Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-05-07
CHAPTER TX.
Binding Light.


state, with it's alternating phases Of
lucidity, consciousness, and psuedo-
consciousness, remained much the
same, but it was evident that he be-
came weaker physically as his once
magnificent vitality steadily, if slowly,
ebbed.
Meanwhile great friendship had
grown up between Mary Sisterson and
Christabel Joyce. Christabel was
eight years younger than Mary, but it
was the older woman who chung to
and depended on the younger, making
constant and insistent demand on her
sympathy and affection, which were
given freely and warmly.
Mary was all the time pitiably nerv-
Gus and excited; she frequently fell
prey to fits Of the deepest depression
that worked mischief on her frail
frame, and more than once she told
Christabel that she was sick and
weary of life. It sometimes appeared
to Christabel, as she endeavored to
encourage her friend to combat and
overcome these black periods of
gloom, that not even Sir Johns hope
less condition and his daughters
strong love for her dying father ac-
counted altogether for Mary's darker
moods of melancholy, and she surmis-
ed that there was something else-she
could not guess What-in the hidden
background Of Mary's mind.
The two women went out nearly
every morning for a couple of hours,
either in MaxweIIs motor car or walk
ing. Lady Sisterson did not refer to
their cOmpaniOnship, though she was
well aware Of it, and Maxwell openly
approved of it. His car was always at
their service, and not day went by
without his asking if they had used it.
In many ways he showed Christabel q
good deal of attention, and even of
kindness; he did not again make the
mistake of paying her a blunt COM
pliment, but after a fashion he made
love to her quietly and persistently.
And in a way Maxwell was in love
with her-the wrong kind of a way
He fell in love easily and often. and
fell out of it as easily and often. Per
haps it was because his love was al
ways of the wrong kind; it may be
was incapable Of anything but passion
of the baser sort. In any case Christa-
bel must have known, even if she had
been fancy free, what such love as his
was worth. But she was civil enough
to him. as became the nurse of his
father. Lady Sisterson gave no sign
that she saw what was going on.
Dmitri Anatovitch had gone back to
Sulja. He had had few opportunities
of seeing Christabel, but he, too. had
made love to her; Christabel had TAX
en- NO thought of it or of him, knowing
that he must soon pass beyond her
horizon, and that it was unlikely She
would ever see him again.
But it is a small world, with mary
unexpected meetings. Anatovitch was
a type of man very different from that
to which Maxwell Sisterson belonged
-impuIsive, vet fatalistic, with fierce
fires burning under a smiling, decept-
i've exterior, and behind these, again,
that formidable impassivity of pur-
pose that characterizes the dark and
furtive temperament of the SlaV. He
had to return to Russia, but he told
himself that he had not seen the last
of Christabel.
Two days after the departure of the
Russian. a letter came to Christabel
from her brother Philip, He did not
often write to her, and before reading
it she speculated what its subject
could be Was it that the plans for
the Midland cathedral had been &C
cepted? If that was the case-but
here her thoughts broke off in a kind
of hazy, happy reverie. After mo-
ment or two she reflected that she
was dreaming, and hurriedly opened
the envelope; as she read Philips let
ter there was q great light Of gladness
in her eyes that was good to see.
"Hurrah!" he wrote, boyishly. You
will be pleased to hear that our plans
for the new cathedral have won the
Dvize of $500 offered for the best.
Isn't it glorious? The second prize is
awarded to JoIiffes firm, and Joliffe
is the biggest man in our profession.
What a score for us! feel almost
crazy with Joy over the whole thing.
And SO does Norman though he is
Quieter about it than | am, and says
that he always hoped We would come
out on top. Isn't it splendid news,
Chrissy, old girl? I don't forget, you
may be sure, that the credit for the
plans is mostly due TO Norman,
though he won't permit me to say so
But it doesn't matter; the chief thing
is that Joyce & Forde have beaten all
competitors Hurrah again"
"Hurrahm echoed Christabel.
'Now," ran the letter. Il proposed
on receipt of the news, that Joyce &
F0rde celebrate-yes. that's the word
celebrate the occasion by giving q
dinner to a few friends-say two; VIC
don't want a crowd-at the Savoy
and Norman seconded the motion. Oh
was it Norman who proposed it? That
doesn't matter either; the dinner is
to come off at an early date
Christabel suspected that the ides
had not been Philips.
l'eWe expect to be very busy in {
short time" wrote Philip, "and one OF
the other of us, or both, will almos
certainly be a good deal out of Lon
don, as work on the cathedral is Il
hegin without delay Is it possible fO