The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-25

land. When her first year of widow
hood was over Helenahad met Chum
Winstanley, a rising young diplomat,
home on leave from his embassy at
Bermanja, and the two had promptly
fallen in love with each other. Since
that moment, now a month ago. life
had held fresh hopes.
Fate destined that we should
meet" Winstanley was saying.
Il can't believe mere chance
brought us together, can your"
At any rate, it doesn't matter, so
long as we are together" breathed
Helena, softly.
They had been engaged exactly ten
minutes, and in another Ave their &C.
static tete-a-tete in the big conserva-
tory would inevitably be disturbed.
All I want is just for you to keep
on loving me- she told him. ssWhat
sentimental creatures we women are!
| sometimes wonder why we are
made to care SO much, often only to
be disappointed, disillusioned and to
have our hearts almost broken. /
daresay, Chum, you hear rumors, but
you can't imagine really what went
through-through enough to value
my present happiness!''
Poor little one! Don't ever speak
of it again." Winstanley urged.
Why, you are quite pale and actual
ly shivering."
You foolish boy, I am quite all
right" The color had indeed quick
ly returned to Helena's smooth
cheeks. 1T was only just for the
moment I felt chilly. The reaction,
| expect, after all the excitement. Let
us talk about something else, dear.
Do You think your father will like
me, and do you think I shall like
Barmanja?'' she concluded, brightly.
1t was the end of July when the
engagement was announced, and Hell
ena, eager to make the acquaintance
OF her fiance's people, promptly ac-
cepted Lord Wingtree's invitation to
spend Cowes week upon his yacht.
II shall have three weeks after
that for chiffons, and clothes do not
absorb me as they do some women"
Helena pointed out laughingly to
, Winstanley when his fathers invita-
ton arrived.
IF only / can persuade your faith
er to approve of me shall feel that
have nothing left to wish for!"
Ir1a
er hearted mortal than / take him
for he will simply adore you," Win
stanley responded, gayly.
Lord Wingtree was, as a matter of
fact, extremely cordial. He went
himself to meet her in the launch
which was to bring her on board the
Crocus.
Helena, looking her prettiest,
seemed in high spirits, and blushed
so delightfully."- when Winstanley's
name was mentioned that the old
man was quite captivated.
II hope you will find your quar-
tiers comfortable, my dear" he said,
as the launch stopped. My steward
has done his best to make them pic
turesque. He has wonderful taste,
poor fellow! must tell you his his
tory some day."
81 am enchanted with my rooms,
they are quite like fairyland!s Helena
said to her host later on at-.the din
ner table. "The enormous bowls OF
roses on the tables are the final
touch. Your man must have emptied
some ones garden to fill them!"
Mortimer is devoted to flowers.
And he manipulates them skillfully,
too. In fact, he has proved most
handy altogether. / have never re-
GREETED the day took him into my
service, now nearly year ago."
All, you said he had history"
Lord Wingtree nodded and lowered
his voice as a man servant came
round with an entree.
Yes. When I picked him up at
San Francisco he looked the most
dilapidated, doWn-at-heel specimen
of humanity you could imagine Peo-
pie wouldn't employ him-they
thought. him queer; but the truth
was he had completely lost his mem
DRY, and starvation was completing
a bad business. Everything, he said,
was blank to him up to the mo-
ment he awoke in the hospital at
townsville.
Helena started involuntarily at the
mention of the town.
His head had been injured In
some accident, suppose she sug-
gested, sympathetically.
Something Of the kind. I wrote
to. the hospital authorities theeman
impressed me as one who had seen
better days-but they could only tell
me that he had been carried in un-
conscious on the night OF the big
fire at the PaIens hotel He seemed
a human derelict. for no one came
forward to claim him. See, he has
lust come into the room. a mo-
ment later she was fumblfng for her
glass with trembling fingers, and
cheeks - white as the dalaask table