Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-08-21

CHAPTER XII1.-tContinued.)

Ing q nttle falnt. MI. AlcGratn by MS
sisters efforts alone is prevented from
giving a loud and tremendous clap for
Amber. A slow red flush has risen to SiI
Lucien's cheeks. His frown deepens, but
his eyes waver. They fall.
"True we have not met until now
This is a distinct come-down. 81 hear
however, that, though you have not met
me, you have met some Of my guests"
"She has met some of her COUSINS
says Hilary, walking straight up to her
"Ah, so !" Sir Lucien gives him a keen
glance. Eyes, of course, her cousins. !
have also'-turning deliberately to her
had the pleasure"-with a sneer-'ot
meeting som of your cousins. Mr.. Deane,
for example, / suppose | am too new a
friend'-with a curl of the lip-"to con
graduate your"
Amber raises her large dark eyes to
his. Her face has grown rigid-haughty,
AT this moment, the strange, the almost
extraordinary likeness between them is SO
plain, that it strikes everyone in the room,
II do not understand you !"
No? Have / been indiscreet? Mr..
Deane, however, informed me to-day that
he is DESTROYS of marriage with you. That
in effect the marriage is arranged. | was
glad to hear of it. A most excellent ar
rangement in my opinion. He is, I IN
derstand, very well-to-do in Australia"
He smiles languidly, and g%lances at
Hilary, who is gazing at Amber with
compressed lips and dilated n~ostrils. A
lie! A lie! Why can't she speak?
brian may be well-to-do or the re
verse, for all / know says she at last
very quietly, absolutely indifferently in
deed lit is nothing to me. If he were
the richest man On earth, l should not
marry him and I certainly am not en-
gagged to him"
And ! really think" breaks in May
with gentle Indignation, that to speak
like this to Amber, just on her arrival
She looks helplessly at Dolly.
"Barbarous !" says Mrs. Clarence,
promptly.
II see l have been a little premature"
says Sir Lucien, smiling. He is abomin-
able when he srailes. Young ladies do
not like having their little sentimental
secrets wrested from them before the time.
But l still hope"--shaking his long white
hand before Ambsr's face and taking on
quite a jocund air--"that presently-pres-
ently-when things are a little more for
ward, you will take me into your conf
dence," and he turns away, strolls
through he window on to the balcony and
10 to the gardens below.
Don't mind him. says May eagerly,
throwing her arms round Amber's neck.
Amber has sunk down into the chair
In which she was sitting before Sir Lu-
cien came. There ID some lassitude In
her air.
s 4 II ~ 1vl~Ikn-Al r,o,, ~ ~ Noe
Clarence very kindly. Her kindness Is ex-
t%raordinary, as she very seldom goes out
of her way to help anyone.
sOh, no." says Amber, lifting her
charming chin 80 hat they can all see
the delightful smile that gives extra
beauty to a face that hardly needs 1t,
ri am not afraid Of him, very softly
not afraid Of anyone"
Hilary, who is beside her, wonders il
she means Deane by that very emphatic
anyone"
Dinner goes of very well considering
al things, chiefly perhaps because Of the
fact that Sir Llcien seems too pre-occu-
pied with his thoughts to give him leis-
ure to act the skeleton at the feast, or
to spread broadcast among them, A. is
his charming won't, such flowers of cruel
satire, such touches Of open venom, a
how 80 easily from his bitter tongue.
He had come back fresh from Z last in
terview with Deane, to meet Amber in
his drawing room. This interview had
been momentous. and during it, Deane
had made the strangest proposal. So
strange, that even now Sir Lucien trifcs
with the courses before him, rather than
partakes of them.
Up to to-day Deane had deied Sir Lu-
Glen, had refused to give any information
about the missing jewels, had indeed
strenuously denied all knowledge of them,
but In so sneering, so insulting a fashion
as to make Sir Lucien, who has a good
Gea! Of brain, still believe that he has
some information in his possession that,
should he get at 1t, would enable Sir
Lucien to lay his hand on them should
the fellow choose to speak.
Sir Lucien had gone far before to-day.
He had actually offered a bride to Deane.
But the storm of rage that followed upon
that proposal prevented him from ever
making another. He had even begun to
believe in the mans ignorance, when to-
day opened his eyes.
To-day the most marvellous thing had
secured. Deane, instead of sneeringly
rejecting the idea Of ever having seen or
heard OF the missing gems, had confessed
stolidly, openly, that he could tell where
they were il Sir Lucien made it worth his
while. The condition was Amber. The
ri was held up between the two men to
- bought and sold.
Amber once his wife-fve minutes af-
ter the ceremony-the jewels should lie
In Sir Lurien's hands. Sir Lucien had
come home intoxicated with this hideous
bargain. The girl should be sold. What
was she in comparison with those price
less gems that meant a fresh fortune to
his house? His brain was on fire as he
sat down to dinner. To marry the girl
to Deane! Why it was a most simple
thing! To marry her into her own low
yet, q he called it.
A whisper, q mere breath of Hilary's
admiration for Amber had come to him ;
chiefly through Dcane, who had not, how
ever, spoken freely for many reasons. He
had directed all his attention to Hilary's
demeanor ward her during dinner, but
beyond that n impulsiye step he had
taken IN the drawing room, he saw moth
Ing that would point to attachment Of any
sort. gIf there had been anything, which
BE doubted; It was q mere young mans
fancy, bound to goa mere midsummer
madness, nothing more-nothing more.
And tn girl shall marry Deane.
Hilary,s demeanor indeed dispels all
fears. He grows calmer as he looks at
him. He has been watching Kim closely.
@Hiiary = NOT sitting beside Amber. and
Aardly looks ct her. Sir Lucien takes