The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-15
settled down into sober country squire

settled down into asOber country squire
long ago" Il a5
It was plain that Sir Philip liked to hear
himself talk, and my courage revived.
Why, yes" l sand, "years and cares
do work crest changes in most men; 1
dare say you would hardly know him
now" & l-i IS.
L. "Idsre say not. But Is he well, and as
good 8 shot as in the old Oxford dsysT
",Just ss good. He is never happier than
smong his turnips.n And then I~shuddered
st my own. sudscity, IS 1 pictured my veri-
table parent, a hsrd-Worked berrister, long
since dead, and with about as much notion
of firing q gun as one of his own briefs.
"Quite right quite right" exclaimed Sir
Philip, energetically; Hand we can find
you some fair sport here my boy, though
the birds are wild this year. Come over as
often IS you like while you are st Linbeach;
or, better still, come and stay here"
L thanked him, and explained that 1 was
staying at Linbeach for the sea air, and
that 1 must be in town in 8 few days.
Pm sorry for that. We ought TO have
found you out sooner but L only CHANGED
to see your name st the library last Friday.
And so you are st Merton ?"
AYES, 1 am at Merton, F" said !, feeling it
quite refreshing TO speak the truth.
"Ah, Pmglsd your fathers stuck to the
old college you could not be at 8 better
one. That boy Of nine is wild for soldier
ing, or I should have sent him there.p
eThe mystery stood revealed. l had re-
corded nv name on the visitors board IS
q. Olfan., Merton College, Oxford and
| BY 8 strange coincidence, Sir Philips for
mer friend had belonged to the same col
lege, and owned the same initial. The CO.
incidence was indeed so complete that it had
| evidently never dRwned upon the baronet
that l could be other than the son OF his old
chum. He sat new slipping his wine, with
almost q sad expression on his honest face.
HAh, my lad, he said presently, " when
you come TO my age, you'll look back to
your old college and your old friends as do
now But what was 1 going to ask your
Ga, 1 remember. Have you seen any of
the Forbes lately ?"
~ glanced round despairingly at the geol-
ogists, but they were lost TO everything
but blue liss and old red sandstone, and
there was no hope Of efscting a diversion
in that quarter.
"Well, no-not ve-y lately" 1 respond
ed slowly, as though trying TO recollect
the exact date when l last habitat felicity.
"To tell the truth, 1 don't go down into
those parts so often as 1 ought to do"
HThere's a family for you p Sir Phillip
went on triumphsntly chow well they are
doing. That young George Forde will
distinguish himself one of tness days, or
I'm mistaken and Willie, too-1o you
know Whether he has passed for Woolwich
YETI"
/ could not say that 1 did, but the good
bsronet's confidence in Forde's genius was
as satisfactory as certsinty.
"He's sure to pass, quite sure never
knew such clever lads Snd as for beauty
that little Kstie"-but here the slumber-
ing arehdeacon came to me aid by waking
vp with a terrific start and a loud HEhl-
what time to join the ladies p
There was q general stir, and 1 con-
trived to make my escape to the drawing
room. If l could only have escaped alto
gether; but it was not yet hslf-Psst nine.
The tall foOtmen and severe butler were
louuging IN the hslI, and l felt convinced
that if l pleaded illness, Sir Philip would
lay violent hands on me, and insist on my
spending the night there. After all, the
worst was over, and in the crowded draw
ing-room, 1 might with slight dexterity
sxoid all shoals and quickssnds. So L
ensconced myself in a low chair, guarded
by 3 big table on one side, and on the other
by a comfortable motherly-looking woman
in crimson satin, TO whom l made myself
agreeable. We got on very well together,
and 1 bresthed ana chstted freely in the
-SslisLSed-Po-su.z4c4-pna sne, at least,
knew no more of the Forbes than 1 diu.
But my malignant star was in the ascend
ant. l was in the midst of q glowing de-
~scription of the charms of a reading party
at the Lakes, when Sir Philip again ssssii-
cd me-: We'll, Mrs. Sullivan" he said,
addressing my companion, "hsve you been
asking after your little favorite."
"My little faYorite ~ repeated Mrs. Sui
ivan i~nquiringly.
She did not know who he meant, but 1
did l knew quite we'll.
I" Katie FoTde, 1 mean; the little black
eyed girl who used to go into such costa
sizes over your roses and ferns-yeu have
net forgotten her yet, have your"
No, unlucky for me, Mrs. Sullivan had
net forgotten her. l was charged with q
string of the fond unmesning messages
which the ladies love TO exchange; and it
was only by emphstieslly declaring that l
should not be in Yorkshire for many
months, that 1 escaped being made the
bearer Of sundry curious roots and bulbs to
the fair Ksthrine.
But Sir Philip soon interrupted us:
f" There's a cousin of yours in the next
room, M. O%lifant," he said, evidently
thinking that he was making a most agree
able announcement she would like to
you, ii you will let me take you to
her"
heard spI trembled. A cousin. Oh,
the Forbes we're nothing to thisI Why
did people have cousins and why, oh why,
should every imaginable evil befall me on
this disastrous EVENING" Such were my
.agOnizsd reflections, while with unwilling
steps l followed my host to execution. He
led me TO q young lady who was serenely
examining some prints. al have brought
him to you, Miss Hunter; here's your
cousin, MIR. Ohfsnt."
She looked a. me, there was no recogni-
ton in her eyes. How could there be, in
deed, when we had never met beforei
What would she do next2 What she did
do was to hold out her hand with 8 good
humored smile, and at the same time Sir
Philip observed complscently |
"YOu don't know n another, you
know"
Not know one another; of course we
didn't but 1 could have Rugged him for
telling me so; and in the Joy Of reprieve l
devoted myself to my supposed cousin, a
bright, pleasant girl, happily as b~enightsd
regarding her real relatives as l was about
my imaginary ones. The minutes slipped
fast away, the hands of the clock pointed
at ten, the guests were beginning t0depsrt
and L was cOngrAtulsting myself that the
ordeal was safety passed, when, happening
to turn my hesd, I saw Sir Philip nee
more advancing upon me, holding in his
hand a photograph book. My doom was
sealed My relentless prosecutor was re-
solved to expose me, and with diabolicsl
Hlo offitlDbPsg a sRJjagBffdp d t5A4fRt qfsigiEce; f0fet-
bic ejee ton, nay, wen of the the pump it
self, hoated before my dizzy brain, while
on be came nearer and nearer. "There! "
he exclaimed, stopping just in front OF me,
and holding out the ill-omened book
iTherel you can tell me who that is, can't
your
1t was q bsby-s baby of a year old,
sitting on 8 cushion, with a rattle In its
hand and it was of course unlike any cres-
ture / had ever beheld. alum, hsw,"
o,A,,,r1asiD Il IN vfAnr dos.