Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-04-24
cHApTrR yI1I.-(continued.1

The players played the dancers dane
Cd the guests thronged in, Stately Colo
mel Wycherly pulled his iron-gray mus
tache, and smiled his supercilious smile,
half-contemptuous, MISUNDERSTANDING
and Mrs. Wycherly sat superb in black
velvet and oriental pearls, watching the
dancers, her black eyes flashing fire, her
thin lips smiling, her proud nostriis d.
lating. Arthur Calthorpe hung over Ella,
Mamma will nor let me waltz, said
the heiress.
..Then will you excuse me if l run
away?'' rejoined the heir. "See-there is
Miss Pritchard, the lady principal OF st.
Martha's College, with thirteen of her pu-
pills and teachers, and some Of them are
deplorabIy shy"
go, goWi cried Ella zone of them
has nothing deplorable at all about her
I mean that stately creature who has
chosen to wear a dress of black lace over
q pa~le-primrose skirt. She is covered up
close to the throat she wears no orna-
ment but a gold necklace and cross she
Is like a Spanish princess; she is very
handsome"
Five minutes afterward, Arthur Cal
thorpe, heir to the earldom Of Beryl, was
whirling round in the waltz with Leila
L z II, ~ 49, NiA -
Iege for Ladies. The blond, blue-eyed
young man, the stately, dark-eyed girl,
looked into one another's faces and read
volumes but it might be that those vol
umes were In an unknown tongue. They
paused, painting, in a little anteroom--a
costly gem Of a chamber, where light re-
freshments were laid out daintily on an
inlaid table.
Arthur was handing Leila a jelly, when
there entered a woman. She was young,
not more than twenty. She wore black
a plain dress, made high to the throat,
with linen collar and cuffs. Her light
brown hair was dlsordered and rough.
Her face was neither pretty nor plain,
and her blue eyes were sinister and cruel.
Her complexion was fair naturally, but
its pallor at that moment was surely IN
natural. Arthur Calthorpe dropped the
Jelly he was handing to Leila; the glass
was shivered.
II must speak to you I" she said impe-
riously-.sat cnce-out there In the Lau-
rel Walk"
And without a word of apology, Arthur
Calthorpe drew the curtains from before
a French window and passed into the
garden. Leila Leigh sat there, indignant,
silent, wondering, and waiting. Arthur
did not return. After a while she re-en-
tered the ball room. The night wore on
heavily for her. Her interest ia the ball
was suspended while Arthur was absent
Presently she saw him standing In a
doorway. She started, looked again. Ar
thur, and not Arthur; like and unlike
The same height, figure, build, complexion,
but different eyes. different mouth, differ
ent expression. This young man was talk
ing to her brother, Lionel Leigh,
who soon crossed the room and spoke to
Leila.
Leila, that gentleman is Mr.. Cal
thorne's twin brother. He has been away
for two or three years, and now he wishes
to speak to his brother. Where is he?
He was seen with you last"
Leila rose up and led the way toward
the little ante-room. Her brother went
with her. He whom we have known as
| Dick harrington followed. and there was
1 buzz Of recognition among some of the
guests.
He went through that window said
| Leila.
Lionel opened the window, and Ar
thurs twin brother passed out into the
garden. 1t was a frosty night, with
bright, blinking stars, keen, piercing air.
Leila wrapped her head and neck in her
opera cloak, walked swiftly along the
gravel path, slipped, and fell. Then she
returned hastily to the anteroom, passed
Into the blaze Of light and uttered q shriek
/ which brought the guests thronging into
the little chamber.
Her satin skirt, satin shoes, and fair
hands were stained with that deep-red
stain which tells of the ebbing Of a hui
man life. Then it was remembered that
Arthur had been missed for some hours.
The little anteroom filled 10 full that the
guests surged out into the frosty laurel
path.
Leila lay back, falnting: but there was
one face amid the tlrong which burned
itself terribly. mysteriously, and-so it
seemed-without reason, into the CON
sciousness Of Leila Leigh-the naughty,
white, fearful face of Mrs. Wycherly.
Lionel Leigh, towering above the heads
Of tho crowd, came ON toward whore his
sister lay on the little couch. He sat
down near her and took her hands into
his.
.yNhat has ha nnened Licnelg,
"Mr. Calthorpe is hurt"
allow? BY whom7 Where is he?"
"They have carried him round to the
sther side Of the house. He is in one
Of the drawing rooms, and there are three
doctors at the ball. / am going to send
Or. Dundas; the other two are with
him"
rs he much hurt?"
'FrightfulIy. I should say he must
die"
Leila shuddered. She closed her eyes.
and wondered in a dreary way what use
her youth and her beauty would be to
her now. No word OF love had passed
the lips Of the earl's heir. He had writ
ten her two little notes, and begged her
acceptance of two splendid bouquets; he
had taken of his hat when he met k-r
In the lanes; and now tonight he had
waltzed with her. and looked at her with
eyes which spoke volumes
tsTefl me how it happened?" she said.
/" went out through that French win
dow with Dick Darlington. I thought
he had gonesto the Laurel Walk, perhaps
you said he had gone out that way. We
walked to che end, and harrington shout
ed, called him FILTER (which was his
nickname when they were boys-and
there was no answer. Then Darlington
ran down the shrubbery walk. i know
every inch Of the place he said. I came
back toward the house, stumbled against
something In the path, found It was 4
man. dragged it toward a lighted window,
and saw thar II was Mr.. Calthorne nn;te