The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-08-23

should have been easy and f,sss
} but which nevertheless was m,,l
strongly with effort, "there q -
talk among the surgeons nov ~
Conrad Damonof may recover
sob, am glad Of that |" thu "a
girl uttered earnestly.
Yes, ] suppose So" resumed 4 q
ga, eying her, sharply. ssBut y
{ have no particular care for him II
presume?"
sFor-for the count?"
"Aye; it was of him I was spe,l
ing"
''No, sir. | care only for him a.
care for all who need to become hi
ter ere they die"
"Aha, yes~ said the duke, biti,,
his lip, for in his own mind he b,S
the frankness to acknowledge thu
he was about as needy of virtue \ !
was the count. "But," he resumed
with faint smile, "you never loved
the man ?"
mo, SIT" the maiden answered
gazing up into her guardians f.s
with an inquisitive look.
$50 | thought, so l thought" "
Olga thus spoke he smiled again and
moved his chair nearer to RosalhaI
81 am well aware" he resuma
"that your affections have not
yet been set upon any one who
capable of making a proper coz
panion for you through all the up |
and downs of life"
Rosalind's eyes dropped benaS
the steady gaze of the speaker,I
her frame trembled. But eret
could make any reply the duke wa J
on:
'My dear Rosalind, have conn
now upon a business which / NAV
justly call the most important d
my life. have not approached thi '
subject lightly nor with overzesl
but l have come to it through
careful consideration and anxious
study"
Here the duke stopped and gaas
into Rosalind's face. She met BIZ '
gaze, and her eyes dropped again
She trembled more than before, and
a dim, dreadful fear worked its VI,
to her mind.
'eRosalind," the nobleman contin.
ued, 'when was but 10 years Of
age, l was married with girl whom
| loved. She lived with me fou
short, happy years. In that tim
we were blessed with two childr@
but they lived not long to cheer m
And then my beautiful wife died
and the world was all dark and dren
to me. | thought / should never
love again. Time passed on, and
you were placed in my charge
When you first came, l loved you
and l wondered if you were to TAKE
the place of the children | had lost
But you grew quickly up. VOW
mind was expanded, and your her
was large. l found that l could
make child of you, and thenh
down all alone and asked mT
what place it was you had ASSUME
in my heart. Can you guess the al
swer, Rosalind ?"
Gas little child,"' answered th.
trembling violently.
mo, no, sweet onel / pondered
and studied, and l examined my
self carefully, and found that the
memory of my departed wife was
fast fading away before the rising
Of another one just as pure and Just
as holy Now do you understand
mo, no! Oh, mol" the maiden
uttered in frightened whisper.
"Then listen further" CONTINUED
The nobleman in a low, earnest tone
and with strange fire in his deep
blue eyes. GAS your charms of both
mind and person were gradually de-
7eloped / came to look upon you
With new feelings, or, ! should sssl
With the old feeling more fully dt
7eloped. ! looked around me. !
Jaw my sumptuous palace withouta
egitimate female head. In my PAT
les l had no companion to assia
nd guide me, and in my LONELINESS
had no mate to cheer and enliven
ne. | wished not that such should
'e the case. At length my eyes wers
'pened, and I saw plainly the spirit
hat was moving upon my soul.
ooked upon you, and / knew that
lad found the woman who was to
i've me Joy once more Rosalind
love you truly, fondly, and l would
make you my wife. Now you can
lot fail to understand me, can your
Rosalind gazed up into the face
Il her guardian, and she was pale y
leath.
You do not mean-ohp
1t was a deep, painful groan, and
he fair girl clasped her hands to
'ard the man before her.
Hold - he said almost sternlJ