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IL 11 ^ V THE STEWARD'S SON CHAPTEH XIX. « lllC JICVVAKUi ilifN « '^" '*'^^' ^^'"^ '^'"^ " '''''''" "'''^ ^° much X Y lately. All the grand folk make so w rt much of her, thoy do." ^â- Â¥<k^'Ork-^-Â¥<iÂ¥<i^<i-^<i.-Â¥CiL^^Â¥<:i-^^ , '^J'';:' stilled a irroan. Singing and laughing all day! And ho had spent a fortnight of mental torture. And now he came back to find her dancing I with Guildford Berton, who seeuisd ing with the rellocted many-<;olored ! to be her hhadow! ligh'ts. I He looked at that gentleman as he I He gazed at her open-eyed, drink- j bent over the chair in which Norah 'on 7ho"morning of the 14th ho had \ i^g in her loveliness, falling down j was seated, and for the first time called at Lord Nowall's in a state of before it. mentally, and worshiping desperation which almost prompted ;>t- Could it he possible that this .^("If. Where have I heen? Well, that's a long story. So you have missed me, have you? I wonder," almost to herself, "whether any one else has?" â- ** "Lor', yes, sir. Mrs. English says Tho Checiuers isn't the same w'ithout you." "Oh, Mrs. Knglish," remarked Cyril disconsolately. "Hasâ€" has I^dy Norah been well, Becca?" "Lor', yes, and so gay! I never see a young lady so happy and li^ht- heartod. She's sinking and laughing 'a simple one â€" her arms gleaming like Cyril-for we will call aim bo still }^oTy. her red-brown hair like bur- â€" had escaped from London in time nished gold, her beautiful e.sos glow to bi> present at the ball by one of thoso lucky chances which favor ar- dent lovers. i. ""6'^'-^" _"â- >• ;»>=» ^fr.^>^-^j-^^, v.. ...»-|". (^yril realized how handsome a man Guildford Berton was. Perhaps he him," in'case "h7~shou7d"tind tiiatthat lovely creature had condescended to erratic nobleman had not returned, ' love hira, to tell him so, to promise why he preferred to dance with Bc'CC 1 1 "Young ladies don't cry .Tl)out and talk to any old fogey, rather , nothing, not generally." said Cyril, than come to her, ho would have "Come, what is it? Can I do any- broken away from tho bore who but- thing for you?" tonholed hira, and llown to lier side; "No, no," she said, his sympathy but he did not guess what was pass- starting her into tears agaiii. "You ing in her mind, and it secniud to can't do anything, no one can! I'm him that she was avoiding him, us it so unâ€"unâ€" unhappy," she added, with appeared to her that ho was 1 coping a smothered sob. "Ity poor chil(l, so are most of wretched us! But perhaps I can help you to iMe dis- get rid of your unhappincss. Tell stii:ing, the ma what it is." i "i â€" I can't! It's no use asking me Cyril would not dance again, but sir," she said, whimpering. ••!â€" I wandered round tlio edge of tho wait- want to go home, to get away from zer.s, looking at Norah as the guards- this place." man deftly steered her tUrough Ihj 'But why?" asked Cyril. "Why, maze, and at last ho found himseli" Becca, you seemed the jolliest of tho outside the marquee. Two or three jolly a little while ago." away from her To tho.se two longing hearts tha music made horriMe cord, tho room seemed light bewildering men were walking up and down smoking cigarettes in Vra darkness, which, in comparison with tho bril- liance within, seemed Cimin-rian and "So I was, but I didn't know then. Oh, it's cruel, cruel!" "Well, if you wont tell mo, or you don't care to. I won't pestor you," to leave a polite message to tho ef . ' to be his wife? Then all in a moment a chill struck had been paying her attentions all tho time he, Cyril, had been away? Ho had probablj seen he.- every day at tho Court, had walked and ridden hira. Sho was dancing with another \ with her, had spent hours in her feet that Lord Newall must lind some one else to paint his picture. lie had _ . , haunted Moses' shop and Barley ' â„¢an, his arm round her waist, her society whispering to her, as ho was street overy day, and had worked him.-ielf into a frame of mind which rendered him a nusiance to bimsi>lf and to Jack, as that candid friend did not fail to inform him. But it is the unexpected which al- ways happens and to Cyril's inquiry. head was resting on his shoul.ler. whispering now. And sho had been And that man wa.sâ€" Guildford Ber- ,light-hearte<l and gay! Had -she for- ton! I gotten him? he asked himself. She Love is unroasoaable. illoeical. It ,''«'' "ot looked his way yet. Surely unreason.able, illogical- -- , never occurred to him that, being ^'''^ "'"'^t know that he was in the there, Norah could scarcely refuse to room, and could have given him one dance because her lover-who had }°^ °^ recognition of welcome. "Is Lord Newall at home' " Ihe'foo't- left her for nearly a fortnight with- i ^here can be no loVe where there is man replied 1^1 the afBr^'ative <>"* a word of explanation-was ab- "<> Jealousy, or vice versa and Cyril man repiiea in tne amrmatne. ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ not think of that, but .f^'' scarcely him.self that night, un- stood still, and suddenly grew cold â€" uot hotâ€" with unconscious jealousy. "Jlr. Burne, and at last! How un- it nd of you to keep away from us all day!" "It is my fate that is unkind, Lady Ferndale. I assure you " "Never mind. I shall keep my scolding until after supper, anil so give you time to invent some pretty excuses. But now you h.ive come, you must dance. Let mo see." She looked round, and saw Becca standing looking on with glitteriiiif eyes, her small foot softly tapiiing â-  the ground impatiently, and her lady- .ship, thinking "At any rate, I have found a handsome partner for him" went toward her. fortunately. At another time ho would have thrust aside the thoughts that were torturing him, but he had had a fortnight of suspt^n.se and im- patience; ho had rushi^^d down from London without his dinner, and was tired and overstrained, and the meiry demons whc delight in tormenting mankind had got linn hold of him, and Were enjoying themselves amazing! J'. And still he danced without a mis- take, steering Becca through the crowd as he would have steered a duchess, and thinking a,s little of her as if siie were a lay liguro. They attracted some attention. Becca was .slim and pretty, and tho delicious exercise, combined with Lord Newall, little suspecting that the young artist was Viscount Saiit- lulgh, an heir to a peerage compared with which Lord Newall 's was a mere musgrormi. treated Cyril with that niixtux-e of cordiality and con- descension which is so exasperating, and expressed his desire that ''yril should set olT at once â€" that is. the ~Se'!t 'h»y, the 15thâ€" for Brittany. "I am going there to-tii.)rrow, anil shall be glad if you will accorapanv me," he said. Cyril fait tempted to decline the ofTer and tho invitation, hut it oc- curred to him as he hesitatedâ€" much to Lord Newall's astonishniientâ€" that he could run down to Santleigh and see Norah before he started; and, full of I'.i.s resolve to make himself famou.s before ho presented himself to tho Earl of Arrciwiiule, he signilied his Acceptance of tho proposal. "You won't start until tha iiij;ht mail, I suppi>se?" ho said, not cjuito so respectfully as Lord Newall was accustomed to bo addressed by his "inferiors." "Because I lion't think 1 could manage it if you started any earlier."' "I will go by tho night mail. Mr. '^'ia.Tk face grew radiant. She had Burne," BiiicI his lordship. ; thrown over her last partner, whosj "AH ligiit, then, fU be at the sta- 'clumsy movements had threatened tionâ€" my lord." j ^'^e destruction of her frock, and had He jumped' into a ha:isom. and, "'een dj-ing to dance. And now Mr. dashing into Jack's room, informed Burne. a real gentleman-though an him, all in a breath, oi the arraiig.;- aitist-had chosen her. mont he had made with Lord Newall. j •''-''-''^«- ^^t)"!'' danceâ€" Santleigh and and that ho intended running down p'<^''n"alo girls took to It naturally, to Santleigh at once. I juat us the children of tho I'acilic "Can't "vou write?" asked Jack, ! Islands take to swimming- and to and Cyril had colored. ; ^K^r delight, Mr. Burne was simply a ship." "Write? No, vou know I can't. H^^ perfect waltzer. Blushing with pleas-: "Indeed," responded tho dowager, sides, 1â€"1 ma.v' be kept over in that "â- "« "â- "' pride, she went two or three 'Well, they are well matched, I'm bea.-itly place "for months. What, go ^ times round the room with him. then sure. What nice hair .-^he has! And withoiit seeiiifT her? I'd rather let I the smile on her parted lii s and in he isâ€" yes, really he is, very hand- tho picture slide." | h«' gUttering eyes died away, and gome." I Norah heard this, and face flushed I for a second, and heart ached. How ! could ho whirl round with that vain ^'^ca'' 'and giddy girl while she sat there \ "Oh, you dance beautifully, beauti- fully, 5tr. Burne," said Becca. "But ^ â€" but I want to pick up my dress." i But it was not to arrange her train that sho had stopped. When sho had Cyril, in no mood for company, kept said Cyril. "There, dry jour eyes, away from th, m and lit a cigarette and go and dance, and try to forget himself. I'resently they halted nea- your trouble. It won't grow any him, but not seeing him, and lie lighter for crying over it," he added heard one of them say: philosophically. "Here, wait until I "Yes, it looks like it. Confound go and get you a glass of cham- tho fellow! It seems as if none of us pagne." he said. "But leave off cry- had any chance against him." ing, or everybody will see what you "No, not to bo wondered at when have been up to, and be wandering you come to think of it. He's better what such a pretty girl has got ta looking .than any of usâ€" yourself in- cry for. There, sit down there," and eluded, Charlie. Women admire that ho half pushed her gently into one of kind of man; 'dark, mysterious, ro- tho chairs that had been piled up ^nantic." near where they stood. 'â- .More like a confounded foreigner; Cyril made his way in tho throng than an EnaJishman." grumbled tlie again, and wont straight to tho re- young fellow who had spoken, tho son freshment room. He purposely ro- of a neighboring peer, and ono of Trained from looking round the mar- Norah's most devoted slaves. j quee Inst ha should see Norali, and, "Got tho best of the running, you , forgetting Becca, bo forced to go up see, Charlie; sees her every da.v; and to her. iher pride in being the partner of tho i "Thoj-e is a young ladyâ€" that pretty handsomest man in the room, had I one with the black hair. Will you set her eyes dancing and given a idanca with her? " warm Hush to her dark face; and the I "I will dance with any ono you are spectators were looking on admir- I good enough to choose for me," said ingly and curiou.sly. 1 Cyril, and he went up to Becca, cast- i "Who is that geutl.'Hian dancing \ hig a longing, wistful thought, if not with that pretty girl with the black a wistful glance, loward Norah. 1 hair?" asked a dowager sitting just I Becca blushed becomingly, and. her behind Norah. ; "Oh, he," replied the gentleman she addressed, w]:o had got (Cyril's name from Lad.v Kerndiile, but knew no more, ancl yet was anxious to appear well informed and gratify the dowa- ger's curiosity, "oh, that is Mr. Cyril Burne. a rising artist; quite a (lever young fellow. And he is Jdiiucing with tho girl he is engaged to. tiuito a lovo allair of the old romantic kind, I assure your lady- then he's one of the clever chaps .don't you know. Can talk and all .that sort of thing. Yes, he's got all 'the odds in his favor, and I'm afraid he'll e.'.rry oiV ih.o prize. At anv irate, he's making all tho running I to-night." ! I "Yes, sticks to her like her shad- iOW," grumbled Lord Charles. "I j heard her promise him another dunce, after supper, and I'll be bound he |takc^a her in." I ('yril listeneii hiUf-absently. It never occurred to him that the.v were talking of Norah and Guildford Bor- 'ton, until suddenly ho heai'd her I name. I "Yes, Charlie, my boy," said his friend, "you may look upon your- iself as a gone coon. The divine j Norah has slipped through your lin- jgers. Accept my sympathy and an- other cigaretle. Mr. Guiliiford Ber- |ton will be the happy man!" I Cyril started, and his face crlmson- ied, and then went white. These men can had put into worils the doiiljts and I the dread that wore haunting him land driving him half-mad. j lie (lung his eigarotto away, and was turning to go into the ballroom (To bo Continued.) * WOHK. "Why don't you go to work?" "Mister," .said Plodding Pete, "I'vo talked for live minutes tryin' to tell you a hard -luck story that would win a dime." "You have." "An' if I kin hold yer interest, I'm liable to keep on talkin'. an' den ma.ybe not git a cent." "That's ipiite true." "Well, mister, ain't dat work?"< THEKES THE RUB. Jeuksâ€" "What's tho matter, man?" .Jonksâ€" "Why. the fault is daughter can't sing. •Jenks- "Lucky beggar! I uune couldn't." Jonksâ€" "Ah! but sho thinks old my wi.sh she THE COMPARISON. Towne Yes, my w'ifo is able to dress on comparatively little money. I'i ov, 11.!â€" Oh, come now! Conipiira- i again, .scarcely knowing why, when tjvely little? , â-  .....1 . __,. â- - Powuc â€" I mean on little compared â- Brittany is anything but a beast- j »iho,s^'oPPed ly place," rem.-xrked .lack, with a smile. "But il,o down and bid your lady-love adiiu. by all means. Y'ou'U look in here as you come back?" Cyril laoght a train, and arrived at Tho Chei|iiir.<! at sunset, and con- siderably flurried Mrs English by telling her that ho 'vas going to What is thff matter? .Anything wrong? Haven't I gwt your step. waiting for hitn? Had she not wait- ed fur a whole fortnight? Why did he not come to her and, making any excuse he liked, take her away from that hateful man who persisted in leavo'rho Chequers the next morning started for the ball that evening following her like a shadow, and and demanding a clean shirt, hot iJecca was perfectly satisfied with hi-r murmuring in her ear? water, and his dress clothes. dress, but deplored the fact of one Oh, that gamo of cross-purposes! While he was dressing â€" which ho did thing being lacking â€" sho had no jev/- The music ceased at Inst, and Cyril in a kind of mental abstraction, eiry. All tho ladies would, she driven desperate, took Becca to a thinking all the time of how Norixh thought, bo smothered in diamonds, seat, and, i\ is to bo feared, left her would look when he entered tho bull- and most of tho village girls would '.ather cavalitily. roomâ€" he missed his riiin. and, on havo brooches or bnicidets or ear- | 'You must give me another dance, coining down, askeil Mrs. English if rings, and sho had nothing, not even j Becca." ho said, not meaning it in she had seen it. ja the slightest, .â- scarcely. Indeed, kuow- "A ring, sir?" sho «iaid, getting i 'ITien, suddenly there flashed upon ing what he said; and, resolved to go flurried instantly. "Oh, dear me. sir! her tho remembrance of the ring she ' straight to Norah. ho began to You don't mean to Kay that you've had "found" besido Cyril's watch. thread his way through tho now con lost " i Now, a man, if he ^ed ston,en it, "Oh, no, never mind,'' broke in would never have di earned of wear- Cyril, promptly. "1 dare say I've ; ing it in pul.)lic. Only a woman â€" and loft it somewhere about the rooms. ! only a woman of Boccas typeâ€" would I'vo dropped it somow'neio v\w. I'm ' have had the courage and audacity of alwa.\s losing something. Don't be ' even entertaining tho thought. alarmed, Mrs. EnglLsh, but if you She looked at it, put it on, held find my head lying about .â- â- .oine day, 'up her hand before the glass, and â€" please put it on the mantelshelf. ! went to tho ball in it! Don't worry about the ring. ' ami he â-  Sho had it on when Cyril entered. hurrii'd out to his fly, which ho had and had meant to take it o!T, but ordered as he canio through the vil- ' when ho approached her And asked lago and was driven away, leaving her to dance sho forgot the ring in Mrs. Engli.sh in a nice state of con- hor flurry and fluster of pride and fusion, and muttering: | gratilicution, and only reraombered it "Bless me, what a wild young gen- j after tho third turn. ' tleman ho be! But there, he's a | She .stooped down, found tho ar- hartis' and he can't help 't" | ranfjenient of the train so diflHcult Cyril wa-s driven to the park, and ' that it required both hands, and entered tho anteroom of the l^allroom manai^ed to take o/T the ring and slip to leave his <lueWoat. and while ho jit into her p</ckct. Was being reliove<t of it by the foot- J- "I'm all right now, sir," she said, man. peered through tho opeuin,? in-, looking up at him. to the big marquee. I I'oor Cyril danced like a machine. It was brilliantly lighted, and i in perfect time and harmony, but looked indeed like a fairy scene, with j neither his hoort nor his brain was Us flowers and flags and Its myriad ; in it, and nil his .soul was intent uiJ- ot vari-coloreU lamps. But he could |on his beautiful sweetheart. Vie watched her, sometimes directly, sometimes over his shoulder, and he saw hor walk olY on Guildford Ber- nol see the cuie person for a sight of whom his heuit ached. Then ho en- tered, and, looking round with scarcely concealed eagorness, saw her â€"saw her dancing w-ith Guildford Berton! Sho was smiling at Dome- thing ho was saying, and her loveli- ness, heightened by her simple ball fu.sed and entagling throng But he has not got half-a-dozen yards before Lady Ferndale mot him She was on the arm of a gentleman who bought pictures and flattered 'himself that he was a critic; and 'good natured Lady Ferndale, who I was always on the lookout to do some one a good turn, had bethought I her of introducing the patron of art j to Mr. Cyril Bur»o. "Oh, Mr. Burne," she said, "let me I introduce .vou to Mr. Homlo.v. Vou land ho will be able to talk pictures" and with a kindly smile, away she 'went, and left poor Cyril in the art patron and critic's clutches. Mr. Romley proceeded to talk pic- tures at <.n\Qe, and poor Cyril, though he tried his hardest to get away, and cast wistfi'l, despairing glances to- ward Norah â€" still seated next Mr. Guildford Bertonâ€" found himself, like the wedding guest, firmly l)utton- holed by this ancient mariner. who wa:j delighted at getting .sonio upon whom he could pour out artistic twaddle. Cvril li.Mtetied â€" or, rather, did 1 he heard a stilled .sob near him in tho darkness, and. peering into it, caught the glimmer of a woman's jj^ve dress a few yards from him. ; He went up to it, his own miser.v moving him to compassion, and put out his hand. "Is anything tho matter?" he aske 1 rob"hi^n' in a low voice. "Who is it?" Tho sob was repeated, anrt a voice said: "No, go awa.vl" "Why, Becca, is that you?" he said gently. "What is tho matter?" and ho took her b.v the arm, and tried to turn her face toward a streak of light that came from tho niar<|Uoe. Becca struggled feebly, then gave in and stood with drooping heu<l, hut evidently battling with her emo- tion. She. too, had heard the con- versation which had so stirred Cyril, and like a flash of Mightning it had opened her eyes and confirmed her suspicions. She knew now for cer- tain the reason wh.v Guildford Berton had avoided her of late. It was not her ho cared for, but Lad.v Norah! With her hand pressed to her heav- ing bosom and her lips set tight, sho struggled to keep down tho bitter tears. "Come, Becca," said Cyril, com- passionately enough, but with a trace i 'of impatience inhis voice, for he' was dying to return to tho ballroom ' to find Norah, and "have it out." : "Tell me what's tho matter." I "No, no!" she panted. "I â€" I can't ' It's nothing! with what she thinks sho ought to "Y'our honiir," ."said tho attorney, "this man's insanity takes tho form of a belief tnat everyone wants to le won't allow even mo, his counsel, to approach him.""M,ay- bo he's not so crazy after all," mur- mured tlie Court, in a judicial whis- per. Scroijssâ€" "Henpeck told me that he regarded the toothache as one of tho greatest of temporal blessings." Baggsâ€" 'What an incomprehensiblo ideal" Scroggs â€" "Y'es; he said it made him forget his other troubles. ", Wifeâ€" "Was that man ever a filmi- er?" Husbandâ€" "No." Wife-'But he's always takiiig«about the deli,^hts of living in the country." Husband â€" "Exactl.>. niat's what shows he never w-ns a farmer." "Y'ou'ro as bad as a playful klt.ton in jumping at conclusions," remarlied a vouth to his friend. "Do kittens jump at conclusions?" asked the guilty one. "Certainly; have you never seen kittens chaso their tails?" "What W'<ro thoso two womrn quarrelling about out on the veran- dah?" "Why, they wore coming in together, and when they got to tho door they both said, 'Age befijra beaotj.' at the sam« tSnte." one hi;j rot 1 listenâ€" answering in abstracted m,on- ton's arm. They disappeared for a time, and then when he saw them next tho dark-faced, self-possessed Berton wa.s st'll her coui.Danion. Cyril wondereii whether they had dress, bewildorod and overwhelmed been dancing- together before, wheth- him. 'Vo the lover the beauty of his mistress is always chnngin.g. intensi- fying, always a sacred ni.ystery and subject for wonderment. Hitherto he has only seen her in or- dinary walking attire; tonight a\M' was arrayed for conquest; a qnson in splendor, though hor dress was only er they had "spent the evening" in each other'.s compan,y, and his heart a«licd and burned as he tried to talk to Becca, who Was really dancing beautifully, and deserved on that ac- count a little attention. "Cleat nviny people here? Yes, osyllables to the stream of insanity and pompous ignorance, and edging further and further away from his tormentor; nnd he had just succeeded in escaping when tho bund struciv up again, and he had the mortification of seeing Norah going o(T on the arm of a tall guardsman. If he could have se.'n the look Norah cast in his direction, ho would have been scmiewhat comforted and encouragcti; if ho could have giirs.scil with what impatient puin she wn:t Uccca. I hope .you are enjoying your- asking herself why ho avoided her I rri.\CE M.VY Nt BE WHOLl.V A POINT DLlCSSimj OF VUSW. FKCK TK»; C'^MX'U J'-'-