The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-08-18
CHAPTER XIX.
Vain Endeavor,

Vain Endeavor.
There was silence. Countess Ilka
could hear the beat of her own heart
under the silken bodice-perhaps Win
stanley might have heard it too, had
he nstened-the sound of the distant
band walled down the corridors and
died away into a hush like the cry OF
a wandering spirit, the hum and the
clatter at the long supper table sound
ed a long way off. Then Winstanley
pushed back his chair sharply and
rose to his feet.
"Shall we go back to the ballroom?"
he asked, rather distantly. II think
the next dance is beginning, and I
fear I am engaged for it,
His manner was so resolute, he so
openly ignored the subject she had
scarcely ceased to speak of, that she
could not find a word to say, even in
her nimbleness of wit. She took the
arm he offered her, and her right
hand-that soft little gloved hand
clenched itself suddenly with a sharp,
quick gesture, as it hung by her side:
She showed no sign of emotion in her
innocent, childish face, with it's beau
tiful grace and eXpression-Countess
Ilka was too much mistress of herself
for that But in her heart there were
a rage and a baffed ingenuity that
made her feel she would have liked to
deal blow a blow on the arm that so
courteously offered itself to her. He
had put her aside with civil indiffer-
ence-this man she had thought so
easy a dupe, such a fool of an English
officer
He had treated her appeal as If she
had been foolish child. Well, there
must be another mode of attack then,
since his stupid, laundering loyalty to
his chief made him refuse to discuss
his affairs even with woman like
herself, who pleaded brothers cause
She would use the next weapon in
her armory-the weapon she could
trust not to fail her. No man could
resist if she made the appeal to his
heart.
They reached the ballroom in
silence. Winstanlty bowed, and would
have left her at the first divan, but
the touch of the little hand tightened
on his arm. "You are not vexed with
me?" whispered a soft voice close to
his ear, in such trembling, almost
fearful, accents that he had to bend
his ear down to catch what she said.
"Vexed with you'll" He smiled
beamingly. what suggestion! Why
are you to suppose should be: vexed :?
No, no; only vexed with myself, with
circumstances, that I can't do any IA
vor you ask of me. You will see, I
feel sure, if you think it over, that I
am the last one to be able to help your
brother in the thing he wishes"
He went away then, and she
watched his hasty progress across the
wide floor to where Miss Hamilton's S
white frock showed snowy against
the background of glowing flowers and
tall plants. Her face wore look he
could not have read if ,he had seen it.
He had failed her once-she would see
that he did not fail her a second time.
Ursula saw him coming, with a
leap of her heart. How long he had
ctovod in Tho cupnor rooro. how, q h.
sorbed he had been in his talk with
Countess 1lka! Too absorbed even to
see her as she passed close to his side
on her way out! In all her happy
young life Ursula had never before
felt that strange, slow pang that
seemed to take her heart in an iron
grip and press it hard. Was she ieal
Gus? Hateful weakness! A thing she
had despised in others ever since She
was old enough to recognize it. Gould
she have believed she should ever
yield to such contemplate emotion
She hung her head as she asked it OF
herself.
Yet what else was it that made he1
so full of discomfort and apprehen
sion as she saw Winstanley,s absorp
tion in his lovely. companion in the
supper room? Why else did she
grudge his attention to her-his evi
dent delight in her society? It was in
vain that she told herself. she was
horrid to mind if he danced with. Other
women or found their conversation
agreeable. The fact remained that
she felt that curious pang OF sdiscom
fort that was almost a pain. #-s*.s: b..
And now he came up to her Will
eager pleasure, as IL he did not know!
Either he was assuming Innocence
and she had never dreamed he could
try K. deceive her S 5else. 10 rsalll