The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-09
CHAPTER INV.
THE OWLS SCREECH.

| dellciously OGOrouS hOt-houSe flowers,
| leaving almost in shadow the room sur
| rounding them, with it's Wainscotting of
! old OAK, above which hung ancient
| tapestries representing alleSorical sub
| jects.
Edith, who had been taken into din
| ner by Godfrey, sat beside him, her
gown, of some soft lustreleSs material
the color of dead gold, contrasting
the fairness of her gracefully curved
shoulders. A faint pink tint. like the
| heart of blush rose, was just visible
through the transparency of her COM
| pleNion, and her eyes shone with the
mystic light of happiness. Her only
ornament was Il string of pearls clasped
about her beautifully rounded throat
She was in the strange position of
| sitting at table with three men, each of
whom had asked her to be his wife
| They whom she had refused would
| have been more than human had they
forgotten their hopes of winning her
They glanced from her, With her eX-
preston of unrestrained and undis
| guiSed joyOuSnesS, to him whose coun-
tenance showed his triumphant salts
| faction, and felt their blood stirred
with burning jealousy, With bitter dis
quatude.
Il thought your friend, Signor Ven
etc. most interesting" Lady Bysshe
said to Dunstan, being anxious to rouse
|
he had fallen. rs he still on the verge
of great discoveries"
She smiled at him with her gracious.
aifectlonate manner, and he turned
| toward her responsive to the sympathy
he intuitively knew she felt for his
wounded love; and admrng her hand
some, regular features with their eX-
| preston of intelligence and humor, and
her we'll set, Dortly figure clad in violet
velvet, with amethysts clasping her
arms and throat.
"Signor Veneto still believes in the
! unknown power of electricity. To him
| ii is Il Genii, who il only captured, can
! work Miracles he told her.
Like that poor DR.. Zoffani who is
certain he will one day be able to make
| gold from lead"
Il heard of him when | was in Italy,
but never saw him"
"Dreamers," calculated the count.
1T is dreamers who make the worlds
! history, remarked DunStan. Their
dreams are suggestions on which others
! act"
My dear FRIEND" the count replied.
! as he turned his vacant eyes toward
| him, Il did not use the word disparag-
| ingly. Our dreams, whether by day or
night, are the result of imagination:
and without it what should we be :?
Mere human machines. BESIDES. l am
! myself Il dreamer
What do you dream of, papa ?"
asked Edith.
Strange things he replied.
Tell us of them" Lady Bysshe en-
treated.
That would be impossible" he said.
MS handsome race becoming unusually
thoughtful. our dreams are the
secrets OF our SOULS
But have your dreams never become
| actuaiities? asked DunStan.
"Oh, yes; some of them have-some
of them" the count admitted.
Il thought they must
why, Why" the count asked, with
abrupt anxiety.
oh, simply because it's Il theory Of
mine that ones dreams, or in other
| words ones desires. if persisted ill., be-
! come realities--though not always" he
added, remembering his own disap
! pointment.
! The momentary silence that followed
| his words was broken by the barrister
| who plunged into witty story regard
| ing Well-known judge and his singu-
| lar dream, and the conversation went
brisllly enough for the remainder of the
meal.
In the drawing room later on, all
! seemed to join in making the last
| night of the year merry An expert
ment in thought reading was proposed
| by Max, who had lately seen some
| wonderful exhibitions of this power.
| but it was objected to by the count.
| who dislilled dabbling in such matters,
and it was rejected in favor of music,
| the count playing Beethoven and Cho-
PIN and Edith singing some old Eng
| fish ballads that seemed ineXpressibly
! sweet as given by her fresh Young
voice.
The applause that followed one of
these was suddenly broken by the clash
of distant church bells. All started,
not knowing it was so near midnight.
They are ringing out the old year"
said Max.
May l open one of the windows so
that we may hear them better?"
The rain had ceased but the sky was
impenetrable and a heavy density hung
above the blurred earth.
| They stood round the open window.
within the warm, well-lighted room,
i listening to the bells in silence as if
the peal brought each a message that
went straight to the heart Suddenly
in brief lull u sound was heard like
stified scream. Edith started, and
asked what it was.
Max laughed boyishly. as if enjoying
her fright Its only he exniainad
one of the owls that build in the wv
covering the wing where we sleep.
! They sometimes wake me at night
and make my blood run cold. Don't
you think they ought to be done away
with?"
NO, no." Edith answered, 81 have
always been fond of owls, and | hone
nobody will interfere with them"
Il fear, dear, you may catch cold"
said her aunt. Let us close the win
dow, and wish each other happy new
year before we disperse.'
| But we ought not to dsperse with
i out drinking to the health and happi
ness of each other" the count sug-
T! gested.
''Of course not" responded Edith
| turning to where the servants had al
ready placed wines and whiskey and
SYMPTOMS on a side table; and in ii mo-
ment. acting on his fathers hint, Max
had uncorked bottle of champagne
and filled the glasses which DunsIan
| handed round.
Here" the count proposed, as he
rose, from bis chair. here is peace and
good will to ali men,
! Godfrey said.
With sunshine III our lives" added
Lady Bysshe.
The lovers glances met. Max and
| Dunstan kept silent and drained their
| glasses with downturned lids.
a moment later and Edith and her
aunt had retired. but not before the
/ latter had Whispered to Godfrey that
| she would presently return.
she had not been gone ten minutes
! before the drawing room door opened
again and she came in saying, You
must forgive my feminine curiosity,
Godfrey, but I'm sure 1 couldn't sleep
until had seen the jewels. Do bring
! them down and let us have private
| view"
Taking the key from his watch
chain he unlocked it, and first brought
out the morocco case containing the
bracelet of diamonds and sapphires
which was his birthday gift to his fan
| Gee.