Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-08-19

heartcdness Of youth had never had a
chance To grow in that crowded place.
Her cousin had come to live with them
only the Year before. when his mother
had died. his father being dead long
ago; and Lucy knew quite we'll that
her father had planned that the two
should marry n unite the broad acres
OF the HamHtoMS.
which was in her in spite Of the chok-
ing sober business Of her life. rebelled
at this. She would not give herself as
we'll as all her thought and effort to
Roanoke. She wanted to love some
body. and be loved for herself as other
girls were; h would not marry Harry
because he n her father considered
1T 8 good arrangement. So strongly
mad this determination seized her that
looking entirely down that way Of
thought. she failed to see that Harry
might no. be classed with the colonel
In his view OF the plan. She failed to
see that II h had not been heiress to
Roanoke House. or to anything at all,
Harry Hampton would still have been
In Low with his cousin Lucy. For Harry
saw how the young life had been pressed
n a service too hare for it almost
from b%abyhood: Harry saw how un-
selfish she was and trustworthy: how
predetermined n warm-hearted; how
she would lii to be care free and ire
sponsible like other girls of her age.
oS eI"t et:e SolOHei ana the estate
were always there, always demanding
her time and her attention. He could
do little to help her as vet, but he
longed to lift the weight and carry it
with her. not away from her. for the
ialry OF a person was not the sort to
her share Of the burden. Yet, Harry
thought IF 1 might only help her, and
make 1t ali a delight instead OF q la
hor!"
But Lucy. going about her busy days,
never guessed this. She thought of
up with. to be cared for tenderly al
ways because Of his misfortune. to be
neiped and planned for and loved In
deed: because he was lame and her
cousin. and because he was a lear
BOY and her best friend. But
to come, h refused to think Of him at
an. More firmly she refused such an
idea. OF course. because her father had
limited that it would complete both
Harry's and his happiness. She had
laughed at Harry openly about the
scheme more than once, and he had
flushed and kept silent and Lucy had
thought:
Poor old honest Harry! He has been
~browbeaten by my father, but he will
not lie to me, the good lad"
Francois. with quick insight. saw as
.- SsSb ~AAA Woo M " IId
BOY who had been his warm and steady
friend. What he did not see was that
Lucy was fitting his own personality
INTO that empty notch Of her imagina-
ton where an altar stood and a candle
burned. ready for the image that was
to come above them. That never en-
tered his mind for in his mind Alike
was the only woman living to be con-
sldered in such a relation. And. in
spite Of the seigneur, in spite of Pietro.
In spite Of his wholehearted giving up
OF her, there was a happy obstinate
corner in the depths OF his soul which
yet whispered against all reason that
1t might be h a Alike loved him, that
1T might be, for unheard-of things hap
pened every day, 1t might be yet that
with all honor. with all happiness to
those others whom he loved-he might
some day be free to love her. He knew
1T to be impossible, yet ever in his be-
ing, like a stream singing underground
IN a forest, the unphrased thought
lived always. So that as he grew to
care for an understand Lucy Hampton
more and more, no faintest dream of
caring for her as he did for Alike came
into his mind.
The situation, given this most win
ming and lovable young man, filled with
warm gratitude and admiration. given
two opportunities a week all winter for
unconscious molding Of the plastic
material Of little Lucy's affections
given these things. the situation for
Lucy was unsafe.