The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-06-11
Barbara Bretton's
.s.eAmbition~~

awaits us. After seeing her you may
change your mind"
Never, Lennox! You have lost your
bet, old fellow. This picture settles
that matter forever. | may be a fool
or worse, susceptible boy, as you
appear to deem me-but to win that
woman's love / would travel to the
ends Of the earth; aye, cast my in
heritance to the winds for one smile
from those glorious eyes. But come;
now / am ready for Barbara. Never
will she have found knights armor
so invulnerable as this pictured men,
DRY will have rendered mine"
And with one backward glance the
young man followed his friend from
the room.
The curtain had but just fallen at
the end of the first act of "Camille;"
the echo OF the enthusiastic applause,
which had recalled the favorite act
ress before the curtain, had scarcely
died away as the two friends entered
the brilliantly lighted theater and
slowly wendell their way through the
throng to their box.
But it was not, as they had expected
to find 1t, empty. Seated far back
mid the shadows, where, unseen by
the audience, he could command full
view Of the stage, was man, who
looked up at their entrance, and whom
Mr.. Lennox cordially grasped by the
hand.
my friend. Doctor Hayes, Travis
Mr.. Meredith, Doctor Hayes. Glad to
see you, Dick, and still more glad that
you have taken possession. An empty
box pays Miss Breton poor compli-
ment."
zone which, II glances indicate any
thing" the stranger answered. "she is
not slow to resent. She has evidently
been expecting you, and is at loss
to understand your hardness"
Nonsense, Dick! All your own mod
esty, old fellow. The rising young
surgeon, Doctor Richard Hayes, would
quite eclipse any absent star, If he did
not pale the light Of any present lurni-
nary"
The mans face flushed as he was
thus addressed. It was dark, pale
face, whose keen, restless eyes be-
trayed a passionate depth to his ma.
ture, to which his usual calm manner
gave the contradiction.
Looking into it, one was not sur
prised at the growing fame which at
tended him in his profession, the quick
insight, the cool, calculating decision,
the unflinching, skillful handling Of
the knife, which already made older
men glad to call him into their coun-
ellis, and Outlines defer their judy
ment to his. But it was not face one
watched to soften at woman's smile,
or gladden. at the sound of children's
voices. Somewhere in that life there
had been a struggle-a fight fought,
perchance victory gained; but some
thing had been lost-something over
which a mother would have mourned,
though the world missed it not.
"You forget that | am tonight,
thanks to your courtesy, in the in
truder's place. Doubtless Miss Breton
so considers me-" he replied, in low,
musical tones, the flush dying away as
he spoke, while his eyes hastily
scanned the face and figure. not Of the
man whom he addressed, but of the
one to whom he had just been present
ed. "A beardless boy!" he muttered
to himself. Another moth 70 flutter
round the candle. Oh, that her light
should burn, even for another's de-
struction, let alone their brief dream
Of bliss!"
"How is the queen tonight"
Lennox's question reused him.
Regal, as she ever is. But hush!
the curtain is about to rise"