Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-02

"He was late at the wedding" she said II
actually got 10 the church before him. Wash {
it shocking? II showed such unbecoming eager
ness"
Lady Marcia laughed grimly.
"And you're ashamed of it" she said in her
caustic fashion. We'll, | suppose Humphrey
was catch in his way. I always said All,
here he is. We wouldn't have waited another
minute for you, Humphrey BY the way, I
think you have met Miss Manners before%
The moment had come Katherine lifted her
eyes having steeled herself to look into those
Of the man she had cared for so deeply and
suddenly the blood rushed 10 her face For
this was not the Humphrey Erlstoke she had
known.
"T think not" he said easily as he bowed
and thought to himself that this was the most
amazingly lovely woman he had ever seen. The
bride was quite eclipsed by her "Unless---
katherine found her voice He wondered at
the great happiness in her blue eyes.
III met namesake Of yours" she said:
"but it was not you"
my cousin, suppose" he said lightly.
"There is another Humphrey Erlstoke, you
know. IF he had happened to have been the
son of the elder brother instead of the younger,
he'd have been in my place now can't say
I'd have been glad of It, Now then, Aunt Mar
cia, come along. I'm as hungry hunter"
It was after dinner when they were in the
drawing ROOM that Katherine ventured to com
ment on the amethysts slung round the brides
white throat.
"I love them" said Lady Erlstobe, as she
stretched her pretty ieweled fingers to the fire.
"They're such pretty soft looking things But l
saw much nicer string than mine the other
day. only Humphrey couldn't get them for me.
They belonged to his cousin-the other Hum
phrey you know-and goodness only knows
why he boards them up; but he wouldn't sell
them at any price. Some fancy makes him keep
them, I suppose."
and her heart was ready to sing for joy. So
he had not forgotten.l She had misjudged him.
He haunted her thoughts in the train the
next day. She went away on her brief holiday
being unwilling to change her plans. Lady
Marcia would have suspected something odd if
she had done so. and sitting alone in her
Commandment looking out on the green country
Avinp bv. she wondered where he was and what
he was doing, and whether they would ever
meet again. She had learnt something about
him from Lady Erlstoke. He had just come
home from an expedition to East Africa. He
had been i'll, but now quite well again, and
was going to the south coast to visit some
friends. That was ALL But she knew he had
not forgotten.
She went over and over again in her mind
that past when all the world had shone color
ed rose before her dreaming eyes, when she had
been as happy, nay, happier than the bride at
the Manor House. She had thought of the
charm of title when she married Humphrey
ESlstoke but Katherine had thought Of moth
ing in her case but just the man she loved, the
man who lover her And what had happened
to ruin her dream of happiness she never knew.
Her dreams carried her into another land of
dreams and for little time she slept till she
was rudely reused by an appalling crash, a
grinding and swaying Of the train, Kissing of
steam. and then an upheaval that left her sense
less She knew no more.
She came to, to find herself on a bank, a
mans coat beneath her, someone bending over
her. A rough but kind hand held flask to her
lips, and she obediently swallowed a little of
its contents. She felt strangely weak and gid
DIV. and a numbness in one leg made her strug-