The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-11-12
CHAPTER xi.
Stark, Staring Mad!"

ment caught her eye. A lady wanted
q goyerness capable of teaching her
children French and Italian.
She set out to walk to the number
mentioned. She asked her way fire.
Quently; she lost 1t sometimes. 1t
was almost noon hen she arrived at
the house.
A formidable-looking mansion Of
pillared and porticoed stone.
She lifted the polished, brazen
knocker and raped.
A powdered footman admitted her.
but 1t was some time before the lady
OF the house appeared. She came
leisurely down stairs at length--a
thin, angular, cold.faced woman.
She looked at Laurie from head to
foot Nothing escaped her piercing
glance-thee worn. dark clothes, the
beautiful, sensitive face, the general
air of delicate and most exquisite re-
6nement
'You desire a position az gov
erness, she said. "Yotas refeSeia ?"
The girl started. He rrsces'
Her head dropped.
III have monet"
"You have monet 'shriily. Then
your presumption in applying is pos
tive impertinence. Col"
"Oh. madam. | pray you, let me tell
you why. | am. fully competent for
the dutnes you require. Let me ex-
plain. You are. woman--you will
understand" piteously.
James, the door,"
Zone, two, and still through the
streets OF London the girl wandered
on and on in aimless fashion. Once
she found herself in a familiar neigh
borhood. 1t was near Lincoln's Inn.
Would she again endeayor to see
Lawyer Bowers-again attempt, by
cool. rational argument, to convince
him of her identity? A boder woman
might have ventured; but she was lit
tie more than child as yet-a child
whose young life had passed, shell
tered and sacred, In the sanctuary Of
home.
Il dare not--I dare not! He says
Laurie Isle is dead! Perhaps she is!
Oh, my head. How IL throbs and
burns and aches! Oh, Give, Give!
she whom you knew and loved is dead
dead beyond all hope of resurrec-
toni"
The snow had begun to fall softly.
softly, like shower of rose leaves
the first snow of the year. She walked
slowly westward.
Hark! What was that? Singing.
She was passing a church. and they
were singing within. II was a Cath
oiic church. and being November thev
were holding services, as is their Gus
tom In that month. for the souls OF
their dead.
She went In and sat down. The
place was In darkness. save for the
lights on the altar. From the dusky
gallery above the music wailed-a
wild, despairing dirge, She sat down
on bench In dim corner. go
How long she sat there. with clasp
ed hands and throbhiug brain. and
burning, sightless eyes. she could
never have told Here, for however
brief d space. there was rest aud se-
clreion and security. Her whole life
passed in review before her-all its
simple joys and sweet remembrances.
Her fathers tender care and adora-
ton. her lovers
All, she could not think. OF him!
She dare not--she dare not! He was
the man she had sworn to hate; he
was her fathers deadliest enemy; he
ives all that was eowardly, and vile,
and base, and--she loved him!
How long ago was IL since he had
bent his dark head and whispered.
Laurie, Laurie, Laurie, love you'll
love youi"--how long? August. Sep
tember. October, November, Four
mcnthsi Oh, no-rfour yearsi Such
misery could not be comprised In so
short time. and yet again Aye, 1t
was only four monthsi And In that
space all gone all iosti Home. name,
father. lover-all lost--all lost!
"Clive. Give. Clive!"
A great choking sob burst from her
lips---a sob that shook her slender
frame from head to feet But further
up Ia the church the deyotees were
responding to the litanies, and in the
murmur of their voices that chord of
pain was drowned. She had not tast-
ed food since the day before. Her
herd was aching like a thing Of fire.
Hark! She put UP her hand as
though listening. What was that air |
they were playing? What was tina. |
familiar, half-iubilant music? Over |
the low, reverent voice OF the priest, |
over the drone of prayerful voices,
over the mournful chanting OF the |
choir. she heard or seemed to hear.
clear, triumphant. resonant, the sound
of fife end drum, the braying martial |
music Of ''The Girl Left Behind Me-"
she covered her face with her burn
ing hands. Now fierce fever. born
OF exhaustion and lack OF food, was |
throbbing through all her veins. All.
was there In wide London tonight
creature more destitute, mere lonely, |
more deadly heart-sick. than the girl
Give Darlington had left behind
NJ . -