The Opelousas courier., 1903-05-09

then Steadylng, she continued, l nave
been very happy here. Everybody
has been so kind to me, and Bert mas
looked after me as carefully as II l
were his own sister,"
Perhaps more SO than If you were"
said the solicitor dryly, adding briskly
as the young man colored awkWardly,
well, I must be off now. l am due
at York al 2 and"
"But you will stay and have some
| lunch" said Wilmot, speaking for the
first time. 81 know Peggy-er-Lady
| Vesdris would"
Thank you, but ! am afraid that
| cannot. My train leaves at 12:49, and
| if the clock on the mantlepiece Is cor
| rect, I have just ten minutes in which
to get to the station" The solicitor
| spoke briskly. "Good-by! OF course
you must leave here, little girl, at
once. and come up to town. You have
a lot of documents to sign before you
can enter into possession of your own.
Let me see, today is Monday shall
expect you at my Office not later than
Tuesday week. Good-by! Good-by!
Remember what l said about the title
and making a suitable marriage. AS
you are one of, if not the biggest
heiress in England, you have enough
money to revive it." And so saying
the busy little solicitor walked to the
door and out of the house, pausing at
the drive gate to wave an adleu, be-
fore he stepped briskly out toward the
station. Vesdris closed the door softly
and sped lightly back to the drawing
room, where Bert had remained, with
unwonted d~iscourtesy, while she had
shown her visitor out.
He was standing by the window,
his hands thrust down into his jacket
pockets, gazing absent-mindedly out
into space. So occupied indeed was
he in his own thoughts, that he was
unaware of Vesdris' presence till
he felt her hand lightly placed on his
shoulder.
Bert" she said wistfully. "You
told me this morning that you had
something TO speak to me about-it
was just before Janet came to tel
me that Mr.. Brent was in the draw
ing room"
He turned to saze =Ss+se girl be
side him in mute agony.
Wont you tell me now what i
was you wanted to say to me dear?'
mo, I am afraid that I cannot,
he said hoarsely, as once again h
turned to look out of the window
"T-I-to tell you the truth, II for
get what l was going to say"
Don't tell a fb, Bert" she sait
quietly, as putting her arm through
his, she laid her head upon hi
shoulder. "You know really quit
we'll what you we're going to say
Won't you tell me-that is, if I reall,
want to hear?"
A faint smile stole over his fea
lures.
"You-that isl can lever tell yo1
what I was going to say, now"
! "Why?" She raised her head from
; his shoulder. "Why won't you tel
7 me now, when half an hour ago 20
: were willing to-"
l "Why?" He placed his hand o.
!. her shoulders and looked straigh
into the violet eyes raised half-shyl
to his. "a great deal has happene
! in those thirty minutes-and l wo1
: der If you would be angry with m
if said-that you have hardly bee
quite fair with me-"
: Hardly fair. Why do you sa
. that, Bert?" she asked. A faint f1us
> suffused her cheeks, mounting to tn
! very temples where her soft golde
| hair strayed in unruly curls of gol'
: why do you think that I have bee
! unfair"
!. 81 don't know why 1 should hay
. said it," he said, unless it is thu
' the world has suddenly seemed
grow cold and bitter on me-" he adj
: ed abruptly, his voice becoming cd
: ly strained. "You came to III
: Peggy Smith, nearly two years ag
. and as Peggy Smith | loved you
Cannot you see your way to 10y
- CSuk1 10 ICluuoI 10 "uSA "c ~
loved Peggy Smith," The fair. flus
u mantling her cheeks deepened I'M
a furious blush.
: "It would not be honorable on m
: part to tell her so, even if | d:
and"
: But you have" she said, a ring
u triumph in her voice. "And now wi
you explain to mt why it would n
: be honorable for you to tell Vesdr
Pendual that you love her, when ye
! could do SO without dishonor to Pegs
= Smith,
= "Ah, little woman, cannot you u
: d%erstand?" he said, fond1y. "You a.
= an heiress, and one of the richie
women in England at that; while L
. am merely the son of a countl
= squire, with a few. hundreds to ca
!, my own! AS Peggy, / might ha'
: found courage to ask you to be
He paused abruptly, to turn 81
: gaze anew out of the window.
"Yes, dear-to be what?" 81
y glanced up at his face pleadingl
Bert, to you / shall always be Peg,
Smith. Don't let money prove a bs
e rier between us! We have been
happy together, and, Bert tell me VIII
:. you were going to say"
!, "Vesdris," he interrupted hoarsel
"do you know what you are sayini
Do you know that you are temptil
~ me?.