The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-12-02
Frank EBIumdell's Mistake.
WHAT'S IN A NAME &?

ain all oar talks together about old times
since you have been here, said frank bInn-
Z dell, I'VE have never touched upon topic
that was frequent one AT our sittlngs after
,IIali and Chapel. | suppose some deli, acf
lof f-eiing-for l verify believe you have Il
little of it-has prevented your beginning
the subject"
!. = vas coirg 10 protest aea1nst this modi
Heu ascm of compliment, and to ask 4 ques>
oon. when was stopped by
"Don'1 bother, that's :, good fellow, or |
sh al never get to nsy storg. 1or remember
we'll enough. have ne doubt. how l used to
talk OF Mary Percivsl"
Yes said, and have often wondered
wha. il all came to. The Christian name IS
a household word here. Was 1t May - !?
l was checked again by DDiilaaeI's look.
You promised to listen," he growled,
Sand now you are cross examining. Have 4
little patience. and forgive me, too, il l
repeat what have already told you. Mar;
Percival and | were friends from early
infancy. Our mothers were friends before
us. and NV earliest recollectron5 are asspcia-
ted with her an! hers. When we came tc he
man and woman We real AMI argued aud
were happy to gether, as We had played and
ouarrelled and made up again in our child
hood The friendship had increased, but not
changed It's character: ut least | can speak
for myself You remember what Iennyson
says IL Dora
til. youth because
lie had been aly tys with her in the house,
e Thought not Of Dora
s.I, was something like this with me. Yet
admired Mary very much. and loved r.
..fter a fashion, very dearly. and would
4 !,
r;vo her Measure orsspare her pain. You
r.. heari all this before. don't mean to
,naict any ,nt;re O. it on yCu. Now take
yourself back 10 Cambridge for Il moment,
and try to recall a Trinity man named
Iiorner-'Hsndsome Hyraer. they called
HIM"
Il remember him perfectly, said. "tlc
was in the second Trinity, AMI rowei seven
in their first boat when they Jumped US in
the Long Reach \ broal-shoudered man.
with curly chestnut hair and white arm-."
..RegariIess of grammcr, | cry, 'Tha;'s
him." was the reply.
He and | hal slight acquaintance at
the University, in the last term When We both
read with s;mite; anl meeting ia town after
We took oar degree, we became very good
friends Scine time after this. he wrote t.
ask me to go and see them at his fathers
old rector ard Horncr's mother. and, IN IRE
shsn all, saw his sister. Recalling her
brother = fancy him pman-reinei, bright.
,ened, intensely beautied. and yOu can form
some slight idea of Mary HOrner.
SIT is impossible for NE to describe fitly
the effect she croducei upon me from the
first Nv acquaintance had included some
very pretty women | might have said OF
myself if it were not cOnceited. Idittri mn
sine glo~ia: not as a Airt though, mird; but
Mary HOrner was new eXpe.leace She
fascinated me, and | was gone graduate.
You may be sure that | did not get an
better the longer STAYED within the charmed
circle got on famously with AL the people
down there, and fancied that was not dis
liked by her You know what | mean But
could never detect anything like symptoms
of what shall | Ill it? -reciPrDcty OF af-
fection. (DJn't laugh. there's relief IN such
way of putting it.( On the cpntrary, che
treated me with cordial but thoroughly self
possessed friendliness. She was not the sort
OF woman 10 encourage any lover, however
acceptable in ocular demonstration and that
klnd of thing, and it never occurred ID me to
try il On; AMI then the exercise. and the
general atmosphere OF the place. 50
conducive to health and spiri,s that the la ty
had no reason on tn, first visit 10 suspect
from any appearance the condition Of my
heart Ibis was in the su.amer: but the
following winter found me again at Shallow
ford Rectorv. | met srme pleasant people
there whom had not seen before; among
Others, Mr.. Horner ; curate, Charles Oxen
den. He was a really good fellow. heartily
devoted to his work, as well as an accom-
splshed man and an agreeable companion.-
All this | could but acknowledge, in spite OF
t.he shadow of a consciousness HAT shere WAS
something in the confidential Relationship
subsis.ing between him and Mary Horner
!sI,ut then | consoled myself with the though
tttat they had common interest IN parISl
rt.aiters, which involved a good 1eal OF dis
cussion. And there was nothing IN the CO..:
duct of either that | coGld complain of a
loverlike, even If | possessed any right L
complain at all snhich hadn't anv. | ha'
never told nv love- am not prepared I,
state that on this. my second visit, | mig'.
not have almost inyolUntarily. betrayed my
self: but there hal never been the slightes
approach to what believe Is called 4 'o!ec!a
ration Our friendly Intercourse hal reach
ed the stage of our calling one another b
our CHRISTIAN names. Her brother called m
FRANK habituallv, as | called him Ere
(which We should probably never have don
nf our init macy had dated from our Can
bridge days l. a:il Si1e naturally 1ei, Is lli1cc
all the family did. into the same habit
Equally natural il seemed for me 10 call he
Mary. Ny stay at this slime was short. W
were An unbroken circle at home on Chris
mas; and left. with my secret ur.divuge'
few days before Christmas day. But
.,ueh, to have told you that had seen tt
srs.civals frequently betwee;- the.e visit.
S1,o,ey. They were living then near Lomdo
.he. mother and daughter. Mrs Percival III
been 3 widow for some years, and HI
,aIt<!t, Mary a little about my admiratit
ri he otter Mary, Mary Pe.cival was
:,erested in The subject. and seemed o''
inclined to ra.urn to It. 1t was not top
of conversation that 5y any means ohject
90: bat didns half ENJOY 1t under the c
eumstances. Th.re was something uHii
herself aboat Mary, Il cer'aln cons'rhih',
70 be concealed. 1t vas not very noticeap
but (. yho knew her so wei, notlced II
rathe. fet it. and was l.ncomf"rtaoie acco
:ngiy. 1t the same ;itne ! was perfectly 81
that uy sriend was siucare ootn IN 'he
teres. she expfessed aua IN her mann
towards ne
'.TheEe vas no aEec'atien il Mary fet
val-faF iIo-.,'it. Looking back lom a la
day upon the events and feelings of u
time, vas more wise 10 know the truth
Then I yas only selfish wh. sas I
coxcomb. Let me see. where was =?
told you went hcme before Christmas.
was entered at the inner Temple then; a