Middletown transcript., 1905-02-04
!. TROUBLESOME LENORE +.
BY MARGOT MAUDE


yonr word, Lenore-that is all that yo'l
can do now Don't lead any more men
on to this T.
n feel AZ if | never wanted to speak
to man again But yon Will really
forgive meY' She came closer To him,
and looked up at him with beseechIng
eyes. They were such lovely eyes y
was no wonder that Captain Perciyal
should find it hard to forget them.
Il will forgive you, child A few
angry words are not much to forgive.
You haven't broken my heart T. he said
rather bitterly.
.He said he furgaye ME too," she said.
in a low voice.
'He is more forgiving than should
have been, then! Goodnight. Lenore
You had better 60 to bed now You look
as if YOU had bad headache.
II have bad headache. and bad
heartaclle, and every other ache, she
said, with her rather reckless laugh.
"But | deserve them all. Goodnight,
cousin Angus, and thank you for being
20 kind to me !"
CHAPTER VII
After that evening the time passed
quietly at Frewely. Lenore was silent
and depressed, and very careful in her
treatment Of any man who came to the
house. Dick Farquhar was staying in
tile neighborhood, and showed . wish
to follow in Captain PercivaPs footsteps,
but not even her mother could accuse
Lenore Of encouraging him. To Dick
the utter change in her manner was
amazing aud maddening. What had he
done? He pestered her with questions,
and met her unsmiling short answers
with angry reproaches. 1t was the very
worst treatment that she could have
adopted, so far as he was concerned. II
she had continued to smile on him, az
he was accustomed to being smiled upon,
he might have changed his mind, for
lie was exceedingly tickle; but, when
he saw that Lenore was apparently de-
termined to have nothing more to do
with him, he Immediately made up his
mind that she had encouraged him, that
she was treating him vilely, and that
his only wish was to marry her.
Lenore met him again at dinner
party. and there he showed his feelings
plainly. Angus had said that Lenore
was to go, if she were invited, and Agnes,
despite her determination that her daugh-
ter should not 60 out, could not refuse.
Already there had been many whispers
through the neighborhood about Captain
PercivaPs rejection and disappearance.
The Moncktons had not scrupled to lay
all the blame on Lenore's shoulders,
and many people had since regarded
her c0oll,.
Dick Farquhar followed her about like
a shadow. In desperation, she turned
t. stranger and talked to him. She
was very angry with Dick, for she had
really given him very little encourage.
ment.
She was truly thankful when Angus
told her, two days later, that he had
forbidden Dick to make her conspicuous
any more by his demonstrative attentions.
81 said / wouldn't have it = he de
clared. "You don't care for HING"
mot in the least and ! am alway'
afraid that mnther may think that
am to blame, but in this case ] really
am not y
''No-in this case you were unusually
and beautifully innocent of offence"
Mother is beginning to speak to me
again." the girl continued more brightly
If she would only believe that really
mean what I say-tlat nothing will in
duce me to flirt again -
pride goes before fall" he answered
lightly; but keep your word. Lenore,
for the sake Of us ALL"
But, after only two days more, lie war
scolding her fercely.
"This is what comes Of trusting tC
your word Y lie said angrily. They were
alone in the drawing-room, and had just
returned from aarden-party. It had
rained persistently all the afternoon
and the guests had been driven into
the house to amuse themselves as best
they could.
do you not call it flirting TO spend
the whole afternoon in the picture gallery
alone with Colonel Ferrers?''
Colonel Ferrers! But lie is old enough
to be my father Y
HE is not too old to fall in love witl
you. It is easy enough to see that
he has already done so. Why do you
do it, Lenore? You know how it vexe,
your mother-how it tortures mer
"Tortures you r. Lenore looked nE
with real alarm. Her face turned very
white and then crimson. "Cousin An
gus y
''Yes"-he spoke recklessly now-'you
taunted me once, do you remember
You said, Look to yourself, are you q
perfect? ! am going to show you now
what yon have made Of my honor! N
that is not fair /! Here too you are
blameless. Is it your fault il love yot
too?'
~You love me too?' She repeated
his words in a dazed fashion. cousin
Angus, you must be mad-this cam
be true =
Because |, too, am old enough tc
be your father? | am not quite that
But still am too old to have any hopei
that yon Senld care for me-"
Not because of that r. cried the gir
quickly, and then flushed even more
deeply red. "But-I have believed il
you 50 musili Mother has always spoken
OF You as if you we're the soul Of honor
and-you are engaged to Lady May r.
Il am engaged to Lady May. Do yo,
remember your telling me that you did
not believe We cared rap for one an
other? That too was true, and yet We