Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-07-06

have Il lovely figure and beautiful hair
If you would but care n little more"
Lady Carayen laughed good natur-
eddy; the girls admiration was so sim
cere that she could not be angry.
II will care more" she said, max
ing n desperate effort to rouse herself.
what am / to doT'
Amice was all animation. She
brought out n beautiful dinner dress
"a dress that looked like Il soft black
cloud tiuged with golden light.
Lady Courtenay looked up in Won
der as her lovely young hostess en-
tered the drawing room. She turned
to the earl. with whom she was most
intimate-tEcy had played together
when children.
How falsely people speak, she
said. Il heard that you had married
a great heiress. but that she was quite
n plain little school girl. l must con-
graduate you on the rare beauty of
your wife. She looks Ike IL Spanish
princess. You DO not often see faces
like hers in E~ngland-wc are all red
and white"
so you ought to be- he replied; Il
can rs soo Imagine a dark angel as
admire a dark woman"
You retain your old love for the
| blondes,'' said Lady Courteuay. Il am
a far better judge: and l tell you that
the fair pink-and-whitc faces of most
Englishwomen would pale into insig-
nifcance before the rich bloom. the
exquisite colorlng. The dark, luStrouS
eyes Of your wife"
u really ought to thank sou in her
| namc.' he responded.
You ought TO love her very much,
! for she is worth loving" said Lady
Courtenay, frankly.
Has any one told you that l do not
love herr he asked.
NO, certainly not; but, though she
is so beautiful, she does not look hap
py. Her eyes ought to be filled with
sunshine-they are sad and dreary. 1t
is not a happy face. Lord Caraven."
1t was n pleasant evening. The earl
found ent another accomplishment of
his wife's-she was an almost per-
feet musician, she sang like one in
spired. The love, the passion. the ten
ucTIeSS lIal lOUuu ~ vent III LSl u
binary life found vent in song. The
rich. low contraito voice was more
beautiful than anything he had ever
heard. She sang like n whose whole
soul is turned to ong She had set
to sweet, sad music a poets passion
ate words.
"What charming muster said Lady
to- to r 10 y,at
remember to have heard it before"
MY own replied Hildred. When
ever words please me very much they
always set themselves to music in my
own mind"
'.The words are so bad-"To live for
gotten and die forlorn?' How can they
please one so young as youf'
TT is the fate of many" said Hill
dred. slowly.
1T may be, but it will never be
yours-you, Countess of Caraven,
young. gifted, beloved"
There are many ways OF dying"
said Hildred. 1T is more bitter than
death to some to live without love;
yet many live without it."
You have strange thoughts for one
of your age. l should have imagined
that dresses and jewels. balls and
dances, would have been in your
thoughts rather than sad ideas of life
and love-"
"Should you? I like balls and
dances very much said Hildred, try
ing to speak lightly-she had no great
desire to reveal to a stranger the Sc
crets of her life and heart.
you never old me- said Lord Car
to his wife, that you could sing
beautifully"
Ibid l not? Perhaps you never
asked me if ] could sing at ALL
81 do not remmeber doing so," he
said. Have you any more surprises"
She looked up at him brightly.
You seemed half Mortified when /
told you that / could speak German"
she said. Il was afraid that you con-
accomplishments something to
concealed. / shall never tell you
Of any of mine"
With a glance, half laughing. half
naughty, she took up the sheet of mu-
sic and crossed the rooI.i. Lady Cour-
tenay looked c~uriousiy into the face Of
the earl.
"Had you never heard your wife
sing. really, she asked.
NO, I had not, indeed" he replied.
IF ! were a man, and had wooed
so sweet a songstress, | should have
spent long hours over the piano.. she
Il thought you always liked mu
sic SO much"
$50 / do. But I did not even know
my wife could sing. she makes no pa.
rade Of her taient."
..No," said Lady courtenay to her
self, NOR do l think that you have
made any great parade of your love"
But she said no more-the subject was
evidently not pleasing to the earl.
CHAPTER X.
A beautiful evening In October! it
was as though some Of the warmth
and sweetness of summer had re-
for a while. The sky was blue,
the colors of the sunset We're gorgeous,
the foliage Of the trees was magnif-
cent, Autumn flowers were blooming.
- - 80. q