Alaska sentinel., 1903-03-12

| Tor her brother, she happened to en- counter the gaze of a man who stood near her. He was distinguished-look- ing, and Lyda had noticed him several times during the evening, secretly wish ing that she might have met him.
 As she looked up he seemed to real ize that he had been staring at her, for he started little and turned away.
 Lyda did not know what to do. Where could Tom be? If only one of the men she had met would pass that way. Her trepidation increased. No ticing this, the man, who was still GOV erly watching her, approached.
 Can l be of any assistance to you?" he asked courteOusly. Perhaps l could find the person you were look ing for?"
 Tt is my brother" Lyda half gasped, raising a pair of very fright ened blue eyes. Meeting his kindly, encouraging look, she hurreid on.
 Il thought he would be here, and cannot understand what keeps him. An, there he is. Thank you so much" us Tom hurried to her, looking very white.
 Why, Tom, what is the matterI" she questioned, anxiously, noting his pallor.
 Hugh Thurston stepped aside, wish ing deyoutly that Tom had not ap- peared quite so soon. Of course, he was glad that the sisters anxiety vas relieved, but he very much wanted to know who she was.
 Why, l had sort of giddy faint spell, little girl" Tom explained hastily. My head has bothered me all day Awfully sorry-hope you have not been frightened"
 Il was rather, but it's no matter; say so, and we could have gone home sooner: This gentleman'-nodding towards Thurston-"had just offered to go in search of you"
 Tom turned to Thurston and thanked him briefly, explaining his own delay. l.yda bowed a slight acknowledgement as they passed, but something in his eyes as they met hers made her heart give a sudden bound and brought u deeper flush to her cheeks.
 Who on earth can she be?" Thurs ton wondered. Evidently they had not come in a carriage, for she wore hat and a dark ulster hid her ball gown, and he knew from her accent that she was English.
 Looking down, he saw a little gold pin lying in the corner where she had stood while waiting for her brother Picking it up. he hurried downstairs and searched the corridor for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.
 Thurston started to take the pin to the desk, but he changed his mind and tucked it away in his card case. Then he went back to the ballroom and tried l to find out who she was. But no one seemed to recognize the description In such a crowd, in fact, there were many who might have answered to it. so Thurston was forced to leave with out obtaining any clew to her identity
 He marveled at the depth of the i'm pression that this girls face had made upon him. His wealth and good looks won him so much favor among women that he had come to regard them with great indifference.
 He inserted an advertisement con corning the pin, but no answer ever came, and he strove to forget the owner. but many times the blue eyes seemed to look at him through the smoke rings, or come unbidden between him and printed page.
 The day after the ball, poor Tom was in raging fever, and the weeks which followed were anxious ones in- deed In the Stuarts' little home, for Tom had bad case of typhoid.
 Their small savings dwindled rapidly and Lyda worked necessarily to renew by her vigil at the sick boys side, that the doctor feared that she, too, would be attacked by the disease. Lyda, worrying about her mother grieving because she thought that she had aggravated Toms illness by talk ing him to the ball. and working even harder than usual had grown thin and pale, and there were heavy circles un- der the blue eyes.
 One afternoon, as she was doggedly putting the finishing touches to some dinner cards that were to be called for that day, the bell rang.
 Come in." Lyda called softly, think ing 1t was the doctor. Go right In. doctor" she added, without turning her head She was not willing that he should see the traces of tears that would brim over occasionally and i'm pede her progress.
 T beg pardon, but my sister sent me for the cards" said a voice that was certainly not the doctors. She rose quickly.
 "Oh, paron me-" she exclaimed, then stopped short as she recognized her ball man." as she had mentally term