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It was still quite light out of doors, but inside with the curtains

drawn and the slow, the

room was full of deep shadows

Brantain sat in one of these shadows; it had overtaken hie to keep his eyes fastened as

ardently as he liked upon the girl who sat in the firelight

She was very handsos

to the healthy brune type She was quite composed, as she idly

stroked the satiny coat of the cat that lay curled in her lap, and she

occasionally sent a slow glance into the shadohere her cos which plainly were not

the things that occupied their thoughts She knew that he loved her--a

frank, blustering felloithout guile enough to conceal his feelings,

and no desire to do so For teeks past he had sought her society

eagerly and persistently She was confidently waiting for him to declare

hinificant and

unattractive Brantain was enore which wealth could give her

During one of the pauses between their talk of the last tea and the next

reception the door opened and a young irl turned her face toward hi over her chair--before she could suspect

his intention, for she did not realize that he had not seen her