The Red Cloud chief., 1906-11-30

the spectacle was torturlng. He had
never understood her us Il bright young
girl and Il bride of nineteen. Hc did
not understand her now. a man of his ,
nature OF Il woman who bent MS u reed
before each pun of wind.
1t was hard to utter even Il common
place farewell. She held him by her
very helplessness. But the rapid trot
of Il horse caught his ears, and while
he stood irresolute he saw Constance
dlighting from the dogcart. His wife
looked out too. They heard their daugh.
ter l%aughingly regret that she could not
ask Mr.. Pyne to luncheon-meals were
irregular events just then.
Brand felt u timid hand grasping his,
and II choking sob proclaimed that Con-
stances mother vas crying.
lie stopped with a motion that was
almost a carcss.
Don't cry" he said. 81 cannot bear
It,"
Il can bear anything. Stephen" she
sobbed. 'if only you will let me stay
with you Forever.
"Do you mean that, Nanettei" he
gasped incredulously.
IL have prayed. yes, dared to pray,
that 1t might be so ever since | saw
my child. She has brought US togcth-
or again. Let us not part, for her sake
and for mine, Stephen, If 1t is not too
late
So Constance, Fastening up the gar
den path, could not believe her eyes
when she saw her father lift her moth
er into his arms and kiss her.
Mary, the maid, never ceased Won
dering why every other member of her
sex in Laburnum cottage should be
fearful yet ridiculously happy that aft
crnoon. Mrs. Vansittart wept and Miss
Constance wept, and Miss Enid wept
when she came in, while Mrs. Sheppard
was weeping at intervals all day.
Nevertheless they were all delighted
in their woe, and Mrs. Sheppard, al
though she cooked a tremendous din.
ncr, never scolded her once.
1t was also u remarkable thing that
the invalid lady should insist that she
NuS StIOlS CiouSh w UNIV H'"'
that evening. She did not eat Il great
deal, poor thing, but she looked ever SO
much better and seemed to find all her
pleasure in gazing alternately at the
master and Miss Constance and in lis
tening to every word they said.
In the garden next night, the moon
being now very brilliant indeed. Pyne
said to Constance that, the step-aunt
idea having fizZled out, he guessed that
the lady who figured In that unclassi-
fed degree of relationship would pose
more satisfactorily as a mother-in-law.
He said other things that have been
said In many languages since men be-
| gan to WOO women. but the phrases are
~hackneyed save to those who listen. and
need not he repeated here.
But why two marriages should take
place after extraordinarily short en-
gagements no II In all Penzance
knew save Lady Margaret Stanhope,
and she, mirabile dictu Qbeing a wo-
nam. kept her counsel. 1t created no
end of a sensation when Constance
was described In the London newspa-
ners as "only daughter of Sir Stephen
Brand. Bart. of Lesser Hambledon,
Northumberland" Local gossip quick
ly exhausted itself. rs both weddings
took place in London, the only avail
able items being the magnlhcence of
the diamonds given to Enid and Con-
stance by Mr.. Trail and the fact that
in ConstaIice's ease the brides moth
err was described as looking charm
ing in a silver gray costume trimmed
with point d'alencon lace"
Even when confronted with this mo-
m%entous statement by Mrs. Taylor
Smith, Lady Margaret only shrugged
her shoulders and purred:
"a romance, my dear-a omance of
real life"
On the day following the departure
of two happy couples for the continent
Mr.. and Mrs. Pyne to Italy, Lieuten'
ant and Mrs. Stanhope to the Riviera,
with intent to meet in Rome at Easter
"a quieter and more seqate couple
took train at Waterloo for Southamp'
ton. bound for the far west.
Although a Nebraska decree Of di
vorce does not hold good In Englisl
law, Lady Brand wished to be married
again in the state which sanctioned
her early folly. Her husband agreed
readily. Everybody, including Mr.
Trail and Lady Margaret, had arrang
ed to turn up at the north country
mansion in May. Provided there were
no hurricanes, Sir Stephen thought hi
wife's health would benefit by the dou
BILE sea voyage, and he was PERSONAL!
delighted to see the new world for thu
first time In her company.
Their steamer sailed from SoIthamp
49,. Allan Iinnnu AhnA MD,