The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-12-17
| Curse ., Darlington
= BY X TEMPLE MOORE.

By X. TEMPLE MOORE.

| ingly.
YES" she repeated slowly, "a child
Ia beautiful child"
Then she turned away and looked
out at the beautiful snow flakes, ap
parently occupied with her own
| thoughts.
"You have heard" she said at last
in a queer, low tone, "of the ter. lble
blow which has fallen upon me?"
She touched her black dress as she
spoke.
'Yes, madam"
81 have been sitting here for hours, 4"
she said, dreamily, more to herself
than to her companion, "out not alone.
Phantoms-the phantoms Of the past
have kept me company"
There could be no more convincing
proof of her shocked and broken pride
than was evidenced by this strange
violation Of her habitual reticence.
ct seems to come home to me ev-
cry day, every hour, with keener and
more awful pain, the knowledge Of
my loss. And there never was boy
like my boy--never! Never one so
brave and lionhearted and high-spir
tied; so gentle and tender, and low
ing! LoOk-this is his picture!"
she had begged it of Cynthia, only
last night. Now she drew it from be-
meath the heavy folds of Grape which
covered her bosom, and opening the
locket of dull gold, held 1t out to the
girl before her.
She clutched It with almost feverish
eagerness, and holding II so that the
reflection of the blazing sea-coal fire
fell upon 1t, bent above it.
All, how well. how we'll she knew It!
that proudly.poised head, those pas
sionate, midnight eyes; that firm,
frank. gravcly smiling mouth.
"Ah, my love!" she whispered, and
drew her breath sharply-"my own
love!"
did you speak, Miss Athertoh?"
She relinquished the locket, hurried
ly, and sank back in her chair, with
a shake of her head.
Without, the last CLEAN Of daylight
had vanished. but still the snow was
falling.
Within, the shadows doomed darker
and darker. But ever as they deepened
the fire leaped redder and redder in
challenge, and drove them
back, defeated.
Something in the very silence of the
girl near her seemed tacit sympathy to
the elder woman, for she talked on and
on, as sno had never talked even to
Cynthia.
She told anecdotes Of Gives child
hood and boyhood; she related in.
stances which, IL reckless, at least
proved indisputably his most exquisite
and chivalrous sense of honor.
The shadows and the freight were
fighting a royal battle, and their min
gled purple and scarlet checkered the
room, when my lady began to speak,
in lower voice. of the woman her son
had loved.
The recital OF anything so personal
and so private was wholly unlike her,
but she was In every way wholly I'M
like her old self tonight.
He was going to India with his reg
iment and he came down to Blackcas-
tie to say goodbye to Cynthia and
me. That evening-the very evening
OF his arrival--he told me he was en-.
gagged to girl whom he loved deeply,
madly. Her name was rather peculiar
Laurence Lisle!"
The quiet. dropping figure opposite
made neither sound nor motion She
sat perfectly still. her hands tightly
locked together, her hair glinting to
Pure gold in the fireshine.
al was stunned. Istrove to argue. to
reason with him; but struggling
against his fawless faith and wild en-.
thusiasm was like beating back with
weak hands mighty sea-"
And still her listener did not move
or speak--only sat there. like statue
carved from black marble.
II don't know what makes me tell
you ell this" she went on, YEARLY.
Perhaps 1t Is because must speak of
IL a. any COSt, anu W Syhthtd udtc
not! Well The is dead; must remem-
Der thstD-well. we parted as we had
never ported bcforc--in anger"
Let her go on. Laurie Isle told her
self. fercely-let oer go on! When
she was quite through she would tell
this proud dame that the time for ex.
posture had come: that she knew--she
knew: that II was Carrington--a
Darlington OF B!ackcastle-her son at
that-who should have been manacled.
scourged and chained to a workbench
in the galleys of Toulon. Let her 60
ON!
"For. you see, he vowed to marry
this woman he loved, even after had
told what she was--the child Of"
"Ah-hi"
The piercing cry rang through the
room. The girl had sprung to her
feet, startled, startled, shaking, erect.
Her eyes. wild and dilated. were rivet.
ed on the window
Against the pane was pressed
face!--white. handsome. awfully hag-
gard. framed In by masses Of black
hair. and with hollow, blazing eyes
glaring straight into her own.