Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-07-09

| TO whom she could reveal this myS-
terry. 1t was something, then, that
concerned him as much as, or perhaps
more than, it concerned her. Did
some danger threaten him if she mar
ried him? 1t almost looked like it;
and while he thought this must be alb
surd, yet it tinged his mind with a
sort of fear of he knew not what. For
Christabel was no are-brained, hys-
terical, neurotic girl, and must have
strong and sufficient reason for do
ing violence to the love she had con-
fessed for him.
And the change in her had been
sudden, he reflected. Since when had
it come over her? He cast his
thoughts back to the last few weeks
of their acquaintanceship- their
little dinners with her brother and
Ada Addington, to the dinner with her
at the Soho restaurant to the dinner
at the Savoy. Unless he was utterly
blinded by conceit and vanity she had
liked being in his society. But what
was the use of thinking of that, he
asked himself; had she not owned
that she loved him? He had not been
misled. Something had happened,
but when?
Three days before they had been to-
gether at the Savoy, and the terms on
which they had met had been close,
friendly, and intimate; then she had
been taken ill and had been forced to
leave hurriedly. 1t was since then
that the change had come over her
that the mystery had developed itself.
| Vaguely he wondered if her illness
could have had anything to do with
it; but that, too, seemed to him pre-
posterous and absurd The only
thing clear was that whatever had
happened had happened within the
last two Or three days, and during
that time, so far as he knew, she had
been at the Sistersons. Had some
thing taken place there? That also
appeared a ridiculous idea. Then
what was it?
The more he thought of it the more
mysterious and battling did it become.
When he reached the Office Philip,
who had had a shrewd suspicion of
Norman's mission that morning, saw
that his friend bore no happy, tri-
umphant smile On his face, but wait
ed for him to speak. Norman hest
tated whether to tell him what had
occurred, but on consideration
thought it advisable, for might not
Philip, perhaps, be able to throw
some light on the darkness?
"Philip,' he said, gloomily, 81 saw
your sister this morning, and she re-
fused me-
Sorry to hear it, old fellow" re-
piled Philip, sympathetically. Il had
not expected it. Did she give you
any reason?'
Yes and no. said Norman THAT
is the strange part of it. For while
she admitted that she did care for me
she said it was impossible for her to
be my wife l gathered that some
/ thing stood in the way but what it
was [ could not make out. She would
| not tell me what it was, but it must
! he something pretty terrible, for [
| could see she was in sore trouble.
Have you any idea what it can be?"
None in the world" cried Philip,
! looking at him curiously do I I'M
derstand you to say that she confess
| ed she was not Indifferent to you, and
yet she would not have you because
| of some reason which she did not
state?1
YES, exactly"
We'll I'm bowed" exclaimed Phil
| ip. 1.-The ways of women are past
finding out What on earth can it be?
Didn't you catch even ali inkling of
what it was?"
mo; I can't say truly that I did. I
wondered if you could help me, Philip.
Do you know anything?"
Haven't a glimmer of a notion"
quickly responded Philip. 81 always
thought you and Chrissy were very
good friends, though l did not suspect
you might care for each other. I'm
awfully sorry, old man, but if you
care for each other don't you think
that the difficulty will vanish one of
these days?"
eff one only knew what the diff
Guilty was!" cried Norman. There's
where the mischief is, don't you see?'
Did you say that you would not
take mo- for an answer"
eyes; but what's the use of that if
her mind is made up? OF course,
am not going to give her up, but so
long as | don't know what stands be-
tween us it's like fighting a shadow
like beating the empty air, isn't it?"
Philip nodded and, unable to give
his friend any comfort, turned to
study some drawings that were lying
on his table, wondering what in the
world had come over Crissy," but he
was sanguine that in the end all
would be well.
Norman listlessly went on with his
work; he could not TX his attention,
however, on it, and after a while de-
sisted from trying. What was he to
do? How was this mystery to be
solved? he kept on asking himself.
At length he resolved to write to
Christabel to say that he would never
give her up, and to ask if there was
no way in which he could help her to
bear the trouble, whatever it was.
Cannot we fight it together-always
together?' were the words with which
he finished his letter.
Christabel's own reflections as she
frny, Nnrpoa to Hans