The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-27

Here was danger, an enemy to be en- countered. It would never do to let Leonard Everard see that she was dif- f1dent about meeting him; she would go down at once. But she would take the precaution of having her aunt present; for the first, at any rate till she should have seen how the land lay Her being just walked from sleep would be an excuse for asking her aunt to Nee the visitor till she came down. So she said to the maid:
 T have been asleep. I must have got tired walking in the wood in the heat. Ask Miss Rowly to kindly see MT. Everard In the blue drawing room till l come down. I must tidy my hair i; but will be down in a very few min utes."
 Shall I send Marjorie to you, miss?'
 No! Don't mind; can do what I want myself. Hurry down to Miss Rowly!"
 How she regarded Leonard Everard now was shown in her instictive class ing him amongst her enemies. When she entered the room she seemed all aglow. She wanted not only to over come but to punish; and all the wo- man In her had risen to the effort. Never in her life had Stephen Norman looked more radiant1y beautiful, more adorable, more desirable. Even Leon- ard Everard felt his pulses quicken as he saw that glowing mass of beauty standing out against the cold back ground of old French tapestry. All the physical side of him leaped in answer to the call of her beauty; and even his cold heart and his self lf-engrossed brain followed with slower gait. He had been sitting opposite Miss Rowly in one of the windows. twirling his hat in nervous suspense. He jumped up, and, as she came towards him. went for ward rapidly to greet her. No one could mistake the admiration in his eyes. Ever since he had made up his mind to marry her she had assumed a new aspect to him in his thoughts when she was absent. But now her presence swept away all false imagin- ings; and from the moment that her loveliness dawned upon him something like love began to grow within his breast. Stephen saw the look and 1t strength ened her. He had so griev- ously wounded her pride the previous day that her victory on this was com pensation which set her more at her old boise.
 Her greeting was all sweetness: she was charmed to see him. How was his father, and what was the news! Miss Rowly looked on with a smiling visage She. too, had seen the look of admira- btOm Tn DlS eyes, dIfu II piedseu neT. Old ladies. and especially when they are maiden ladies, always like to see admiration in the eyes of young men when they are turned In the direction of any girl dear to them.
 And so they talked for some time keeping all the while, by Stephens clever generalship, to the small-talk of the neigh borhood and the minor events of social importance. As the time wore on she could see that Leonard was growing impatient. and evidently want. ed to see her alone. She ignored, how ever, all his little private signalling and presently ordered tea to bt brought. This took some little time and when 1t had been brought and served and drunk, Leonard was in ( smothered fume of impatience. Sht was glad to see that as yet her aun' had noticed nothing. and she still hoped that she would be able to 50 prolonl matters. that she would escape withou ' a private interview. She did not know | the cause of Leonard's impatience; tha he must see her before the day hat passed. She. too. was an egoist. in he l own way; dn the flush of belief of hi