sarah spoke, and
when they departed carried it upstairs
to its place in Lady Sarah's bedroom.
The colonel speedily rose from the
table, for his wife had laid her COM
mands on him to join them early.
Alice helped him to his tea. and as
soon as he was gone, she went up
stairs to bed.
To bed, but not to sleep. Tired as
she was, and exhausted in frame,
sleep would not come to her. She was
living over again her interview with
Gerard Hope. She could not in her
conscious heart affect to misunder
stand his implied meaning-that she
had been the cause Of his rejecting
the union proposed to him. 1t diffused
strange rapture within her, and
though she had not p3rhaps been
wholly blind and unconscious during
the period Of Gerard's stay with them.
she now kept repeating the words:
Can 1t be? can it be?"
It certainly was SO. Love plays
strange pranks. Thus was Gerard
Hope, heir to fabulous wealth, con-
sciously proud OF his handsome per-
son. his herculean strength. his tow