Evening star., 1908-01-19
IN MARY'S REIGN.

tone beloved Of Rubens. fell upon her
g1riish breast. her soft round arms, the
dainty hands which held the marguer-
ite.
He loves me-" she said half audibly.
"a little-passionately-n at all. He
loves me-a little"
So wrapped up was she in these i'm
portant rites that she did not hear
next moment she felt two firm hands
upon her waist. whilst laughing voice
completed the daisy's prophecy:
Passionately." -
She gave a little gasp. but did not i'm
medlately turn to look who the intl uder
was Her woman's instinct had told her
that, and then she knew, or guessed.
the sound of his voice. The moment had
seeking: she did not pause to think how
1t had all happened: she only felt that
he was near her and that her life's
happiness depended on whether he
thought her fair
The pleasant little demon of girlish
coquetry whispered to her that in the
midst of this poetic setting Of an old
world garden he would be hard to
please indeed if he did not, fall victim
to her smile.
She turned and faced him.
All she said, with a little cry Of
feigned surprise. His grace of Wes-
sex. IL VOW You frightened me. my
lord. l thought this part of the garden
quite deserted. and-and the Duke Of
Wessex at the feet of the Queen"
She looked divinely pretty as she
stood there before him. a delicate nerv-
Gus little blush suffusing her young
lashes slightly darker than her golden
hair-as dainty a picture as this fas
tidious man had ever gazed upon.
AT your feet, fair one" he replied;
mi h nd dy,,fr
in his every look. "and burning with
jealousy at the thought of INN for
whose sake your sweet fingers plucked
the petal of that marguerite
She still held the flower. half stripped
of it's petals: he put out his hand In
order to take 1T from her, or perhaps
merely for the sake of touching for one
second the soft velvet OF hef own.
stretched himself out lazily in the sun.
OH" said Ursula, a little confused
still little shy and nervous. that
that was for favorite brother who is
absent and 1 wished to know If he had
not forgotten me-"
impossible he replied with deep con-
viction. '.even for a brother"
Your grace is pleased to fiatter
1.-THE truth spoken to one so fair must
ever seem a flattery.'
Your grace.
He loved to watch the color come and
go in her face. the dainty. gfrlish move
ments: simple and unaffected. that little
curl which looked like living gold beside
the small, shell-like ear. His passionate
love for the beautiful was more than
satiated at the exquisite picture before
him. and then she had suoh a musical and
tender voice; he had heard her singing
just now
But you seem to know me, fair one,"
he said after while.
"Who does not know his grace Of Wes
sex?" she responded, making pretty
curtsey.
Then let me be even with you, sweet
singer. and tell me your name"
Ursula darted sudden shy look at
him. Obviously he was conveying the
quick thought crossed her mind; she
looked demurely down her nose and said
placidly:
Fanny"
II didn't before he said with smile,
''but now I adore it, 80.
stI am getting to like it better, too." she
added thoughtfuliy.
| But. sweet Fanny. tell me how is 1t /
never have seen you before?
Your grace does not know all the
ladies Of the court"
No! but thought knew all the
pretty ones. Yet. meseems that beauty
was but an empty word now that I have
see its queen"
-s..Aht~bys lord. Il fear mo your reputa-
tion doth not wrong you after all!" she
added with q quaint little sigh. - i
.''Why-whaf Ia my reputationw 81
They call you fickle. and say the Duke
of Wessex loves many women q little
but constantly. not at ALL"
He came step closer to her and tried
to meet her eyes.
'"Then will you let me prove them
wrong?' he said with sudden seriousness.
which perhaps then he could not himself.
have accounted for. -,
do for that?"
anything you like" he replied.
Nay. / have no power-for fear me
nothing short Of putting your grace under
lock and key would cure you OF that
fickleness.''
"Then put me under lock and KEY he
suggested gayly.
I'm an inaccessible tower?"
Wherever you please
She gave merry. happy, little laugh.
for he was standing quite close to her
now. his proud head slightly bent so that
the quick whispered words might easily
reach her ears: and there was an unmis-
taxable look Of ardent admiration In his
seized her. She wondered whether he had
guessed who she was and tried to nettle
him into betraying himself.
And to whom shall I give the key OF
that towerT she said demurely. 'Tb the
Lady Ursula Glynde?'
NO" he replied. come inside and
throw the. key out of the window"
But the Lady Ursula?" she persisted
He made a quick gesture of mock impa-
tience.
What wanton cruelty to mention that
name now" he said, when mine ears are
tuned to Fanny"
"'Tis wrong they should SO tuned
Lady Ursula, they say, is your promised
wife"
But do not love her-never could love
her while
''They say she is not ill-favored"
''1ll-favored to me. like the bitter pills
the medicine man gives us, while you"
Once more she interrupted him quickly
+ You have never seen her." she pro-
tested, you do not even know what she
is like
NAY. I can guess. The Glyndes are
all alike-sandy. angular, large footed"
She laughed long, merry, rippling
laugh. which set his ears tingling with
the desire to hear 1t once again. Ursula
was indeed enjoying herself thoroughly
''They all have brown eyes," he con-
tinued gayly. ''and just now I feel as II
could not endure brown eyes,
She cast down her own, yelling then
with her long lashes.
What eyes could your grace best en-
dure for the moment?" she said with the
same tantaliZing occurrences
But something magnetic must have
passed at that moment between these two
young people, some subtle current from
him to her. which forced the innocent
young girl to raise her eyes almost
against her will. He looked straight into
softly:
THE very bluest Of the !, ue and vet
so gray that l should feel they must
somehow be green.