The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-02-23

reached at last, Mrs. Maxwell took her
girls to the Grand hotel. unconscious:y
Mabel felt her spirits droop. Was this
the end then? Was she never to re-
cover her heart?
4 week slipped by uneyentfully, and
as the girl dressed one night for din
ner at the embassy a sigh rose to her
lips How stupid such things We're!
In the same uninterested mood she fol-
lowed her mother into the brilliantly
lighted room. There the sight Of a
tall young fellow caused her heart to
beat violently for second, then stop.
1t could not be he! But the man. turn
ing, caught sight or her, and selling
his opportunity drew her behind the
heavy curtains of convenient win
dow. For moment both stared with
out speaking. A familiar voice from
without broke the silence.
"No, no. The man | mean Is tall,
and some people might call him good
looking were it not for his lack of
last week He could not be Sir Nigers
nephew. Why. he hasn't penny"
His companion laughed.
"Yet l fear, just the same, that 1t
would be Sir Nigel's nephew that you
mean. He left here awhile ago for
home and then suddenly for no rhyme
or reason turns back at Bergen and. as
YOU say, arrives without Il penny. 1t is
| lust like Lionel Carteret Yet | suspect
| there must be something at the bottom
| of it. Were there any pretty girls In
| your party?"
But Renfrew was past speech.
Miss Maxwell, in whose eyes dawn
Ing wonder had banished aught else,
| glanced swiftly at the stricken Car
teret, but at his expression of mingled
entreaty and conscious guilt the cor
ners of her mouth began to curve re
lentingly. A quick gleam OF amuse
ment shot through her astonishment.
"And-and you really did have my
heart all the time, then?' she queried
demurely. Carteret bent forward.
Have To- he demanded. Have /
indeed?" The girl rcddened.
"Of course mean the gold one she
retorted. Carteret produced the tiny
golden symbol.
Il saw you in shop at Bergen h'
confessed shamefacedly. "And then
found this and it seemed message O
hope. At least it told me that you wer'
free. Would you have had me give !
back without try? Did your chal
lenge mean nothing?"
challenger? repeated the girl.
"Is it not challenge to fate?" Open
ing the locket, he showed a paper in
scribed with two words, ITO let" TIL
girl, uttering little cry, felt the colo
flooding even to the tendrils of curl
brown hair.
81 had forgotten" she gasped. "Rit
put it there one day for joke, and
had forgotten. You opened it. then ?
with keen reproach. Carteret laughed
Il had to try for some eiew,' he dt
clared, with cheerful lack of contr
, ton. "I was not sure at first that
belonged to you, and when discovere
, the fact somehow took my finding &
IL us All Oiucil w dS w ioiAS LIS eoh
: changing suddenly. SHOULD | hay
given it back? Must l do so now?
| there no chance that might ever mex
your requirements for tenant owne
what you will? Won't you speak
} me?' as the girls lashes futtered VI
D certainly "Ah, Miss Maxwell-Mab'
answer me-"
;. Almost the first present that Sir LII
4 mel Carteret gave to his fiancee was
r tiny heart all set in diamonds, and hit
: den within 1t, neatly folded, was sl1
: of paper, on which was heavily pei
( ciled the word Taken"
4