Mexico Missouri message., 1903-04-30

pubiliOu VIII come 10 uOLhlub. III
few days Arenta viii have gone away,
and as for Hyde, any hour may sum
mon him TO join his father In Eng
land; and this summons, as It viii In
clude his mother he can neither evade
nor put on Then Rem viii have his
opportunity"
ITO be patient-to wait--to say
nothing-it is to give opportunity too
much scope"
Time and absence against any love
affair that is not destinyi And II 1t
be destiny, there is only submission,
nothing else. But life has maybe
In everything dear; a maybe that is
just as likely to please us as not"
Then Doctor John looked up with
smile. "You are right, Ava" he said
cheerfully. II will take the maybe.
Maybes have deal to do with life.
Yet, take my word for it, there is,
think, no maybe in Rem's chances
with Cornelia."
I'VE shall see. l think there is"
Rem, with the blunt directness of
his nature, watched with jealous dis
like, and often with rude impatience,
the familiar intercourse which his
aunt's partiality permitted Hyde. He
was, indeed, often so rude that a less
sweet-tempered, less just youth than
George Hyde would have pointedly re-
sented many offences that he passed
by with that noble not caring" which
is often the truest courage.
But wrath covered carries fate.
Every one was in some measure con-
scious Of danger and glad when the
wedding day approached. Even Aren.
ia had grown little weary of the
prolonged excitement she had pro-
voked, for everything had gone so
well with her that she had taken the
public very much into her confidence
And, as if to add the last touch Of
glory to the event, just a week be-
fore Arenta's nuptials q French armed
frigate came to New York bearing
dispatches for the Count de Moustier,
and the Marquis de Tounnerre was
selected to bear back to France the
Minister'S message. So the marriage
was put forward a few days for this
| end, and Arenta in the most unexpect-
ed way obtained the bridal journey
which she desired, and also with it
the advantage of entering France in
a semi-public and stately manner.
81 am the luckiest girl in the
world" she said to Cornelia and her
brother when this point had been de-
cided They were tying up dream
cake" for the wedding guests In
madames queer, uncanny drawing
room as she spoke, and the words
were yet on her lips when madame
entered with a sandal wood box in
her hands.
REM" she said, "go with Cornelia
into the dining room for a few min
utes. | have something to say to
Arenta that concerns no one else"
AS soon as they we're alone madame
opened the box and upon white vel
vet cushion lay the string of oriental
| pearls which Arenta on certain occa-
sions had been permitted to wear.
Arenta's eyes flashed with delight.
With an intense desire and interest
she looked at the beautiful beads, but
madame's face was troubled and SOM
Der, and she said almost reluctantly:
"Arenta, am going to make you an
offer This necklace, will be yours
when die, at any rate; but l think
there Is in your heart wish to have
it now. And as you are going to what
is left Of the French court, / will give
It to you now, If the gift viii be to
your mind"
fThere is nothing that could be
more to my mind, dear aunt. You
always know what is in a young girls
heart"
First, listen to what I say. No
woman of our family has escaped cal
amity of some kind, If they owned
these beads. My mother lost her hus-
band the year she received them. My
Aunt Hildegarde lost her fortune as
soon as they were hers AS for my
self, they very day the became mine
our Uncle Jacobus sailed away and
he has never come back Are you
not afraid of such fatahty?"
"No. / am not. What power can a
few beads have over human life or
happiness? To say so, to think so,
is foolishness."
II know not. Yet / have heard that
both pearls and opalB have the power
TO attract TO themselves the III for.
tune Of their wearers,"
"Do you believe such tales, aunt7
do not. snap my fingers at such
fables"
GIVE them to you. will not, Aren
ta; but you may take them from the
box with your own handaD
The madame left the room and
Arenta lifted the box and carried Il
nearer to the light And a little shiyeI
crept through her heart and che
closed the lid quickly and said irTt
tahly:
1T Is my aunts words She 4.
always speaking dark and doubtful
things However. the pearls are min,
at lastl" and she carried them viii
her downstairs, throwing back hel
head as II they were round her whit.