Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-04-21
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.
Sunday at Mallingford Park. The
house was full Of visitors. Small sttlcs
on the top story which had never been
slept In since the great doings Of thirty
nine years bsfors. when the late Dir
Paul came OF age, were all occupied
now. for Lord Summers having express
cd a wish that Miss Mslling's majority
should be marked by htting festivities.
that lady had thrown herself heartily
Into the project.
1t was close. sitting dag, and there
was a faint. white mist on the park
lands, and an intense stiffness In the air.
which proved very trying to the majority
of Miss Mslling's guests after luncheon.
They ssuntered out Of the reception
rooms by twes and threes, and sought
the quiet Of their own apartments until
the ground floor looked quite deserted.
Pauline's health was generally rood
but she, too, felt brea thlsss lanruor
to-day and determined to enjoy the after
noon In her own rooms She removed
the gorgeous toilet which had gladden.
ed the eyes Of the villagers In church
that morning and replaced II By a light
cashmere gown.
THE last Sunday that shall be
known to the world 50 Miss Mailing"
she unused. Before this time next week
Jack and will be away from here
happy in each others society, and in
the certainty that nothlHr on earth can
ever separate us. Nest young women
would have numberlsss lsvs tokens to
destroy before their marriage; l have alb
solutsly nothing that l fear my hus-
bands seeing. Circumstances have been
against my eultlvstinx lovers az an
amusement, and am spared the farce Of
destroying the evidences Of my past
folly"
When she had taken two or three
turns up and down the room, she stopped
In front Of her desk and looked at II
thoushtfully.
81 Suppose I may as well DESTROY II"
she s4id, sAsently. 1T can do ns no
good TO keep II. and 1t might possibly
DO me harm in the future That must
have been In my mind all the time"
She unlocked the small bronze boz on
the toilet table with a key that hung
from a gold chain round her neck, and
took from it bunch Of keys Then
drawing up a chair TO tina desk she un-
through the contents.
She came upon one or two letters that
interested her slightly and drew her
thoughts away from her original purpose
to search the desk, and II was not until
both sides were quite empty that she
discovered with a sudden hesrt-qusklns
fear the absence Of that for which she
was searching.
A look Of wild despair flashed from
her eyes and her breath came In short
shs-p Ensps. as she turned 10 the heaps
Of Odds and ends which she had already
sons through. with a hope that In hei
sbsencs Of mind she might have passed
what she sought without noticing Il.
Her quick, nervous fingers turned ovsi
the papers until the pns had once NOR,
been thoroughly searched: and then Pau
Line Mailing sank back In her chair with
her hand to her head and a look Of ds
spair In her sysx. horrible thought
chased each other through her schlnI
brain; and. when 8 o'clock at last struck
she had arrived at only one definite con
illusion, that the person Who had posses
sion Of the missing article and the on,
who had Advertised for the address o.
Sir Gsorrsy Mailing were one and tn
same.
When she ross and rslocksd the desk
she was hssEsrd and psls. and she look
ed at herself vistfully in the glass; ant
an instructive prayer went up from he
heart that her beauty might not lssv
| har mill ~ t. norrtnuf. xrff.