Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-03-02


derstand this, and they spoke of Mrs.
Desmond frequently.
DID you ever see herT he inquired of
her one day, when they were returning
from their walk. do you know what
she is likeY
No, l never saw her; but I have
heard that she is small and fair"
Col. Trefusis was thoughtful; and pos
slbly their minds touched upon the same
thing simultaneously, for Rosamond said,
as she shook the snow and mud off her
boots in the porch:
Il wonder how my patient Is! She
would not see me this morning; she said
she wanted to go to sleep. / must 90 up
and have a look at her. Do you know,
can't help thinking that girl is above
the station she is supposed to belong to-"
Il have thought the same thing" he
answered quietly.
Rosamond opened the house door and
entered the tiny hall. AS she did so her
maid came flying down the staircase to
meet her, with face of CONSERVATION.
"Oh, ma'am, such a dreadful thing has
happened-that poor girl has gone!
left her more than an hour ago to go to
sleep, she said, and this very minute
have come from her room and it Is
empty. She has dressed herself and Is
gone"
Rosamond looked at Col. Trefusis In
dismay.
Il will go and order the carriage at
once" he said, hastily. "We must follow
her." And then, in lower voice he said
to her: II think we have both suspected
it. 1t must be she."
Rosamond trembled from head to foot.
CHAPTER XXVI.
When Kittens eyes had first awoke
to consciousness of anything save utter
weakness and stagnation of thought,
they rested somewhat wonderingly upon
the strange and unfamiliar place in
which she found herself. The chamber
was small and low, much smaller than
the one she occupied at Keppington. Yet
bright fire burnt in the fireplace, i'm
parting an air of comfort and cosiness
to which of late she had been unaccus-
toned, and the narrow white bed upon
which she lay was soft and warm, so
that she felt no inclination to stir.
Some one rose from the further side
of the fire, some one with "a kind face
but who was a stranger to her, who came
and stood by the bed, and asked her if
she felt better. Then came other faces,
strange, but sympathetic, and a doctor
who stood by her side and gave direc-
tions In whisper. Oh, no! this was not
home; there was not, alas even a ghost
of the past to beckon her back to those
han Ialncinne of hor H.
By and by she dozed off again, then
dropped into a calm, dreamless slumber.
When she awoke again it was night. The
room was dimly lit, a shaded lamp threw
a pale radiance over the face of q maid
servant who sat by the table near the
fire, sewing at some white work. Kit
ten watched her dreamiy, with no par
ticular interest In her, nor any desire
to understand who she was, or why she
was sitting there. Presently there came
the soft rustic of long skirt across the
floor, some one came and stood by her
bed, and bent down over her.
Kitten opened her eyes wide. She saw
tall form clad in black, great lustrous
eyes that fixed themselves full of a di-
vine pity upon her, the slender outline
of cheek that was no longer full and
round, and sweet, dropping lips that
seemed as if they must ever be given
rather sympathy than to laughter. Then
came the touch of cool long-ingered
hand upon her brow; for one moment of
delicious peace and rest the sick girls
eyeids closed Then, when she looked
again the vision was gone.
The second day passed very much as
the first had done. She was better, but
still too weak to reason and to think;
the little cough that had become a Sec
ond nature to her hardly seemed to dis
tress her, or to concern those who wait
ed upon her. She took more food, slept |
better, and as the day wore away, en-
tered distinctly into an improved con-
dition.
Again there came the vision of that |
tall, beautiful woman, bending over her
with the pitiful Madonna-like face, and |
this time there was murmured ques-
ton:
my poor child, you are better to-
night?'
Then Kitten looked at her some min
utes gravey and solemnly, in silence
At last her lips moved; she gave no an
swer to the question, only she said slow
ly and laboriously, because of the physi-
cal effort which it gave her to speak,
but still perfectly distinctly.
"She moves a goddess, and she looks
Il queen"
Her visitor drew back, she looked sur
prised, even startled, but she said moth
ing more, and Kitten saw her glide
away behind the sheltering screen at the
foot of her bed.
The next morning, which was the third
day, Kitten was alive once more to the
realities of life going on about her. She
sat up in bed to eat her breakfast, she
was full of curiosity; she questioned the
maid who waited upon her eagerly and
"Where am IT' she asked her.
"You are at Dunsterton."
"How far is that from KeppingtonY"
Little over three miles, my dear"
"Rut how did / get here? Hava