Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-09

She was cold. too, for the April breeze
was biting and had searched out the
back OF her neck underneath the sable
stole and caused her to slliver in the
spring sunshine.
Let us walk" she said. /" a little
shall wc?'
CHAPTER ~.
NOTHING REALLY TANGIBLE.
They walked up the gravelled walk
lndcr the chestnut trees, whereon the
leaf buds, luscious looking, with their
Young green surface delicately tinged
with pink. looked over ready to burst
into t~an-shaped fulness of glory. The
Well kept paths, the orderly flower
beds, and smoothly trimmed lawns
looked all so simple, so obvious beside
the strange problem which fate had
propounded to these two young people
walking up and down side by side-and
with just a certain distance between
them as III that problem was keeping
them apart.
And that intangible reality stood be-
tween them. causing in Luke a vague
sense OF shamcfacedness. as If he were
guilty toward Louisa. and in her IA feel
ing of irritation against the whole
World around her, for having allowed
this monstrcus thing to happen-this
vague shadow on life's pathway, on
the life of the only man who mat
tered.
People passed them as they walked;
the curious. the Indifferent; men with
bowler hats pulled over frowning
brows. boys with caps carelessly thrust
in worn gloves. tiptilted noses blue with
cold. thin, ill-fitting clothes scarce
shielding ~attenuated shoulders against
the keen spring blast.
just the humdrum, every day crowd
of London; the fighters. the workers,
toiling against heavy odds of feeble
ing, the poor that no one bothers about.
less interesting than the unemployed
laborer, less picturesque, less noisy.
they passed and no time to heed the
elegantly clad figure wrapped in costly
furs. or n young man in perfectly
tailored coat. who was even now pre-
pairing himself for a fight with destiny,
beside which the daily struggle for
%halfpence would be but a mere skirm-
ish.
Instinctiyely they knew-these two
the society girl and h easy-going
wealthy man-that it was reality with
which they would have to deal. That
instinct comes with the breath of fate;
a warning that her DEGREES are serious.
not to pc lightly set aside. but pom
dered over: that her materialized
breath would not be q phantom or q
thing to be derided.
Truth or im~posture? Which?
Neither the man nor the girl knew as
yet. but reality-whatever else 1t was.
They walked on for awhile in silence.
Another instinct-the conventional one
had warned them that their stay in
the park had been unduly prolonged;
there were social duties to attend to,
calls to make. luncheon with Lord
Radcliffe at Grosvenor Square.
so fhnN hOfh hv fop{t onnSnnf turned
their steps back toward the town.
A man passed them from behind,
walking quicker h they did. AS he
passed, he looked at them both in
tently, as II DESTROYS of arresting their
attention. or course, he succeeded. for
mis- look was almost compelling. Louisa
was the first to turn toward him. then
Luke did likewise; and the passerby
raised his hat respectfully with a
slight inclination Of head and shoulders
that suggested foreign upbringing.
Once more convention stepped in and
Luke mechanically returned the sa-
lutte.
"Who was that ?" asked Louisa, when
the passerby was out Of ear shot.
Il don't know" replied Luke. IT
thought 1t was some one o knew. He
bowed to you"
Funny you should not know him."
AAS NNNAAe SOAsSS III
fled with it. She drew nearer to Luke
and once more her hand sought his
coat sleeve. with . light pressure
quickly withdrawn.
Nov, Luke" she said, abruptly re-
vertinE to h subject, 'how do you
stand In all this?"
'I?"
Yes. What does LORD Radclyre
say?"
He laughs the whole thing to scorn.
and declares that the mar IL an I'M
pudent liar"
"He saw," she asked. ..the first let
ter? The one that came from st. Vim
cent?"
Eyes. Mr.. Warren ana I did not think
we ought to keep It from him"
"Of course not" she assented. ssThAn
he said that tho letter was . tissue Of
lies"
Prom beginning to end"
HE refused" she insisted. ito believe
in the marriage Of your uncle Arthur
out there in Nartinique3"
He didn't 60 into details. He Just
said that the whole letter wac An i'm
pudent attempt at blackmail."
And since then3"
81 has spoken about u"
.s"Untu today9s she asked.
srHo hasn't 0poken." he replied. IN.
listing on the word. eoven today. Two
s0rsfhFee tiIneD I think letters came Sof
IhaWst8thA same hAndWrtttn9. NJ. War-
&c. - ~ opensthe0s 6 courss. ead