Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-12-10

OA&O 1890 - 49,
own room. There she found my lady
still standing in the enter of tho floor.
just as she had left her. And the bril-
liant gasIight fell upon her thin. sharp
drawn old face, end showed 1t corpse
like In its pallor. rigid and frozen in Its
terrified dismay.
She held out her hands as the girl
approached her. with a helpless. pitt
fui gesture, painfully foreign to the
proud lady OF Blackcastie. She did
not sob or cry out, but when she spoke
it was in a queer, hard, heart-broken
voice.
"Oh, Cynthia!.my boy. my boy!"
Come" she answered, and led her
gently away.
To the dulled brain slowly struggling
to consciousness in the room beyond,
those desolate words penetrated.
Where was she? What had happen
ed? What did 1t all mean?
All. yesi she remembered-remem
hered. She had heard voices talking
talking OF Clive-and she had lain
and listened! And the strange words
had blended with the stranger fanta-
sizes in her mind-the fantasies evoked
by fever! And at last they said-what
was that they had said2-that she
she, Laurie Lisle, was dead!
How could that be when she could
hear them say so? And she had risen
and had crept-oh, 50 slowlyi-acrcss
the floor; and then they said that Give
that Give Oh. yes. yes. yes; she
remembered And agitated by the
effort of memory, she once more shiv.
cred back among her pillows. white as
a lily In a snowdrlft.
The night ebbed on. A soft, pink
light reigned in the pretty. azure 0
The fire en- the bright hearth frolicked
and whispered. And whenever the
clock on the mantel called the hours,
it laughed out in a silver waltz.
Without, the wind died down In low
~snarling; the rain grew lighter. and
finally ceased altogether; a faint gray
ness came into the air.
And SO the day broke over Black
castle. And when the first pale streaks
of light stole between the silken cur
tains, the CLEANS of returning reason
crept through the darkened easement
of a soul.
She was beginning to think. Six
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS! And the house
was astir. The breakfast bell n
and one by one the guests sauHtesed
down to the cosy morning room. whose
CHEEKY atmosphere babe defiance tc
the dreary day without.
They were almost all assembled.
when the door opened to admit Miss
L ennox. She wore the same tight.
fitting black dress she had worn the
previous night, but now there was no
speck of color, no single jewel about
her to relieve its sombreness. Her
beautiful. naughty face vas resolutely
composed.
They looked up as she entered and
greeted her with a welcoming volley
of words. But Cyril Darlington start
ed as he saw her. Was that the FRdi-
ant, sparkling. bright-lipped girl he
had talked with a few hours before
that quiet, colorless, weary woman?
why. Miss Lennoxi" some
called out. you are ILL.,"
"Oh, mol" she said, and shook her
head, II am not i'll; but--hear that
child!"
They all knew how completely the
little madcap without had crept into
C~ynthia's heart. So a smile went
round at sound OF a flying foot on the
stairs and the ring OF a fresh, round
voice:
"Gin a body meet a body
Comm thro' the rye,
Gin q body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
fik a lassie haze her laddie,
Name they say hae t."
"And II they do, I tell you what,
It's q COMPOUNDED lie!"
chimed In VIII Wees, as ne cIatterei
| down the hall.
The door was flung wider: they
came into the breakfast room; and
Baby grew as red as q bramble-rose
before the glances of merrily-mocking
eyes, the pitiless smiling Of quizzical
lips. the final hearty chorus or ire
pressible laughter.
"Dont, pleased" Will pleaded, with
boyish brevity; and sat down. half
abashed. half-defant, wholly confused.
1t was not till breakfast was over
and they were about to separate that
Miss Lennox said what she had come
down TO say.
II know You will all be sc-sg to
hear" she said simply. that which |
am Obliged TO tell you. A sorrow. a
very great sorrow. has fallen upon
Lady Carrington-a dark and heavy
shadow upon Blackcastle! Only last
night did we receive tidings OF the
death Of her son. Sir Give Darlington.
who persisted on board the ship Dol
phin."
A murmur OF startled dismay ran
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