The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-12-19
CHAPTER XVI.


They are the most curious pair OF
lovers l ever saw in my life" said one
of the visitors at Ashbourne, young
lady who had been engaged to be mar
ried more than once, and might fairly
consider herself an authority upon
such matters. "One never sees them
together"
They are cousins" replied her com
panion. What can you expect from a
courtship between cousins 1t must
be the most humdrum affair possible. y
Lord Malow and Lady Mabel had
been disputing about the Round Tow
ers.
"Of course you are right" said the
Irishman, when she had triumphantly
exhibited a page which supported her
side OF the argument. What Won
derful memory you have, What a
wife you would make for statesman,
You would be worth half a dozen sec
retaries."
Mabel blushed. and smiled family,
with lowered eyelids-
DO you remember that concluding
picture in My Novel;" she asked.
where Violante tempts Harley LIE
strange from his idle musing over
Horace to toll through blue books :;
and, when she is stealing softly from
the room, he detains her and bids her
copy an extract from him Do you
think l would go through this labor,
l. or 10 hr
success? Halve the labor as we'll /
have always envied Violante that mo-
ment in her life"
And who would not envy Harley
such a wife as Violante," returned
Lord Mallow, "if she was like the wo-
man / pictured herr"
Three hours later Lord Mallow and
Lady Mabel met by accident in the
garden. Lord Malow had never felt
SO idle in the whole course of his Wig
orous young life.
Il don't know what has come to me. .
any kind OF work; and l don't care a
straw for going sightseeing with a
pack of nonentities !"
A party had gone off In drag soon
after breakfast to see some distant
ruins; and Lord Malow had refused TO
be of that party, though it included
some of the prettiest girls in Ash.
bourne. He had stayed at home on
pretense of writing important letters,
but had not so far penned line.
An hour or SO after luncheon he
strolled out into the garden. having
given up all idea OF writing those let
tiers. There was a wide lawn that
sloped from the terrace front of the
drawing-room window, lawn encir-
cled by belt of carefully chosen tim
Der. 1t was not very old timber. but il
was sufficiently outrageous. There
were shrubs of every kind, and wind
ing paths under the trees, and rustic
benches here and there to repose the
wearied traveller
On one of these benches, placed In
a delicious spot, shaded by group of
pines, commanding the wide view of
valley and distant hill far away toward
Ringwood, Lord Mallow found Lady
Mabel seated reading. She was look
ing delightfully."- cool amidst the sultry
heat OF the scene, perfectly dressed
in soft white muslin, with much adorn-
ment of delicate lace and pale hued
ribbon; but she was not looking happy.
She was gazing a. the open volume on
her knee with fixed and dreamy eyes
and saw not the page; and as Lord
Mallow came very near, with steps
that made no sound on the fallen pine
needles, he saw that there were tears
upon her dropping eyelids.
There are moments in every man s
life when impulse is stronger than dis
erection. Lord Mallow gave the reins to
impulse low and seated himself by
Lady Mabel's side and took her hand
in his with an air of sympathy SO real
that the lady forgot to be offended.
Forgive me for having surprised
your tears" he murmured gently.
Il am very foolish" she said, blush
ing deeply as she became aware of the
hand clasping hers, and suddenly with
drawing her own; but there are pas
sages of Dante that are too pathetic -
"Oh, it was Dante," exclaimed Lord
Mallow, with a disappointed air.
He looked down on the page ON her
lap
yes, naturally"
She had been reading about Pao1o
and Lord Mallow leaned down and
read the lines in a low voice, slowly,
with considerable feeling; and then he
looked eoftly up at Mabel Ashbourne,
and at the landscape lying below them.
in all the glow and glory of the Sum
mer light, and looked back to the lady,
with hir hand still on the book.
The strangeness of the situation;
they two alone in the garden, unseen,
unheaded by human eye or ear; the
open book between them subtle
bond of union-hinting at forbidden
passion.
They were deeply to be pitied,"
said Lord Mallow, meaning the guilty
lovers.
at was very sad" murmured Lady
Mabel
But they were neither the first nor
the last who have found out too late
that they were created to be happy in
each others love, and had by accident
missed that supreme chance of happi-
ness" said Lord Mallow, with yelled
intention.
Mabel sighed and took the book
from the gentleman hand and drew a
little further off on the bench. She
was not the kind of young woman to
yield tremblingly to the first whisper