The Southern herald., 1913-04-18


her conscience.
But she felt a sense Of resna.
most relief, once having decidss
she recovered her composur4 T.
to go to her chamber and BAH.
eyes. While she was thus ens
she heard q knock. 1T Ia baS
said quietly; well, the sooner Il.
ter"
It was he; he had come earlls,
he expected, he explained: bs
most grateful for Miss Wings 1
message. He looked like his upc.
the members Of a family win
alike. He was not SO tall; he va,
50 handsome. Perhaps most ~.
would call him more graceful
his English was faultless; he I
have spoken it from his childhood
the midst Of his first sentence
fore they had permitted him to ii,
chair, his eyes Travelled past N
Wings face. She perceived that
saw the picture; she knew that
grew pale; but, to her amazener
calm like the calm which had wrsn'1
her senses on the day of her fnS'
the picture, closed about her All
81 beg pardon?" said he.
Eyes, that is Count Won Buffers n
trait" said she, in clear voice Nj.
out emotion. He was not SO n,
posed Then it was you," he M
Following her example, he tool
chair and looked earnestly at the X
tured face. when Miss Ralmms
spoke Of you SO warmly, | uotioa
that the name was the same, ala
determined to inquire, but it seeud
to me unlikely. Yet it Is. Miss WIN,
| have message to you, from nv Il
cle."
81 was with him when he died.
That was a strange thing to hea
when the message Of his uncle's de,h
had come to him in another countr.
she hoped that her brain was not d
ing to play her false.
"It was fifteen years ago last Iur
you know. l never knew how msnI
details you received, or only the bu,
fact in the papers"
Fifteen years! fifteen years! What
was that date he was giving? That
was the day on which she sailed tr
America, the day after-what was that
story he was telling Of a visit and /
fire and a child rescued and an %
cident? But still she listened with the
same iron composure. The neT
| words she heard distinctly.
1T was like him to lose his lit
that way; and he did not grudge Il
Yet it was hard that l should be hl
only one Of his blood with him. H
could speak with difficulty when b
told me to take lock Of hair and hi
signet ring to you. He dictated h
address, himself, to me. You must
sure and take it, he said 1t Is
the lady that l hoped would be my b
trothed; you must tell grandmamm
about 1t, too. She has my picture an
she knows-but tell her'-and then,
think his mind must have wandered
little, for he smiled brightly at me, sa
ing, I'll tell her myself and then Il
doctors came. He said nothing NOR
only once, they told me, he murmu'
something about his betrothed. But
had the ring; he took it off his Ang
and kissed 1t and gave 1t to me- Chi
as was, l knew that it was sacred.
wrapped 1t in the paper, and aft
ward l put the lock of hair beside
So soon as could, l went to Held
berg, to the pension. You had go
and there was no address, no trace
"I left my address with the col
tess"
"My aunt is dead" said the you
German gravely. "T would not or
cize her but she had her own cho
Of wife for my uncle; l do not thl
one could trust her with addresse
1--WE all gave ours to her to give
Frau Muller"
"That is why, then, l could not
you. My grandmother also tried.
you were gone. l thought OF
banks, long after, but l found nc
ing. Often it has seemed dread
that you should learn Of this o
through the papers. But I could
. tell whether-anything. When ! CO
. to America, I confess it was always
, my mind, l always carried my
, cle's little packet with me. /
, have it sent to you"
Excuse me-" said Miss Wing g
ly. "Will you please bring me
, glass Of water-I-am afraid Ct
walk to It."
!. But she would not let him pour
water on his handkerchief to ba
+. her head. She slipped the water,
8 very pale, but quite herself, brou
r him back to his own matters.
D found that it was a cousin, misca
a an uncle, in the German manner,
!. had died. 1t did not seem to her
!. Max's nephew could be unworthy
q any girl; yet she conscientiously q
8 toned him regarding his worldly
|. fairs, for Florence was an only da'
; ter whose father had great pos
n sions and a distrust Of adventur
v and at last she sent him forth to '