North Carolina Newspapers

CflARLOXTE DAILY:' OBSERVER, SEPTEilBER 20, 1903. A Love Story Everyone at th beautiful Wynons College, situated thirty miles east Of Indianapolis, knew Beatrice Boutelle. Jf not personally, certainly by sight She tu the rtahrst girl In the achool, - and tf this (UfWncUoa ti not enough, eh , wa by "Tar tae cleverest. ier ' gowns were copied; , her remark quoted. Where other faired in their studies, and rauea ignominious, bm? soared. Not by any exertion on her part, but from n inherent ability to grasp knowleage quicaij. And her voice well, one hould have heard Signor Gilami teU. in his eager, enthusiastic way. of Ks vast possibilities, some day a blase world but blase no longer would breath lessly take note of Ita liquid note, and he alone would have the satlsfac tion of knowing, that it waa he who had trained It into that pure resonant - caressing cadence. She carried herself regally. But. with a certain hauteur, tnat did not Invite confidences from the girl. Few had entered her rooms, but those few had openly boasted. In extravagant terms, of their granaeur. Tall and straight and lithe was Beatrice, with great dark eyes Inher ited from her French mother, but without her mother's vivacity, and lair hair that glistened wondrously ia the sunlight, with a marvelous light, and framed her oval face as if in a halo. But hers was a face that lacked animation; it waa the flawless beauty one nnds in exquisite marble, but with that curious repellant coldness. No Aoyal mandates ever issued were more effectually, unquestioningly obeyed than hers; while the girls re Welled at her despotism, yet there are those with the Napoleonic power to rule, and otners destined to follow. It was ever thus. f in ih, fftnA vear of the Princess' reign as the girls called ir nmft uncerinrl v. others aaoring- It- for thin hero-worslilu or heroinr- worshlp in this instance. Is strongly developed In some schools there came to this great Western collee from the mountains of Virginia a girl hose cleverness and beauty many predicted would usurp the Princes throne. This newcomer Lollta Des mond whom the girls affectionately called "Dusky," had nad many good fairies at her christening. One had given tier a wonderful complexion of rose-like tint, not unlike In its trans parency and delicacy of coloring to the dainty wild roses that lent their sweetness and freshness to th way side ih her far Southern home. They gave her these wonderful fairies great dark eyes of splendor, whose In tense duskiness won for her the name that sue was known by her schoolmates. "Dusky," and the pow er to ee through them most lovingly the faults of pepple. were others saw only dlsagreeableness or to discern merit; where others found arrogance. They gave to her a warm, humanly compassionate heart, delicately curv ed 4lps as red as the crimson stained roses of her Southland, adorably sweet and warmly tender hair duskiiy black which she wore brushed simply back from a low white forehead. They gave her wit. too. which is a fortune In Itself, as carelessly they forgot to give her money. "The lack f monev Is the root of much evil," some one hss said. At any rate. It Is well to have a sense of humor with poverty, or It might prove too galling! Bhe. too, had the gift of song, but not a magnificent voice like Beatrice Boutelle's. But hers had In its carol the fresh sweetness of a mountain bird, and to those whom life had become one long sordid struggle to live, there loomed In the night's dospalrlng , darkness that luminous star of Hope, after hearing Iyilita sir.g. and they took fresh courage. .She comfort ed the homesick; she was merry with the merriest. Would Beatrice snub the newcom er, or would she feign indifference? This was a question of absorbing In terest In the school world. Khe did neither. She liked her! Prom the first she evinced an enthusiasm for her, that surprised the students. Knthusl asm was so foreign to her nature. As "Dusky," from her great heart help ed th girls with hr loving sympa thy, so Beatrice helped Lollta. Hhe would not call her by the name the other girls had bestowed upon her. Bhe piloted her safely alon Latin's hard road and into Frpnch ahowed her how to arrange hrr hair; taught hrr to embroider so charm ingly that all of Lolita's Inexpensive gowns seemed transformed by won derful sprays of flowers that seemed to breathe, so magically real they "were. All of the pupils knew that Bea trice lived on the famous "Lake Chore drive" near Chicago, In a veri table palace, with wonderful grounds, for very often th pictures of "Villa Crescent" had appeared in the maga zines, and that hir father and moth- ! er were dead, and that she lived with sin aunt But only Lollta knew that her mother had died of a broken heart, for Mr. Boutelle. a phlegmatic englishman, had not understood his jcirl wife's impulsive French temper ament. That Beatrice was engaged to the on of her father's bst friend. l man older than she Jack Alns Jelgh. A man who had accomplished wonders as a civil enslneer. and whose feats of building bridges and railroads had gained him w.orld-wld recognition. She wss proud of. hint, tut she did not love him. ome day they would marry, she Mid, for by some ahaurd clause In her father's will, and In J' k's fa ther will, the one who failed In mm .fly wlth this request should be a . foser of a third of her. or his estate, and an Illinois orphanage that much the richer. Or. jf both married some vea all very, very foolish! One - often read of like circumstances, but slid not meet them In real life. Two-third of an estate wottld suf fice Jack, she thought, but her, never, f-h loved money too well, not for money sake, but for the luxuries It would buy, that were absolute neces sities to her. - Thl mercenary method of having Prince Cbsrmlng come Into one's life slid not appeal to Lolita's high sense of honor. One should love the man she married. But Beatrice, brought up in a world of artificiality, pityingly told her that romance waa provin cial. ' - - And Beatrice knew. In turn, the homely little . history of Lollta. How her mother "ran away from a state ly old Virginia home, to wed the wan whom she loved, rather than the rich -suitor whom she did not, and braved ber family's displeasure, ' and tasted poverty but through it all evas ery, very happy. Never strong, she had faded like flower from their Thenby th closest economy, her father had sent her back to th ehooL from whose locality as a boy he had gone. . "Z : -.;." ..- Then one dayone rw September day, when the rain was drearily fall ing, as Beatrice sat with Lollta in the latter' rather bare room, a, telegram came, saying that Lolita's father had fallen and crippled himself. To come at once. It . was Beatrice who packed the shabby worn old trunk, and Into it slipped a loving note or gmparn?, ana some money, which she begged Lollta to, accept, for "old sake' sake." And, one aftanoon, worn out from nursing, and mbney almost gone. Lo lita found this note, and for friend ship's sake accepted the money and felt better for the lovingly expressed sympathy. After Lolita's departure, Beatrice lapsed again into her ways of despot ism, and indifference, and a year later sailed to be gone an Indefinite period abroad with her aunt. Once j frem Pari she wrote joma a iciier full of the charm and mysterious beauty of that wonderful city. Then a long silence. But one day there came a pack age of newspapers, with aciauea tic counts of Beatrice's triumphs across the sea. Her presentation at court; y.or with and marnettc charm. Some of her remarks epigrams of bril liancy were quoted. It all came back to Lollta some thing that happened In the long ago as she sat on the two steps of her mountain home, reading these papers. It had been Just such a day a this, the air full of the mellow warmth of October, with glorious tints of col or riot everywhere, that she and Beatrice had set out for a walk. They had chanced upon a gypsy ieni anu the beautiful Imperious looking Hun- garlan. with a dominant imprimis quality in the mysterious depths of her dark eyes, and slow soft voh-e, with American spoken words. but foreign accented, had "read their palms. Each likening. nr i" " had correctly told the amem Then abruptly, gravely, sne naa asked. "Do you love earn oiner. They nodded assent In unison, too frightened at the strangely spoken words to give utterance in speecn. "I believe you," she had answered, "und yet some du," pointing to Uaatrlve "you will cross her path with sorrow. You will be married some day to a man you admire.' she had furthermore said to Beatrice. but whom you do n.t love. You are too engrossed la self." she hud said brutally. "You will sail over sea.i. and meet queens hearts will be luld ut your feet." While you." she had said to Lollta. "like the little Ciiiderllla of the fairy book, will have poverty. Sor row will come to you, and then one day Fate will take your measure. Hhe will say this oft 'cruel Inexorable Fate 'you have done well. You have not rebelled. Some day I will compen sate you with u beautiful overflowing Love' For the standing of the trials." the fortune teller had quaintly added. t . . . Each word was photographed clearly on her memory. Of too sunny a disposition to entertain superstition, yet the slow words uttered In that vi brant, low, grave vorce. io - th dark eyes nsumru words of the poet, about things be great measure will take. . , make thee worthy of me. her. Tne in l"11' ! Fate tny . I will recurred to her. . , But had not some 01 inn nuiisw. an's words come true? Was she hot shut out from the great alluring world with Its congenial companion ship and wonderful places to see with a great sorrow knowing that day by day her father was fast slipping away from her, and then she would be entirely alone. Beatrice had "sailed over seas," she had "met queens' the words had been prophetically spoken Would she cruellv "cross her path with sorrow," she wondered How odJ. tho Hungarians Idea, that we are our own Fates. When her measure should be taken she would try to be worthy. Idly she watched the sun set be hind th.i great mountains, with their gorgeous apparel of autumnal color, and with that peculiar thrill that It always gave her to see the sun die. Thlt was Death, but a glorious death! to-morrow the sun would again shine. It was the comforting thought of the ages, the eternal prom ise of resurrection. Tender colors, of sr.ft sllvrrv violet, and pink, flooded the sky and were mirrored in the wat.r. but qulvkly faded. Night descended and veiled the mountains In their malestic sirongin. and cast mysterious shadows on the uneven rocks that arose abruptly from the water's edge. with th. Ir tall sentinels of pine, whose evening; eongs of moaning- had begun. Silently, one by one. came the stars. The girl watched them easrerly. One seemed more lumln5uslv beautiful to her, sitting in the shadow of the vines, than the others. It seemed to breathe a message of peace and love and hope. With a lightened heart she arose, went in. and softly closed the door behind her. CHAPTER II. The long July afternoon was Al most spent. It had seemed like an eternitv to Jack Alnslelsh. sitting alone with his thoughts. In the libra ry of his magnificent home. Outside, the sun shone brilliantly. Lake Mich igan scintillated with wonderful col ors Underneath its tranquil waters of to-day. with Its sleepv song of lar.y waves, and of opal colors of faint, shimmering greens, and pearl pinks, and mellowed blues, one would not dream there lurked so murn rnifiiy, so much relentless, heartless tre.iHi ery, and yet It was so. For the lke was false as she was fair Ah! when aroused, it was the arousln of a slepy tiger the samo passionate swift fun'- Then gallant ships would loss sa a feather on the high waves that white capped laughed with cruel merriment, or beat tho shore with harsh lamentations. But to-day the lake peacefully slppt. And only sang In a petulant lit tle undertone, like a tired child mur murs of play when sleeping a croon ing lullaby. The long weigela hedge with their pink blossoms, glowed softly pink against the emerald of areen which sloped to the water's edge at the: hark of the library. From out the masses of shrubs, and manv vines, and tall wild tassellcd grasses on the beach, came subtle, sweet, tantalizing fra grances. A breeze came up and stirred the white blossom-laden clematis out side the windows where ihe man sat It blew In sharply, and scattered some written sheets of uaoer near at hand, on a small table, to the floor, but to the man lost In. reverie, it was unheeded. He wa thinking thinking. Of many things but most earnestly of the girl to whom he was engaged, who waa now in Europe. Bhe had bade him an indifferent farewell. Khe had never reatly cared for him, but for his social position, and the little fame meit- bad Jo their generosity bestowed on him, A letter had just : come from her. It might have been written to the newsboy who delivered the evening paper for the interest manifested in him. .She Knew, too. ne naa oeen very, very HI. It made him shudder now to think of that slow long fever, contracted in Old Mexico, while getting ready tne plan for a railroad. It was his first liiness of any consequence. Even the lake's lnvlgoratlnar breeze had failed to bring back his ' usual strength. Quickly, the daylight faded, and the sun began to die away. Such an aftermath of splendor, as It left on hill and river! The man's apathy was gone. No one could see such beauty unmoved. Long broken waves, with one moment a white soun foam with golden flecks, gleamed, or with a faint lavender, or a shimmering transparency of riotous color. It vi brated, this wonderful lake, with movement, and light and color! Quietly, llngeringly, this splendor faded Into misty blue gray and the blue gray into black, and the water became mysteriously dark, with her and there, a faint gleam of glistening foam, for night had come quickly. And the darkness cov ered the beautiful old garden with its sweet odors and only the faint, soft lapping of the waves, with their slow rhythm was heard, as with a long swish they touched the shore. Here and there gleamed whitely one of the many statues set In the wil derness of the shrubs. There had not J yet come into the sky a single star Suddenly from out the mysterious aepths or me terraces, into tne in inae blackness of night, hundreds of tiny phosphorescent lights gleamed weirdly, like wlll-'o-the-wlspa th fireflies, flitting drowsily about, amidst all the perfumed sweetness of spary klssed grass, and dvllclously fragrant flowers. The man by the window arose and shivered, for It had suddenly become very cold. Bwhlnd the cartalns. cleverly concealed, was a bell, which be rang. It was responded to by a servant, who noiselessly entered, and, as ir anticipating the unspoken com mand, closed the windows. drew down the heavy velvet curtains, and dispelled the darkness by lighting two of the many quaint old brass fix tures oddly placed about the wall. He deftly touched a match to the great gas logs In the Immense fire-' place. Then he as noiselessly withdrew as he had entered, but a few minutes later reappeared, and announced a culler und dinner simultaneously. The caller proved to be Dr. Mul comb Bruce. Jack Alnslriah's most intimate friend and physician. It was to his efficient skilful care he had owed his recovery. "Just in time to share my lonely meal," cried Jack. "Robert has Just announced dinner. I tell you. man, If a fellow ever needed a dinner guest. It is I. I am heartily tired of my own company." "Why, man," said his friend, as he sat down in the chair Robert had nulled forward for him. "You sound as lf tho wor(j was not treating you squarely. That's gratitude!" severely. ' from a fellow who had almost de cided not to play his part on this world's stage anymore, but whom we decided was too important an ac tor to let slip this early In Life' game. Read an article to-day In Cur rent Notes.' telling how Indispensable you were to the world's not United States' mark you progress. Cheer up!" "I am quite overcome with such a surfeit of praise," said Jack smiling, his fine clear-cut features. Just now a trifle thin, and the frank gray eyes softened by the candles' roseate glow. "But, frankly. Bruce, to-day has seemed like a bit of purgatory. The world and I used to be gay partners but I've about come to the conclu sion" dejectedly It's a beastly hole, hole." His friend laughed heartily. "And all these years," he ehided, "I've held you up as an apostle of optimism, a regular 'Sunny Jim.' Say, 1 have Just had a professional call that carries me down in Virginia. I leave to-morrow afternoon; leave your valet here, go down there, get next to 'Nature's heart' it is the very best thing for you. It will be the making of you. I've engaged board at an old friend's for myself, but find I can't go, so I will tako you as my substitute. You may get your things together," ho said authoritatively, "I'll see to the Pullman reservation." "Thank you for the permission to get rcudy," replied Jack, humbly, then he added, "Oreat Scott, man, your conversational powers are wonderful! I have been so lost In admiration that anyone could deliver such a long spiel and not take breath, that I didn't quite catch the trend of all your re marks. Am I to understand that whether I care to or not I start to morrow with you to Virginia?" "That's about the size of It" said his friend determinedly. Jack laugh ed nnd looked at his friend in ad miration the clean-shaven rather grave face, the determined Jaw, the honest, fearless brown eyes and the capable hands with their combin ed tenderness and strength. He had been pyer his dearest friend. "I will be by for you early," said Doctor Bruce. "We will tako that train which .Heaves Chicago pretty early In the afternoon. Puts us, I think, into Indianapolis at six some thing, and In Virginia to-morrow at noon. It Is a pretty good ride from our tapping place to the mountain hotl where I am to go, but I leave you before I come to my Journey' end. You may And that girl down thre. of whom you used to say at college you would never find happiness until you found her. Remember her? You used to talk me blue in the face, about Her. with a capital 11." "Hay, Bruce," responded Jack, pret ty stiffly, "I think you've forgotten my engagement." "Wish I could," he answece,d brutal 1v t runic "Cit all the rraiv ' 111 for thou two sensible, otherwise aanik' men to make Wish she would marry some one else, and you also fall in lov. Then that money - would go to. thoso orphaned little kiddles who need It a sight worse than you two. and you both would be happier apart," brusquely. It wa quite late the next afternoon when the two traveler alighted from the hack before a low rambling old house built in the mountain' side, and almost overrun with vines. - "How do you do. Doctor 1 Bruce V said an elderly Man, who with the aid of his crutches bad limped forward to greet his guest "1 am certainly very glad to see you and yor friend. I Just thl moment got your message." - "Thl Is Mr. AInsleigh. Jack AIns leigh, Mr. Desmond, whom - I bars taken th privilege of bringing to stay roupl of month In my plaea. A I had engaged board, I am certain ly sorry to be cheated our- of being with lou," with an affectionate f lane By. Ida' C. ffiinislhiaw --. at the older man, "But I have so much hard work, to do,. I can't even may to night Am called to the hotel in con sultation. Take good care ot Jar, tor he's been 111 he's the AInsleigh who say railroads can be built where oth ers say they can't, and then to prove his assertion true, he does it. Remem ber me to Miss Dusky," and with a hearty handshake with each of the tnen h had climbed Into the old hack and was soon out or sight Th older man motioned to a chair and asked his aruest to be seated, say lng he would tell hi daughter of his arrival. Bhe was expecting Doctor Bruce, but as Doctor Bruce' friend be was welcome. . Me arose and walking slowly and painfully, with the aid of hi crutches. ne went into the house and soon re turned. I am afraid the ride tired you," said the older man gently. "The roads are pretty rough in places. After sup per you can rest if you wisn. it is very nearly ready, my daughter Dusky said. If you will come with me, I will show you to your room, when you are ready come In there," with a wave of his hand toward an open door at the end of the halL "Dusky!" Such an appellation! Sounded for all the world like an In dian name. He knew she would be sandy-haired and homely and freckled Freckles were unpardonable In a woman! A he entered tho low ceillnged room indicated by his host. Its quiet simplicity pleased and attracted him. There was an oddly carved old ma hogany sideboard, on either side of which were quaint cupboards of this same wood, with beaded glass doors set in Queer little designs. Inside were many odd bits of china. There were et close to the wall many low book cases, and an open piano on whose polished surface was a bowl of red rose. A bras bowl of these same pungently sweet roses were on the table, lighted by four slender brsss candlesticks In which gleamed scarlet candles. A girl came forward to neet him, a slender girl in a simple white soft gown, and whose red Hps glowed Ilk the red rose In the brass bowl. "This is our guest, Lollta." Mr. Desmond said. He did not call her "Dusky." That must be a nickname, and ye"t how well her Spanish name sultel her soft dark beauty as did the other. Dusky eyes, dusky hair! "Mr. Alnsley, my daughter. Miss Desmond." The girl extended her hand cordi ally. "We are glad to have you with us. I am sorry you have been 111. I hope our pure mountain air will do wonders for you," she added, smil ingly. "Thank you," Jack responded, "you are very kind. I am sure 1 will get better, but 1 owe you both an apology for coming in unannounced like this; it's Bruce's fault." "You are welcome to father as one of Doctor Bruce's friends. In his eyes Doctor Bruce is wonderful. I think so, too, for father owes not being a hope less cripple," in an undertone, "to htm." "He' a great fellow." said Jack enthusiastically, as ne sai aown t the table and took some hot Dreaa from the fat woman who was wait ing on the table, and whose face was so very fat. that her features seemed almost blotted out. The girl did not Join In the con versation much at the table, for her father, who had come from the West, was Intensely Interested In asking and hearing about Its wonderful de velopment, but when the fat woman had removed the supper, they gather ed these three hospitably about the great wood fire, and talked of many things. Jack AInsleigh was surprised at the girl's versatile mind and beau ty. Such glorious dark eyes and such wonderful black hair."He found hlm- I self at a loss for a simile to compare their wistful depths to. When the old-fashioned clock In tho hall struck 10. the girl arose. "Father, you must show Mr. AIns leigh to his room, Invalids must not sit up late," rte sSid with a pretty lit tle air of authority. "Wo breakfast at half-past seven," said Mr. Desmond, "our dinner we have at mid-day, and supper ia a mov able feast. Wc live simply, but you aro very welcome, not only as Doctor Bruce's substitute, but for yourself." "Tkank you." replied Jack, "and I will try to be prompt at my meals, for I feel sure this mountain air will make me ravenously hungry." The girl arose from the high old timey rocker Jn which she had been sitting. t "Good-night," she said in ner sort slow voice. "The happiest of dreams, to you both!" she added, as she appeared Into the wide old hall. dls- CHAPTER III. Too quickly for Jack AInsleigh he saw the days pass. With each day he felt his strength returning. At first he had walked but little, "but now he took long tramps. Sometimes he walked to the hotel where Miss Desmond read afternoons to an Irritable old woman and rode home In the high, queer old buggy with her. In the mornings he read or talked to Mr. Desmond. In the evenings Mr. Desmond would Blip awsv early to bed with an apology for "being laiy," but they both knew, al though they did not speak of It, that his days were becoming shorter. Sometime these I wo j would talk, or the girl would sing, and when she sang all things seemed possible that were good snd true. One night the candles had not yet been lighted it was after the evening meal was ovet; they sat In front of the great wood fire In the long dining room, where the moonlight gloriously flooded the room to mingle with the ft reliant. A bowl of old-faehlened roses on th quaint old piano sent forth a subtle sweetness of perfume. There ; waa an elusive hint of , the odof of honeysuckle lq the room also. Somehow,- In after years- Jack AInsleigh could not bear the odor of tea roses; there was that In their sweet fra grance that reminded him of the pain be had endured that night , He had grown quiet-On the mor row he was to leave. Ill heart ached at the thought. He woutd he leaving the girl who had grown' dearer to him than all elsA How he loved her! Not alone for her soulful beauty, but for her sweetness and gsy -bravery. How the firelight flickered and danced srtd 'curtsied low In merry flames of gold and faint silver blues as If his heart were as merry as these' magio flames. ". "A penny for your thoughts,, stie said suddenly. '"Or shall I make my Wd two pennies? Sorely for so mag nificent a sum you will dlselose them. Perhaps they ar too deep" wistful- ly "for a little mountain maid to read." v; . ' P --J-.. 7 r 'i "I was thinking of you," he said simpiy. - , . '' "Flatterer!" she ' cried smilingly. 'To be so -deeply lost In thought It Is hard to believe." : w ' ' 1 "Shall I -tell you: of what I waa really thlnklngf.lie asked suddenly. -' "Tea," she said gravely, "I am cu rious to know of the great work you are planning to do." she asked. ."I waa thinking of you and. how when I see beauty I tlways appreciate It, and appreciating It, must needs adore It and adoring It must tell the one I adore," he answered smiling. , "Base flatterer!" . ah . cried. "I would not hav thought It of you!" : "Can't you distinguish between sin cerity and mere flattery?" reproving ly.""! gar j you credit for greater dis cernment than that" Then suddenly his face became very grave. - ' "I am going away early to-morrow morning," be said abruptly. "I wlil not see you after to-night; and I want to tell you a little story. May I?" "Yes," the answered alowly. - "Well," he began in his clear, vi brant voice "once upon a time, I think, sounds more like a . story there lived a man" "Describe him," he demanded. . i "I can't do that just an every-day kind of a chap. I'll leave tha hero to I your imagination, and next door. which was, in reality, many acres apart, lived a beautiful girt Their father were very great friends for years and they decided that they would like these two peoplo to marry. So they drew up a will to that effect. If they married each other these two they were to each inherit without any question their father's estates they were both only children. If the man married some one else, he for feited a third of his estate and an orphanage secured it; If the girl did likewise, so also a third of her money wa to help to swell the exchequers of this self-same orphanage, and those poor little children have that much more to eat. If they both proved fool ish, according to their fathers, each gave a third. The man liked the girl very much he fancied It was love. The girl did not care for the man at all, save for his social position and a little fame that had come, his way. All his life he had dreamed of some one loving him. His father had been very reticent and the few caresses he had bestowed on his only boy this boy had treasured as old people do the ro mances of their youth, or th golden curls of little children who have died. His mother" he spoke so low now that the girl could scarcely hear "hej adored. She was as winsomely dainty as a spring flower, with a heart made of love. She petted him. she loved him, she broke his heart and his father's by going away to another world. The father followed soon, and he was entirely alone you are sure 1 um not boring you?" he said anx iously. "No." she said gently, and then bravely added. "I like to hear about the beautiful girl and the lovely little mother." "Well," he said, as he gazed Into the Are whose flames had been so bright when the little story began, bdt now with deadly monotone wearily sent forth a dull breathing, as If all Its brightness was too fast turning Into ashes "the man's great house was lonely. Be wished to marry that next fall, for her father was dead, and she lived with an aunt. She had not yet finished- school. Then later she wanted to go to Europe, which she did, and staved on and on. Here she was feted: iso much homage laid at the feet of fethis slender, beautiful girl that sne nad- forgotten almost tne toneiy man who had been so very 111. Then one day she wrote him. Some day It would not be so very long now she would return; until then, let her be free. Free! She had atways been, for only love fetters the heart 'The man went away to get well, and he met a little mountain girl. Then he knew he had at last found the, realization of his Ideal, her of whom he had dreamed." A log fell into ashes and suddenly flared Into a blaze of light The girl looked up, startled. The man saw that her dark eyes were full of tears. He arose and stood looking at her. "Child," he cried, his voice shaking with emotion, "It 1 you I love! With all my heart I love you! I will a8k Beatrice to release ro and " There was something divinely sweet about the fair race looking up at him, and very adorable; but sud denly he saw her grow very white. Beatrice! Oh, why had she never thought of It before, that this was the man to whom Beatrice Boutelle was engaged! Jack AInsleigh his name had sounded so strangely familiar and yet she had not once thought of his being the man they had often talked of In the old days at Wynona! Her heart contracted suddenly with the thought of tho pain of giving him up. She saw the long, lonely years be fore her. For a moment she almost hated Beatrice she had loved so much! After all Beatrice did not love him, she was only proud of his fame. She, Lollta, loved him for his gentleness and goodness and his great heart. Suddenly from out the past rang the slow sweet voice of the Hungarian, she' was In the autumnal clad woods, looking Into the magio drawing dark eyes of the fortune teller, with thefr strange mes meric power; the voice compelling rang again In her ears! Would she never forget it! "Sho will cross your path with sorrow." As If In a dream she heard it. It had come true! Cruel and Inexplicable that Fate should be stow so great a gift as this wonder ful love, and yet take It away at the same time! Ah! what was It she had said about "standing trials" then Fate would compensate her, If she j measured up In her strength to the sorrow! These thoughts flitted Inco herently, madly through her brain. "And you do like me a little?" Jack was saying. She had not heard. "No," she said slowly, and his face becamakwh-Ite and saddened, but fairly radiated Joy as she Impulsively added, "for I love you!" Her face and voice were strangely sweet In the moon light "Lollta!" he cried, and the ' very tone In which he pronounced the. soft Spanish nam had a caress In it biit as he would have finished speaking, the girl arose, her face very grave. We must part forever to-night,", she Mid dully, as If rehearsing a lesson. In her heart she knew she would be true to Beatrice. - "But" he said, as he took her little cold hands In hla "Why Is this, dear? We love, each other. It would be wrong for two people to sacrifice their happiness for a girl whrls a veritable April's lady." he added passionately. "I will ask'. - . But the girl had suddenly drawn her hand away. WKh sad despairing eyes she was looking at him. "Oood-bye," she said simply, brave ly, and she smiled, although her eyes wer full of unshed tears and the soft red lips- quivered. "Ton say you love me. v You wilt be true to that giri Her voice faltered. Slowly sh turned and started toward tha door. She paused a moment. - . Good luck to you on your Journey," she cried., with a brave little attempt at gayety. Then she slowlv rrosMcd lhe; hall and he heard her ascend the wide old stairs and the soft footsteps die away and he was left alone In the moonlight ( ' -: ; . - ' ' f CHAPTER IVf 'Tan tars ra! the Joyoual Book of Spring Lie open, writ In blossoms: not a bird - Of evil augury is seen or heard! , Come now, like Pan's old crew ; we'll dance and stng.-' ; . ' Or Oberon's, for hill and Valley, ring To March's bugle born earth's blood 1 . . stirred.", v' ; . . . ; Down In southern Kansas the warm blood of spring was stirring. Full of an eager triumph spring had brushed aside winter's desolate garments. March,' boisterous and with biting wlnrla harf Mnt init Aoril with her sunny, winsome smila was transform Ing the earth. Timid grass was brave lr ahowine- its tender green, th pecan ptreea, tall and straight wtth mysteri ously shimmering bits of green, wer flaunting their color against the blue very blue of the sky. Such a world of skyl Such an ocean pf sky! , with its freighted cargo of idle white sails drifting lazily across this sea of cloud land! . ... , I ;, The osage orange hedges, too, were a misty, tender green. The Walnut riv er flowed swiftly on, as If free at last from winter's tyrannical bonds of ice which had-kept It nt thrall, on. on until one day It flowed beneath the canyons of Colorado. Jack AInsleigh. who ' had '.come down-for a week's visit to his friend, Robert Burns, at the - "C. and L. ranch," and Incidentally to ses a rail road whose building was to do so much for that part of the -country, sat at the breakfast Uble, Idly rasing at his mall. Suddenly from the pile he drew a foreign postmarked letter ia a thin blue. long envelope. It was written from Venice and had been delayed and forwarded so much that H waa now a month old. He eagerly opened It. It was, as he knew from th char acteristic Individuality offhand writ ing, from Beatrice Boute'te. "It 1 very, very late. Jack," K be gan, "but I obey an Impulse to writ to you to-night Th moon 1 shining bright and you who know Venice by moonlight so well, can realise what that mean Its charm and subtl beauty. All Venice I deeping tran quilly now. To-night we went Aunt Adelaide and I tb a stupid at home. Not a person there with that mag netic charm we call personality save one. and U Is of him I am writing you to-night. For this mysterious He is the one who Is to change the cor rent of our Hves. for I am te marry him. Jack, and not you! Fat has willed 1t so. for never have you truly loved me. "But this Italian nobleman who has beside his great birth and good breeding, a real deep love for me. I know I do not love him, for am not capable of deep love as you know I am too semsh. You see am treating my faults frankly as If they belonged to some one else but i nave the greatest the tenderest re spect for him. We are to be married the lth of April from my cousin Madame L.'s, home In Rome. It will be a very quiet marriage, as the Duke's mother's death Is of so recent a uate we will divide our time be tweenjils villa In Rome and my home in America, for after all, in all my selfishness, I have a deep and abid ing love for the country of my birth despite the fact that I had an English father and a French mother, "Please write me. Jack, that you do noi mina me entirely xiearxjees. ckj me w-here there Is a girl whom you will find who will have all those attrioutes of charm and sweetness that will ap peal to you. and you two will marry and come to see me. 'Airs weu that e-nds well! With all my heart I mean It sin cerely I wish you happiness. For old sake's sake shall we not still be friend? "I must stop now and write Jurt a line, as ma a it is, to iouia uei mond, an old college friend, who Is the only girl I ever really cared for. Some day when we meet. I will tell you of her, and you, too, will want to meet her. "Write me. Jack, that you are glad to be free, but tell me you wish me happiness, "EATKicia" For a lonir time Jack sat In si lence. It was a cruelly frank letter, and she had been heartless, and yet It had showed more emotion than he had ever known her to evince b fore So she was to marry on the Kth of April. To-day was her wedding day. What strange freak of Fate was It that .brought the news on the very day pher wedding: ArrtJ she knew Lollal Could It be possible that Lollta had known of his engagement to Beatrice, ana xor ner love of Beatrice would not be unfaith ful to her? She must have! Suddenly there dawned upon him the fact that he was free to ask Loll ta. to become his wife. And she had said that she loved him, He would start that very next inornlnr for H merest The local trpJn had now gone. He would tosrve to watt until to morrow, he thought with Impatience. Hla friend, buttering a piece, of toast, danced up. "Gee!" ho drawled, startled at the radiance of his . friend's - face. "Been left a gold mine?" h queried, excit edly. 'A girl has Just Jilted me!" Jack re plied most cheerily. "Of all the fools!" was Burns com ment "It is a death blow to me aver sav. Bobble." answered Jack,' a he attacked hi breakfast-with alac rity, "What's the very soonest -1 can send a cablegram, and from where? "When you finish your breakfast ..nii. laconically. "Bobbie" Ilk the poet of old, whose -nam he hap- pened to bear, was scented a romance, and he felt cheat ed that Ire was not ta be"-let 'Into Its secret ... . Tou csn 'phone It from here to Wichita," he added, "It will be for warded from there to New Tort" And so a little later a cablegram of congratulation started to Rome In car of Madame L. for Miss Beatrice Boutelle, but wnoso name nsu cnang ed ere K reached there. Two days later en rout for horns Jack AInsleigh received a Telegram at St Louis from the operator at HII1 crest, Virginia, In response to one h had sent Miss Lollta Desmond. -t'Tele-rram eighteenth returned.. . Since father's death Miss Desmond gone. Address unknown to me,". It read. He had telegraphed her he would start South immediately. -,--' He read It as he entered the auto mobile which h had 'phoned for to take, him out to Cabanne Place to see an old friend of his ' mother's , the couple of hours he had to wait . They had gone but two - blocks, when suddenly from around a corner there came a wagon, whose horse was steering madly toward the machine, and over which the driver seemed to have lost 'all control. The chauffeur became thoroughly frightened. Th machine reared In midair 4 moment; there was a dull noise a of creaking splinters, a hiss, an explosion of some kind and Jack .AInsleigh. remember ed no more. "-"' '".''" When he regained consciousness, there wss an odor of an anesthetic In the air. His Uii arm was dons pp ia splints. Hls? entire body ached and : each nerve quivered with pain. A white-capped nurse, tn white uniform. Wood by hlm. w , ' ; "Where am J," he saidv f , v, . "At St Vincent's HospitaV she re plied, '"but you must b quiet," she said gently, but firmly. . . ; ' ' The chauffeur and the Wa In tha 1 wagon. Are they hurt much, . 'The man ia the wagon escaped ua harmoc The chauffeur had an arm ' broken like you, and ' not r single bruise.. It was miraculous." ',-- - Tm flad." ha said drowsily. It was ihe next morning when he awoke that ' a strangely familiar face greeted htm. " It was none other than Doctor .Bruce, r "Bruce!" he cried dellghtedljr, "Ex plain yourself." , ' i ; ."They found a letter directed "te a . In your coat and not knowing your friends telegraphed me. Thank Ood your Injuries are not serious. Jack! X m going to stay w:th you several ,. days, but remember no talking." authoritatively,- . .( A week later, when Jack had begun to grumble at the quantity and quality Of medloine Biven Mm. nnptnr Rmia tow him he was convalescing enough, for him to leave. . ; .. , ; . It - wa after he had irone' that It uuueniy vecurrea to him that Mal comh Bruce would'know where Lollta no was. iaiot mat ne was, not to . have thought of It beroret. ' As soon aS he could writs. h wnnlit enquire of him. , wnen. he -was ant allowed to alt up, the middle-aged woman, with her pleasant face, who ha been his nurse since he was hurt paused In the mag asin article she was reading and said, "To-morrow w are expecting to hava a difficult operation at which Z am to neip, ana j am going to turn you over 10 tne care of a new nurse who is hre in training, she wlU amuse you that's what you need most now and give you your medicine. She Is- very capable and has the making of a fine nurse in her," she added nrofesslon- ally. "I don't want you to desert me like that." said Jack, with a smile, for he liked the quiet, self-possessed woman who had been so kind and patient with him. "I'll not do that." she repMed. . He was Idly napping In his great chair the next mornrng when the door opened to admit his new nurse. She was a slander girl with ador able red lips which were smiling. Her -blue print frock was Immensely be coming to her. "By the request of Doctor Bifice, an old friend of yours. I am sent as a substitute, until your nurse can be with you again." she said demurely. ' He opened his eyes, not half heart edly but wide open they were now, at the sound of that strangely sweet familiar voice. "Lollta!" he cried Incredulously, happily. "It U time for your medi cine," she said professionally, al though there was an amusing glow of excitement In the dark eyes looking at him, and he thought he saw a. tiny smile lurking at the corners of the sweet winsome lips. He took the medicine submissively, and with hla left band "he kept Im prisoned her slim whit hand. The medicine glass fell to the floor. It shivered Into atoms. "Don't," she protested. "It's not professional." "Tell me that you love me," he de manded. "Blessed accident that brought me here! Tell me," anxiously. He still retained her hand. The girl's fair face became rosier. "Bruce's a trump!" he said. "Some time you must tell me how you hap pened to be away out here, and every thing. I am bo sorry, dear, about your father's death," he added gently. She looked at him tn startled amassment How did he know about - her father's death ? - But Jack was talking again hap pily: hlsvo!ce fairly quivered with happiness. "This right arm of mine will be slow In mending I am glad now I didn't get both crushed and I am not going to wait until It heals, for you and I are going to be married as soon as I get Just a trifle stronger, -determinedly, and go to see Beatrice, who married an Italian Duke this week, and " "Beatrice married!" ah gasped, I thought" "Yes, why did yout not ten me you knew her? How much we will have to talk about!" he said. . With reddened cheeks the girl said coMly, "Kindly let go my hand. It you do not do as I tell you, I shall send, some other nurse to take your case.' "I Bhan'fa"-he said obstinately. "until you tell me you love me; this left hand of mine was unhurt but it ashes; tell me," anxiously. That's not fair.' she said, but answered, shyly, "yes,"' and picking up the bits of broken glass with averted "glance she -went Into the cor rldor. . "Would, you mind reading a little verse that Nurse First. began?. Jack asked that afternoon, "but" lnnocent- iv. "that I old not auite catch." to Lo llta, who had been reading to him in the rare intervals they had not ben talking. How 4hey had talked and . talked. And with heightened color, and a aueer little catch of happiness In her throat, that after all her measure of fate 'had been this glorious, over whelming lovo, she read: "It's w two. if we two, It's w two fer aye. All the world and w two and Heaven - be our stay. Like a lsverlock in the lift sing O, bon- nr brio All the world -was Adam once, with Eve by his side:" TIRESOME TO REPORTERS. Some of Jthe Things Said by News- New Orleans Dally States.' ' ' "I've : got a good scoop for you oub club's going to give a picnic" .. sJX : "What does It cost to put au ad. In theT ( "You want to go easy, en that Tn a . friend of your boss." . - "Whov writes the Items lor you after you bring them Inf" "If I waa you I'd b going to some show every night.- -' "To decide a bet how many round did -John L. Sullivan snd James J. Corbett r fight r - V "I'm: going to Europe thl ' summer.. Would your paper pay my (xpenses if I'd send letters telling all about my trier : "I don't see how you can make up so many lies." "Be sure and send back this photo. It's the only one ot .me I have. , Tut it In that Iv gone te New Tork. " I ain't going, but I-want a certain girt to see If ,. "Oet me a pas to the ball game, will your "I wish you would put a rub.. In the -" paper on a fellow I knew. -, "I know how It Is you wsnt to spread this story a whole lot so you'll get more -money for It" - ; . "Don't yon have te vote tn way your . editor "doesT" - V' - -,-.:.. ' "If you print anything about It Jit qu! ' taking your sheet " , ' . .