Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-11-04
CHAPTER X.-fCon,:cuedI

CHAfIEh N.-tCnnt:Iued.|
VI loved my aunt very dearly. Mr..
Lansdell." she said: $50 dearly that
could endure a great deal for her sake:
but cannot endure the insoence of her
son."
And then she swept out of the room.
leaving her cousin standing alone In
sunlit window with the spring brcezes
blowing In upon him. and the shrill voice
OF woman crying primroses sounding
in the street below.
He went home. dispirited. dishearted.
ed, doubtful of himself. doubtful Of all
the world; and early the next morning he
received letter from his cousin. coolly
releasing him from his enga cement. The
experience Of yesterday had proved that
they were unsutcd to each other, she
said: 1t was better that they should part
now, while II was possible for them
TO part friends. Nothing could be more
dignified or more decided than the dis.
missal.
MIR. Lansdcll put the letter In his
breast; the pretty perfumed letter. the
elegant. ladylike letter, which recorded
MS sentence without blot or blister,
without one uncertain line to mark whore
the hand had trcmbled.
The hand may have trembled, never.
eheless; for Gwlendoline was lust the
woman to write a dozen copies Of her
letter rather than send one that bore the
iaintest evidence Of her weakness. 70.
iond put the letter In his breast and re-
signed himself to his fate. He was
great deal too proud to appeal against
MS cousins decree; but he had loved her
very sincerely, and II she had recalled
him, he would have gone back to her and
would have forgiven her.
He lounged and dawdlcd away his
time In drawing rooms and boudolrs, on
moonIit balconies, In shadowy orange
groves, beside the ripping Arno, In the
colonnades Of Venice, on the Partisan
boulevards. under the lime trees Of Der.
lin, In any region where there was life
and color and sayety. and the bright.
ness Of beautiful faces, and where a
man OF a naturally gloomy temperament
might forget himself and be amused.
Mr.. Lansdell's life abroad was neither
2 good nor useful one. Il was an arti.
ncial kind Of existence, with spurious
orilliancy-a life whose brightest mo.
ments but poorly compensated for the
dismal reaction that followed them.
Now. In the bright July sunshine
Gwendoline and her cousin lounged upon
the lawn, and talked Of old pleasures
and old acquaintance, and the things
that happened to them when they were
young. IL the lady ever cherished any
hope that Roland would return TO his
allegiance, that hope was now utterly
vanished. Hc has forgiven her for ali
the past. and they are friends and frat
cousins again; but there IL no room for
hope that they can ever be ngan what
they have been. A man who can for.
give no generously must have long ceased
to love; that strange madness, 40 nearly
allied to hatred, and jealousy. and rage,
and despair has no kindred with forgive.
ness. Gwendoline knew that her chance
was gone, and there was n secret bitter
ness In her heart when she thought Of
It. and she was jealous Of her cousins
regard. and exacting In her manner Il
him.
Gwcndolino catechiscd him rattle,
closely as to what no had done with
himself upon the previous afternoon; and
he told her very frankly that he had
strolled into uurstonleigh Grove to see
Mr.. Raymond, and had spent an hour OF
two talking with his old friend, while
Mr.. and Mrs. Gilbert and the children
enjoyed themselves, and prepared rus
tic tea.
ut was very pretty. Gwendoline. I as
sure you" no said. Mrs. Gilbert made
ten aud we drank Il In q scalding state
and the two children were oil OF d
greasy radiance with bread and butter
The doctor seems to be an excellent Eel
low"
"Oh, the doctor! that's Mr.. Gilbert, Il
Il not Z" said Gwendoline; "and what Dc
you think Of his wife. Roland! Yor
must have formed some OPINION upor
that subject, l should think, by the
manner In which you stared at her"
"Did l stare at herr" cried Mr. Lans
dell, with supreme carelessness. II dare
say I did; I always stare at pretty WON
en-. Yes, I admire Mrs. Gilbert, and
like to look at her. don't suppose she'i
any better than other people, but she's
a great deal prettier. A beautiful piec'
of animated wax work. with little ma
chinery inside, just enough to make 0nt
say, Yes. II you please. and NO. thani
you.' A lovely nOnentity with yellow
black eyes. Did you observe her eyesY
"No!" Gwendoline answered sharply
~ observed nothing except that she wal
4 very dowdy looking person. What Il
MI. Raymond's motive for taking hsl
upf He's always taking up some extra
ordinary person
"But Mrs. Gilbert II not an extraordi
nary person; she's very stupid and com
monpiace. She was nursery maid Of
nursery governess. or something Of tina
Kind, to that dear good Raymond's pen
uilsas nieces."
There was no more said about Mr.. ant
Mr.. Gilbert. Gwend0line did not car,
to talk about these common people. VIII,
came across her duh pathway. and rob
he'd her of some few accidental rays o.
that light which was now the only radl
ancs upon earth for her-the light Of he
cousins presence.
"He loved me once" she thought. a,
abe sat In the summer twilight. watchinI
her cousin strolling on the lawn, LOOKING
10 tired-sO tired Of himself and every
thing In the world. "He loved me once
Il Is something to remember that"
CHAPTER NJ.
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