Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-27
She shook her head. "No. mop

same AT Greenway Court, there where
the leaves were fal!ng-I wish it could
have been so always, us two, in the
| forest-you were kinder and not SO cold
to me!'
Marquis" There was splendor of
color in her face, bent sweet to him.
Her eyes, tinted and lustrous, We're
gay beneath the warm glmmer of her
hair.
"Marquis!" repeated the young man,
| flushing. 81 was not that to you in the
forest. l found then that you were
not like the ladies of my land, who
know naught save grandeur and titles,
but that you could be above such
things, that you were such one us 1
have dreamed must be somewhere.
ask you only to be to me as you were
then-as you were that day when the
governor came back-when sat with
you on the hillside. Can you forget,
mademoiselle, that am not just the
same that l was then?"
you are so much more. Then did
not know who you Were"
II would the governor had not COME"
he said. II would have remained to
you just the same as had been-the
same as when for one moment I held
you in the broken coach, and that mo-
ment when opened my eyes at Green
way Court and saw your face!"
She felt her hands trembling her
heart beating its way through her
breast. His voice was very low as he
went on:
"a man finds some time the one of
all the world he would not have cold
to him. He may never have seen her
her whom he has looked for all his life
the woman in his heart! But he al
ways knows her when he hears her
speak! He can never know when or
where that may be. 1t is at the ball or
walking in the street or riding in a
coach. That day, mademoiselle-and
it was before you knew-I was just
M. Armand, not the Marquis de la
Trouerie. l was not great then, but
just man-and unworthyp'
"No," she said, her tone tremulous;
mot unworthy. That night at the
tavern in Winchester-that was the
bravest thing had ever seen-the
noblest! Do you think anything, any
thing, could make me forget that?"
"And you would have come to me!
But now-but now
She looked at him with little vi
brant thrill of pride. How sweetly
blind he was! "Now?" she asked.
"Now can only ask you to remem-
Der that 1t was NJ. Armand, not the
marquis, who knelt to you when you
laid your hand on his head that night
at Winchester, with the whippoorwill
and the moonlight, and who told you
what he is trying to tell you now, what
he tried to tell you when you saw him
lying at Greenway Court, only you
would not listen"
She turned to him a look that was all
melting, all tenderness, all confusion of
impulses, look that caught him and
held him spellbound.
"You kissed me-" cried Armand in
triumphant voice. "You kissed me! 1t
was not dream! Look in my eyes"
She looked at him, paling, feeling her
hands imprisoned in his own. He
laughed with low, fierce delight, for
her breath was quick, her eyes like
mist and fire.
do you love me?" he brestted,
sudden pas Won leap1ng in his voiceS.s
"Do you love me?" He caught her
close to him. The whole world turned
beneath her feet, and the stars shook.
''Afy gold rose! Tell me! Is it so?,
She moved her head with q mingled
gesture of pride, of shame Of yielding.
Of assent Then with a little cry, fright
ened yet joyful. she felt his arms, mas
terful. draw her close to him and stood
trembling, joyous, wave of love en-.
quilting her.
ANSWER me-" he said. 1.-THE night
we sat in the rustic house and the sun
was big red flower closing. You re.
member what asked your"
"Yes."
"If the man you loved-if I-should
come to be mean and unworthy before
the world"-
But you are not"
"If were?"
"My kingw
"1f you saw me sneered at, despised.
but still loving, still worshiping"-
Il would love you! l would love
you"
A light came over his face, brilliant
and pale. with the love that is the
all, that is greater than the world, that
is above station, above honors, above
name? That outlasts them all?"
Her arms went up about his neck,
and their lips met in first long kiss
"All," she whispered. CAL! All! Lou
is! My belovedr
Anne peered into the warm library of
GLADDEN. Hall. all aglow with her
strange new delight. The fire was low,
and doming embers made the dusk
rosy and uncertain. She smiled as she
saw the dim figure sitting with feet
outstretched. just the top of the DOW.
dered peruke showing over the back of
the big chair.
With her finger on her lips In that in
stinctive pantomilne that belongs to
woman, she stole across the floor on
tptoe and, swooping suddenly, clapped
her cold palms over the eyes of the soil
tary occupant and laughed gayly as he
started and put warm hands to her
chill ones.
II have a secret to tell you," she
breathed with huttering laugh, land
you mustn't look at me when 1 say it.
wonder If any one IN Virginia can be
Ms happy us l am. The Marquis de la
| TrOuerie-uncle he has ns,ed mo IN
wed HIM
She ended with subdued scream
and, stumbling, went back few steps,
for the figure that had risen from the
chair was not Colonel Tillotson. Even
in the dim light as she retreated she
could see the glare Of flaming malice
In his look and the sneer curling his
full lips.
II tell you, Captain Jarrat," she said
in wave of fierce anger. II hate you!
l hate your face and your crafty ways!
| cha auIaf1 OF hn,, foot duo