Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-11-27

Paneln been her daughter she could not
h=ve considered her ~feelinss more tender
". She told herself that Mr.. Castelianl
would be Il very bad match for Miss Kan
some yet when she saw the girls lace
grow radiant at the sound of his foot-
stems. when she watched her dullness IN
his abscncp, that everlasting air OF "ait-
ing for somebody which marks the EIrl
who is in love, she found herself hoping
that the Italian would make a formal
proposal. and she was inclined TO meet
him half way.
Mildred tried to think the best IF him
as Il sutton for her husbands niece. She
knew that he was clever: she knc" mat
he WAS fairly well born. On his mothers
side he spraug from the respectable com
mcrcial classes on his fathers side he
belonged to the art world.
lie called rather earlier than usual one
afternoon, when Pamela had gone out for
Il mOum'ain ralblt with her maid, to
search for those doubIy precious flowers
which bloom with the first breath OF
spring. Custcllnni had seen the young
lady leave the hotel soon after the mid
day meal. armed with her ulpenstock, and
accompanied by her attendant carrying a
basket. She had foudly hoped that he
would offer to join her expedition, to dig
ont delicate ferns from sheltered recesses,
to hunt for mountain hyacinths and many
hund anemoncs but he observed her de-
parfurc perdu behind a windo curtain
in the reading room, and half an hour
afterward he was ushered into Mrs. Ores
wold's drawing room.
Il feared you were ill., he said, "as l
saw Miss Itansome excursioning without
YOU"
II have n slight headache. and felt
more inclined for a book than for a long
walk. Why DID you not go with Pamela ?
| darcsay she would have been glad of
your company. Peterson rs not a lively
companion for n mountain ramble."
Poor Miss Ransomei How sad to
have to be chapcroned by a person like
Peterson ~ said Custcllani, with a care
less shrug. NO, | had no inclination to
join in the IN hunt. Miss Kan
some told me yesterday what she was go
ing to do. / have no passion for wild
flowers or romantic walks"
But you seem to have a great liking
for Miss Itansome's society," replied Mil
drcd ~gravcly. You have cultivated it
very assiduously since you came here,
and | think | may be excused for fancy
ing that you came to Pallanza on her &C
count"
you may be excused for thinking any
thing wild and improbable, because You
are n woman and willfully blind" he an
swercd, drawing his chair a little nearer
to hers. and lowering his voice with a
touch of tenderness. But surely-sure-
ly you cannot think that l came to Pal
lama on Miss Ransome's account?"
81 might not have thought so had you
been 4 less frequent visitor in this ROOM,
where you have CONSTIPATION me for
saying so-very much of your own ac
cord. | don't think it was quite delicate
or honorable to come here so often, to be
SO continually in the society of Il frank,
impressionabIc girl. unless you had some
deeper feeling for her than casual admira-
ton"
Mrs. Greswold, upon my honor, l have
never in the whole course OF my acquaint-
ance with Miss Ransome by one word or
tone implied any warmer feeling han
that which you call casual admiration"
And you are not attached to Der? You
do not cherish the hope OF winning her
for your wife?" asked Mildred seriously,
looking at him with earnest eyes.
That calm, grave look chilled him to
TDt core u MS Heill. Liz DLoW HuSACus
his eyes grew dark and troubled. He
felt as if the crisis of his life were ap-
preaching, and augury was unfavorable.
II have never cherished any such hope
| never SHALL
Then why have you come here so con
tinually?"
"Do not ask me that question! The
time has not come
stNac NJ roatnllopi fhe tirna has como
The question should nave been asked
sooner. You have compromised Miss
Ransome by your meaningless assidui-
ties. You have compromised me; for 1
ought to have taken better care of her
than to allow an acquaintance of so am
biguous n character. But l am very glad
that I have spoken, and that you nave
replied plainly. From to-day your visits
must cease. We shall go to the south of
Italy in a few days. Let me beg that
you will not happen to be travelling in the
same direction"
Mildred was deeply indignant. She
had %cheapened her husbands niece-Ran-
dolph Ransome's co-hciress-a girl whom
half the young men in London would have
considered a prize in the matrimonial mar
ket and this man, who had unite her
at nome and abroad for the last seven
or eight weeks, dared now to tell her that
his attentions were motiveless so far as
her niece was concerned.
.Oh, Mildred, do not Danish me :" he
cried pa~ssionately. You must have I'M
derstood. You must know that it is you,
and you only, for whom I care; you
whose presence makes life lovely for me,
in whose absence | am lost and wretched.
You have wrung my secret from me. l
did not mean to offend. I would lave re-
spccted your strange widowhood. I would
have waited half q lifetime. Only to see
you, to be near you-your slave, your
proud. too happy slave. That was all I
would have asked. Why may that not
be? Why may not come and so, like tho
summer wind that breathes round you,
like the flowers that look in at your win
dow-paticnt as old Time? Why may it
not be, Mildred?"
She stood up suddenly before him,
white to the lips, and with cold contempt
in those eyes which he had seen so lovely
with the light of affection when they had
looked Mt her husband. She looked at
him unfalteringly. Anger had made her
pale. but hat was all.
"You must have had a strange expert
ence of women before you would dare to
ak to any honest woman in such a
strain as this, Mr.. Castellani," she said.