The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-18

duy- 4NO, Q4d0ClCIAC, AO choo nav
it warmed" for Madeleine was look
ing piteous and commencing an order
to the butler.
It'll not hurt him, Miss Flutters,"
said Prior. I've often gone without
a dinner myself before this: it'll do
him no harm
"Oh, won't it?" burst out Splutters,
delighted to have some n to pitch
into. How do you know, putting in
your oar? You think yourself very
grand, [ dare say. Nobody else does"
''Ifyou're going to be impertinent,
Splutters, leave the ROOM said Mr..
Flutters.
Hes SO precious cheeky" Splut-
tiers explained; coming bothering
here every day, and ordering. me
about! I've had enough of him.
What does he mean byit? Madeleine
don't want his books. nor him neither.
Stevens is worth three of him." -
BE quiet, Tom, this minute"
flashed Madeleine, turning as red as
the rose in her belt.
Toms a very naughty boy, isn't he,
pet?" asked Mr. Flutters of his young-
est little daughter, who had listened to
this edifying scene with praiseworthy
attention, and had brought her whole
intellect to bear upon 1t.
Very" returned Conny. -! don't
like Mr.: Prior myself, but Splutters
shouldn't talk So"
And Conny swept herself and her
sister out of the room.
All this was damping. We were so
ve.yi dull that Prior, who was easily
bored, preferred the society of the
ladies, and absconded to the drawing
room, whether Ishould certainly have
followed him had not MIR. Flutters
(who had as much tact as could have
been expected from the father OF
such a boy as Tom) being so very
anxious to know the exact point to
which stupidity could carry me on the
subject of reform" that, without
positive incivility, | found it impossi-
BILE to leave him. When, however, 1T
had been clearly proved what IA fool
I was. there seemed nothing further
for which to remain. and L left my fu-
ture father-in-law to discuss the affairs
of the nation with his son.
The eyeng passed quietly enough,
enlivened by snatches of song from
Madeleine, who seemed toorestless to
go steadily through anything, but
made the room sweet with beginnings
and ends. Tea was placed on the ia
BILE, and / completely swamped myself
in that LIQUID, Madeleine holding the
uncomfortable theory that the more
domestic a man was, the more tea he
would take into his system. So Prior
and [ ran a race for reputation, and
Prior won by a cup.
"Going my way?" said that hero at
length, admiring his hands in leven-
der kids, and then generously Offering
them all round.
[ assured him [ was not SO, looking
surprised, he took his departure.
Mr.. Stevens" said Madeleine, in
a low chair, quiet and grave, like the
heroine of Conny's story. when she
had made up her mind it would be
very pleasant to have beautiful things
for her very own, Il have made a mis-
take
/ thought the assertion so very like.
" to be correct that [ made no attempt
at contradiction. =.
while you have been away said
Madeleine, telling a story L had heard
before, Mr.. Prior made love TO me,
as [ told you. | tried at first TO pre-
vent him-and indeed he knew | was
engaged to you-but he went on all
the same. He brought me all the last.
new novels and
And gave you a paint-box, and a
dog with a collar, and took you at
night to hear music?'
The words were Medicines, and
she recognized them at once for her
own.
You know ALL she said. And
there was silence between us. Can
you forgive me?" she said at length.
Nesting up to my arms and laying her
bright head down on my coat. I'm
so sorry, jack [ can't think what
made me do so, for [ knew all along
he could lever make me happy, for L
love you ~
Better than you could ever love
him. [ said. "Conny told me so.
o Madeleine. darling, this is much the
prettier ending of the twor'
Madeleine seemed to think so. also.
She smiled through her tears, and
looked up at me from under her eye
lashes.
"Iam.so sorry" she said again.
I instantly said [ was sorry too,
Chat being the thing to say under the
circumstances . ess
20. my eye. what a gameitis!" said
Splutters, with his usual tact, brust-
ing into the room at break-neck speed.
There's been such a jolly row
The governors been pitching into
Prior about coming here, and Prior
says he's left f~oreverl Amt it fun?
It's an awful sell, though" said Splut.
tiers, suddenly, with a face that had