The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-28


e memory as she. How she must haT
: loved him."
~Duchessi Yes. she might have ha
her choice Of two or three coronets a
a the least. Everybody knows how on
g best and noblest men have sued in vain
} She wins almost as much admiration a
her daughter now"
Hush. they viii hear you. Good az
( ternoon."
"A fine day, Lady Annabel ! have /
/ word for you from Bath"
The muffied figure bent forward ye
farther. How the eye glittered With (
lustre feverish and unnatural!
Lady Annabel collinwood, Eleanor
mother"
AT the very name came the food Of
old emotion. sweeping away the breast
work that for FIVE years OF strenuous
toll. OF stupendous exertion, had been
closely guarded, lest a single wave
should overlap the restraining barrier
No wonder Walter yern0n-Signo1
Vermont be had allowed the Italians tc
call him. and the name came with his
fame to England-no wonder he gazed
with breathless interest as the group
advanced, to see for the first time Lady
Annabel CoIlinwoodl
He could have selected her from a
crowd Of ladies' as fair and graceful as
shea slender, pale-faced woman, with
a well-bred. quiet grace. deep. mournful
eyes-not like Eleanor's, blue and
sunny. but dim and dark as the mid
night sea, carrying with her a name
less. invisible and yet potent atmos-
phere OF refinement and purity. This
he saw at first, but a second look show
ed him flashes Of light corruscating
over the dim iris. and making the eye
resplendent; waves OF rich thought
breaking over the symmetrical features.
and slorifying them with light and
shade of eloquent meaning; smiles rare
and seldom, but wonderful and magical
when they came, arching into beauty
the lips that we're Eleanor's own. He
felt at once the spell by which Lady
Annabel still swayed all hearts. al
though more than forty years had pass
ed over her smooth, fair forehead. She
was leaning lightly upon the dukes
arm, but her attention was given to the
young viscount, who was relating in his
lively way the meeting with the cour-
teous admiral
The tall figure and massive head Of
the noble duke concealed the couple
who walked behind, and Walter was
obliged to wait until Lady Annabel and
her companion turned to the pictures
before he beheld her for whom his heart
had sighed so long
Eleanor was only sixteen when they
parted upon the far-off Pacific. Five
years, replete with the important
change from girlhood to womanhood,
had passed would she seem thesgame?
His beating heart nearly suffocated
him as Walter once more gazed upon
Lady Eleanor Collinwood.
All, the reliefl-it was still his Ellie.
though the youthful grace and beauty
had ripened into matured perfection
though the slender form had grown
more stately, and the girlish diffidence
had merged into calm. self-possessed
dignity-a well-bred grace that the is
land experience could never have given
her. Still the soft blue eyes wore their
guileless look Of pleading innocence;
the sweet lips dimpled with the very
smile poor Tom had so often compared
to the nrst sunbeam that ghstened
through the cloud over The sea, when
the "Petrel" lay wreck among the
reefs.
How swiftly his pulse leaped, his eye
burned! Would that smile ever beam
for him again? Not breath of intelli-
gence had passed between them since
their parting; forall he knew she might
have forgotten his very existence. He
could test it speedily. And then, with |
Jealous rage, the unknown artist turned
to her companion, on whose handsome
face so plainly was written his devoted |
admiration. There was manly, high
bred air about him that pierced poor |
w dAkCl llAC q bWOLns 4lC WIS EUUQg ut !
was noble, he was worthy Of her-that
could be read at glance No wonder
she listened so graciously 70 his anima-
ted words.
With a stifed groan Walter turned
away. Duke, marquis, noble lord
whichever he was, he had a right to
offer his homage and suit; but for the
plebeian painter, where was there any
hope, any plea whereby to win the favor
of that high-born, aristocratic mother
even though Eleanor herself were true
to that voluntary promise-"I will
waitfor you?
The black folds of Lady Annabers
dress swept across his feet. and while
the hot blood mounted his cheeks Wal
ter bent his head, as though his pre-
thoughts were laid bare be-
t3re that sad. dark eye.
Then a single word In Eleanors we'll
known voice came to his ear-it was
hurried, agitated. vehement So we'll
he understood every tone Of that be-
loved voice. be knew something had
stnssied be-, and yet she had spoken
but one Mother!"
What is 1t, my lover" asked Lady
turning at once where her
y