The Washington herald., 1907-07-14

SdSb SHE NuitcQ any lDluB, DQl-pQL lSupet
sent her back for some trife, and when
Justine reached the Round Wood there
was no one there. and since then
Lady StOrmont's voice had sunk to a
hard whisper. and it broke OF short, and
II was long before Cpnyers made any ef-
fort to break the silence.
His eyes sought a portrait on the op-
posite wall and fixed there-a fine, full
chief attractions of the last season S
Academy The picture was that Of very
young girl in a diaphan0us white frock
of almost childish simplicity. She was
standing on a Tagged terrace walk beside
d dwarf orange tree IN huge maj0lica
pot-one slim hand in the act of breaking
off white spray of blossom. The limpid
light gray eyes were the eyes OF a child
in their absolute innocence and vague
wonder, and yet for imaginative onlook-
ers there was a subtle suggestion that
these bridal flowers were waking some
new emotion in the young bosom under
the swathing folds OF maiden white-wRs
ii shy hope or fear, or chiefly bewilder-
ed shrinking?
There were few, however, who remark
ed what might. after be a mere trick
Of the fancy, born Of the conjunction Of
that embodiment Of youthfulness and the
white flowers, symbol of the fulhllment Of
a woman's life. Those were inclined TO
remark rather upon the superb brush
work of the picture-the majolica pot. a
joy Of color in its glaze of blue and green,
the waxen flowers. the golden fruit, and
the glowing leaves. with the summer sky
beyond-and TO decide that. but for the
wonderful hair. the colorless young face
and the slender white figure would have
been Overpowered by the sumptuous &C
ceSsories. But that bright cloud of hair
Of an unusual tawny-red shade would
have given distinction TO a face far less
fair than the delicate enc for which il
formed such glowing frame
The Stormont hair was as well known
as the old family name. Not only was Il
repeated in the one or two notable por-
traits. ROmney and two admirable Rae
burns among them. which adorned the
tapestry room. but Lady Stormont. one
of the family by birth as well as by mar
rage had her share OF the family inher-
itance, though the last few days had rob-
bed il of its brightness and given it d
blanched. hfeless look
This one striking popularity was not
the only characteristic of the race There
was, besides. 4 marked similarity Of type.
and under Cavalier lOvelocks or Georgian
above the soldiers scarlet. the
clerical lawn. or the lawyers black. the
same cast of features was more or less
discernible. To the women It gave at
least. as 10 Lady Stormont, naughty
while here and there. as In the
youthful face upon the canvas. it lowered
into positive beauty. The family tree had
spread into many branches. but a certain
'elannishness, not to speak Of questions
IF property. had led each succeeding laird
10 marry among his cousins. till the main
stem had at last put forth this one frail
blossom, the fragile girl looking down
upon them from the wall-the last de-
of so many stalwart men and
capable women.
Basil Conyers knew this world and knew
too well that with some girls as tenderly
and as zealously sheltered as
Isobel Stormont had been there might be
other reasons 70 account for this bewilder-
ing disappearance than those which all
who loved her dreaded. But. while like
an honest man he would have deemed
such things impossible in his own woman
kind. one glance at that young face would
have made such a thought. had he been
capable Of il, a blasphemy. Still, as he
sat gazing at it, his mind a whirl. a slow
red rose under the tan Of his young face.
which had been pale enough before.
VIII you tell me one thing" he said.
slowly. "This-depression''- too, halt
ID over the word-"had nothing to do with
with me. had it? You don't think she
was egretting-anything She was-she
S so good and sweet and gentle that per-
naps because she knew that you aud Sir
David wished it-and / wished it," the
last words came in rather like an after
thought ''Oh, you know what 1 mean, "
he broke OF. helpless1y.
Lady Stormont started. II am certain It
vas not Enthusiastically certain" she said
with an emphasis, a passion. which sug-
5ested that she had already inwardly
striven again and again to repel the same
suggestion. No. If she were to keep her
reason, that thought must gain no harbor-
age in her mind Had she not known
from her own school days that some day
she was to marry her cousin David, and
had ever union been happier, save for the
1ne ever-nTesent anxiety-the frail health
IF their only child? That there could be |
any other cause for anxiety was never
admitted. And had she not thought that |
She in her turn was doing her best for her
Dreamy. delicate darling in planning this
for her with her distant cOus. /
n, Basil Conyers, a StormOnt by descent |
)n the mothers side, whose hearty. hon. 1
st, Unconditional nature was Just the |
corrective which Isobers had need |
ID? Her child would be so safe in BasiPs |
keeping. and her great inheritance, too; |
md once happily married, that cloud
which at times daTkened her young life /
would. Of a surety, pass away
With her daughter, Lady Stormont had /
lad no difficulty. The girl was so az
TO obey that she had acquiesced |
II first in the arrangement asNif It had 1
leen some question as to what she should I
wear, and If afterward Lady Stormcnti
lad any reason for misglvlng, she had /
ilenced it with the assurance that, the 1
marriage once accomplished, all would-arl
must be right 1t needs a much severer
md more heightened experience Of for 4
une's buffetlngs than had as yet fallen to /
lady Stormont's lot TO convince US that
'ur deepest desires have, after all. no |
material influence on the course of events. !
AS a boy, COnyers had been much at
'tormont, when he had regarded his lit
le cousin with the healthy Indifference
Il an active boy toward a creature who
5 no good" for games, varied at times
" "a rough but kindly solictude for onei
10 feeble. But when, after some years
-bsence, he had returned to find the all
ng child developed TO a slim and graceful
maiden, her pallor gaining beauty from.
he glory of her hair, a few judicious
lints had effected all that Lady Stormont
ould desire. His own possessions were
efficient to make him suitable aspir-
mt even to the Stormont heiress, his
uondam guardians were all urging him
o marry-or course, he must marry some
lay. then why not his little cousin, Iso-
'el? He was by no means In love; he
new nothing of it yet in its heights or
IS depths. its power or its weakness, but
lie liked the girl-or his ideal of her, to
e nearer the truth. In her gentle. yield
lg grace, she was the tyne of femfninitv