The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-10-29
Ss Z
]; ! Curse OF Darlington !
S By X. TEMPLE MOORE.
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IL means gay SHOPS anu CIoWuIu
shops. II means world of wealth
and fashion that brushes it's silken
skirts against a world of poverty and
ignorance in callous Indifference.
Down Regent street-down that
great vein in the heart of great city
--drifted one atom with which our
story deals-a woman.
A woman, clad in dark, mournful
robes, with a black scarf wound above
her bright. rebellious hair; woman
with face that might have been torn
from beneath the brush of an Angelo.
A face exquisitely chiseled, abso-
lutely colorless, beautiful with the
beauty of its own pathetic despair.
More than one of those languid loi-
terers started at sight of the girls un
girlish face; more than one paused and
looked back
At an Italians fruit stand, in bleak
corner, she stopped in blank uncer-
tainty.
"Will you show me the way to Lin
coins inn?" she questioned gently.
The little foreigner looked at her
he stepped forward and pointed out
the direction in which she should so,
with grinning gallantry.
"Bellisima!" he muttered-"bellisi-
mai"
She hurried along eagerly, blindly,
quite unconscious of the curious
glances bent upon her.
She found Lincoln's inn. She found
the house and the number of him
whom she sought. She remembered the
address and the name OF the lawyer
whom her grandfather had mentioned
in his letter to her father as residing
in London.
There were several clients in the
ante-room when she entered. She
must wait her turn. A clerk placed
chair for her, look of curiosity Wis.,
ible in his face.
She sat down by a window and
gazed out on the dreaTy world beyond
her. with face as hopeless as the
wintry day. Her eyes-purple, blue
as sapphires, seemed unnaturally large
and brilliant in her white face Her
cheeks had lost little of their delicate
roundness, but all of their rich, soft
bloom.
Tick, tick, tick! droned the clock,
with maddening monotony. Rumble,
rumble, rumble went the wheels on the
road beyond. And still that quiet fig
ure by the window did not move nor
speak nor seem to breathe.
She sat there, calm, with the very
apathy of desolatlon. Her black, mon
astic robes trailed round her; her lit
tie. childish hands lay loosely on her
lap; her face was turned away
A carriage dashed into the court
and drew up before the door below
carriage drawn by spirited horses,
bright with trappings of silver. On
the panel was a carved crest, on the
box were servants in livery.
An Office boy glanced out Of the win
dow and caught sight of the handsome
equipage.
"Hellol" he cried, hers the Car
rington turnout"
Darlington! The black-clad figure
near him started sharply.
A clerk writing in the corner OF the
room left his desk and came over to
look, too.
A footman opened the door of the
vehicle, and lady alighted--a lady
young, but with the figure of Juno
tall, regal, well developed; lady with
certain imperious grace in her slight
est movement; lady clad from head
to foot in royal purple velvet.
The Office boy contemplated her a
moment with pleased approval.
Now, she's what ] call stunner!"
he remarked to his friend, in a tone
in which affable patronage and DELHI
erative discrimination were blended
did you say Carrington?" ques-
toned a faltering voice beside them.
The lad turned and looked a little
curiously at Mr.. Bowers strange eli
ent. Her face was lifted to his with
ar appealing earnestness pitifu1 to see.
yes, ma'am," with loquacity, that's
the Darlington carriage, ma'am. The
family Is In town now. And that young
lady as you've seen is Miss Cynthia
Lennox, Lady Carrington's ward. Oh,
she's powerful rich!" shaking his head,
slowly and impressively. and they
do soy, you know, as how she's a-going
to marry my lady's son, Mr.. Give Car
rington. He's han'sum enough TO mar
ry queen, he is! You--you are III,
ma'am?"
ooh, no-no!" she answered, paling,
and forced her pale lips to smile,
and crushed her hands together in a
straining clasp.
And at that moment the door was
flung wide, and with a soft sound of
her heavy skirts, that was not yet a
rustic. Miss Lennox came into the
room
TELL Mr. Bowers that wish TO see
him" she commanded, and began 10
walk rapidly up and down.
And she was well worth looking at
as she paced to and fro with that long,
gliding step Of hers, which held in its
very grace suggestion Of tigerish-
ness.
She reminded you of statue at the
Louvre. Her face had the same
ehaste, cold chiseling, the same sub
tie strength and power one finds in
the marble Diana of Versailles.