The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-08-25

that remote little room, with his chair
close to that. of Countess Ilka, with
Countess 1lka's- head apparently rest
ing on his shoulder, it struck her: with
a blow like a sudden realization. -.
He had no right to sit like. that; the
man who had asked her to marry him,
to whom she held herself bound,
though the world did not know. What
did it mean-what was he doing? The
question had no answer in her shocked
and bewildered mind. ~
Before the door had been drawn
sharply to again Winstanley's self
possession had returned. He drew
back with just enough decision to put
a space between himself and the dark
and beautiful head of Countess Ilka,
and stood up abruptly. -.
"The woman love does not ask me
what am bound in honor to refuse"
he said, rather stiffly. *She is as jeal-
GUS of my integrity as If it were her
own, and so you would be aware If you
knew her. Shall we go back to the
ball room?' I dare say you would be
glad to have your carriage called for,
since you are not WELL"
1t was her last chance, and she was
losing it. She knew it, and she
stretched out an imploring hand.
"Stay-lfsten-I did not mean it,"
But he looked at her with grave and
chilly eyes. "Some day I will show
you the woman we are talking Of" he
said. You, will say I haYe not said
too much in her praise. She is to be
my wife very soon, hope; we are
only waiting. When you meet her you
will understand how high my ideal of
womanhood wants to remain" He
was holding stiff arm toward her.
She took it without a word. Rage and
disappointment and hatred were filling
her heart toward him. She would have
gladly killed him where he stood. ~
For she had played her last card,
and it had fallen useless upon the
table; he was not of the sort that
were the other men she had been
able to bend. He had showed her by
the look in his eyes that he had lost
his respect for her-he had rebuked
her by his tone and his manner, more
even than by his words. This other
woman-the woman his voice softened
over when he mentioned her-she
who could not have too much said in
her praise-she guessed whom he
meant, and she drove her nails into
the palm of her small hand as they
walked back down the long corridor.
She could have killed her as well as
him. in her baffled fury, and. disap
pointment- II ~. :. ) T. O
missed him with a a.gesture he was not
reluctant to obey. He went in search
at once for Ursula, but he could not
see her anywhere among the now
thinned crowd. He went out into the
corridor again, and came face to face
with a man he knew. "Beastly cold
night for this time of year." he said
rubbing his white-gloved hands to.
gether. "Just been taking Miss Ham.
ilton to her carriage, and thought I
should freeze before 1t came up in
line"
Miss Hamilton!" Winstanley was
amazed. "Surely she hasn't gone?
My next dance was with her!" The
other man laughed, callously. It ia
easy to laugh at the loss of another's
partner when the night is near its
close.
my dear chap, you can't expect not
to find gaps in your program at this
time in the morning. It's the last
dance but one. Miss Hamilton left
rather in hurry after our last waltz.
She said she had had enough of it-or
something like that. She's staying
with Mrs. Anson, she told me. I dare
say she had had enough of it too,
Come and have drink, old man; that
will console you. 1t isn't easy to get
girl with a dance left this time of
day.
But winstanley declined the drink.
He was going home, too. There was
nothing to stay for. The Kenyons.
like sober-minded, middle-aged people.
had long ago gone home to bed. He
got his coat, and walked thoughtfully
along the deserted, wind-swept streets
back to Government House, with his
cigar, his hands deep in his pockets,
and his head busy with troubled
thoughts.
Ito Be contInued.)