Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-06-04


j shah never be able 10 participate IN f.
and why should refuse an opportunIty
have so often coveted, OF seeing really
grand bailT
Then she fell into : train Of thought
"If had only the advantage OF being
Sir Howard's granddaughter, that Flora
Champion has--if ! cpuld have met Mr,
Hastings in society, and ridden and
danced with him as ahs has done, think
could have made bio love me; but as q
farmers daughter, What chance have !
with an admired, afistOcratlc beautyf'
Here words failed her, and she sat
down on the bank ii the lonely woods,
and the tears streaInsd down her face.
so intent was she On hcr misery that she
did not hear footsteps approaching her,
aud when a mans Yolee sounded tenderiy
In her ears. saying. Hiss Eyre, are you
In trouble?7 she STARED, blushlng, TO her
feet.
NJ. IIassings,r fhe exeihimsd, covered
with confusion aud crimson shame; bui
somehow the sight OF his handsome face
banished the memory OF her sadness, and
bright smile came into her eyes.
II am 50 glad to see a smile egain,
Enrol said, with the tenderest inAexior
Of his voice. II could not bear to see you
In distress"
when people have not very much tc
occupy their minds" Winifred answered
"they are rather subject to fits OF de
preston. without adequate cause. / envy
you almost now--you are 50 busted in en-
tertaining and amusing people, you have
no time for regrets"
mo time for regretsT seAA9ed Mr.
Hastings: "for the last three weeks my
life has been one uneeasing, haunting re-
gret."
Winifred looked up into his face in,
quiringly.
'It is a trouble cannot ask anyone to
share-you least of ALL" he said, after a
pause.
Winifred's eyes dropped beneath his
gaze-=it was so sad, yet so eager.
A voice was heard calling, Hastings,
Hastingsv'
In an instant he had taken her hand.
kissed it passionately, and was gone.
Winifred turned away quickly, and went
on her way to the cottage. She was trem-
bling, confused, glad, surprised. She
scarcely knew what her real feelings
were. But as Hawkins proposal re-
Cured to her mind, she determined to
accept Ii.
When she arrived at the cottage. she
found Lady Grace, as has been described.
When she had accompanied her to the
pony carriage, she returned to the little
drawing room.
Dear madame" eaid Winifred, kneel-
ing beside her old friend. and half hid
ing her face. 81 want you 10 take me to
the Court tomorrow night"
'The Courtp' exclaimed Madame de
Montolieu, in overwhelming surprise;
'has Mr. Hastings, then, invited you to
his ballG"
"0h, no, not that" Winifred answered.
quickly, with a deep blush. Tonight
as | was coming nsFes Hawkins met me
and asked me IL should Ike to see the
ball. He said he would let me into the
little garden under the ballroom, and
there would be no one else there. At first
| was angry at the Idea, but have chang
ed my mind; and, oh, madame" she CON
cluded, earnestly, Il do so want to 60"
Madame de Montoleu looked at her
with impressibie astonishment. She al
most failed to believe her senses when
proud Winifred Eyre made such re-
quest.
Il know It must seem strange to you,
Winifred said, imploriHgly; you think I
am forgetting my pride. and my self
esteem; but / have reason-indeed |
have"
"Winifredr' cried Madame de Monto-
lieu, in panied voice, you are think
ing too much Of this Mr.. Hastings"
She caressed the head that lay in her
lap pitifully and tenderly while she said:
II win go with You il you wish it."
II do wish 1t; thank you thousand
times"
The next evening, shortly before ten
o'clock, Winifred and her companion,
cloaked and veiled, appeared at the little
garden gate. The faithful Hawkins was
waiting for them, and, true to his prom
Use, not another person was to be seen.
He had placed two chairs for them behind
clump Of laurels, and as the ballroom
windows were down to the ground they
could see plainly everything that took
place.
Winifred saw Lady Grace Farquhar,
robed in delicate satin and lace, stand
ing with other ladies on kind of a
velvet dais, receiving the guests as they
entered with stately graciousness. Then
she saw something that made her trem-
BILE and turn pale. Mr.. Hastings entered
the room, looking more handsome and
eourtly than she had even imagined, aud
on his arm leant Flora Champion, with
the proud dignity of an empress.
A jealous pang shot through Wini-
fred's heart at the sight, and when she
saw Hastings bend down to Flora, and
perceived the smile that was reflected
back in his eyes, she elinched her teeth
over her lips to keep back the tears of
modification. She turned to Madame
de Montolieu and said, in quick. gasping
tones: 1T is enoughr-let us go"
n