Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-02
CHAPTER III.

AND NOW ALMOST LIKE A DREAM
Everything went on just as conven-
mOuth-piece for the mo-
ment happened to be Lady Ryder
desired; just as Louisa surmised hat
everything would; the letters of con-
and to Lord Radcliffe, Luke's uncle;
the magnificent diamond tiara from the
latter; the rope of pearls from Luke;
the silver salvers and inkstands II
ename parasol handles from every
body who was anybody in London So
ciety.
Louisa's portrait and that of Luke
hastily and chcaply reproduced In the
alf- penny dailies, SO that she looked
like a white negress with a cast in her
eye. and he like the mutllated hero of
L'Homme Qui Rit; the more elegant
half-tone blocks in the six-penny
weeklies under the popular If some
what hackneyed heading of THE earl
of Radclyffe's heir n his future bride,
Miss Louisa Harris;" it was all there,
just as it a been for hundreds of
other girls and hundreds of other
young men before Louisa had dis
covered that there was only one
man in the whole wide world, and that.
beyond the and Of diamond tiaras and
of society weddings, there was a fairy
universe, Immense n illimitable,
whereon the sun Of happiness never
set and whittier nc one dared venture
alone. only hand in hand with that
other being. the future mate, the pupil
n teacher OF love, the only one that
mattered.
And the wedding was to be in four
weeks from this day. The invitations
were not out yet, for Louisa. closely
pressed by Luke. had only just made
h date. Strangely enough. she had
been in no hurry for the wedding day
to come. Luke had been SO anxious.
80 crestfallcn when she put him off
with vague promises, that h herself
could not account for this strange reti-
cence within her-sO unworthy a level
headed, conventional woman of the
world.
But the outer lobby Of the fairy uni
verse was surprisingly beautiful. and
though he golden gates to the inner
halls beyond were ajar n would
yield to the slightest pressure of
Louisa's slender fingers, yet h was
glad to tarry awhile longer. Were
they not hand in hand? What mat
tered waiting since eternity called be-
yond those golden gates?
This morning, however, convention
still voiced by Lady Ryder-was more
vigorous than was consistent with out
ward peace. Louisa, worried by aunt,
and with the memory of Luke's ex-
preston of misery and disappoint-
ment when last. night she had again
refused to fix the wedding day chided
herself for her silly fancies, and at
IL o'clock set out for a stroll in Bat
tersea park, her mind made up, her
unwonted At Of sentimentality smoth-
cred by the louder voice Of omInon
sense.
She and Luke always took their
walks abroad in Battersea park. In
the morning hours they were free there
AO~ vNn~vNokp,n1 ~,nnattvnnNN ~r4t1 Nvyn3O
sired company-all outside company
being undesirable in h lobby Of the
fairy universe. Louisa had promised
to meet Luke in the tropical
garden at 1880. She was always
punctual. and he always before his
time; h smart and businesslike in
her neat. tailor mad gown and close
hat which defied wind and rain. he al
ways q little shamefaced when he took
her neatly gloved hand in his, az most
English young men are apt to be when
sentiment for the first time happens to
overmaster them.
Today she saw him coming toward
her just the same as on other days.
! He walked just as briskly and held
himself as erect AZ he always did. but
the moment that he was near enough
for her to ESQ his face she knew that
there "a something very wrong In the
world and with him. Some one from
at to push the golden gates closer to-
gether. 20 that now they would not
yield quite 30 easily to the soft pres
sure Of q woman's hand.
"What 10 1t. Luke?" she asked very
quietly. AZ oon - her dngers rested
safely between his.
what u what!.' he rejoined foolish
II and speaking like q child. and with
10 forced. almost inane-looking. smile
on his lips.
.sWhat has happsned!. shs reiterated
more impatlently.
1 he FAnlie6. ssthat need