The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-25

nothing whatever about hunting. He had
certain instincts of sport about him like the
wild Indian, it is true; but they extended no
further than selEpreservation. Hunting
fox of ali uneatable and unpoetical things
in the world, was not per Sc to Dicks taste.
II was accompanied with some danger and
much inconvenience. But then the sport was
as essential to Dicks wants just now as hunt
inc the moose or buffalo is to the wants oil
the wild Indian. 1t was his object to be at
Woodmanscroft, and he kept his object in
view as steadily as the Indian did his dinner,
and with as little idea of being turned aside
from it.
And this object now had got beyond the
moro Measures of good dinner or society, and
had licked itself into tangible shape. Dick
Whistler had determined upon marrying an
heiress; an heiress of good appearance and
high family, who happened at the present
time to be one of Lord Woodcratts distin-
guished guests.
Lady Dorothy Peacham was the only sur
viving daughter of the late Lord Blossom
vile, and had forty thousand pounds of her
own. She was a good-looking woman of
eight-and-thirty, at a liberal calculation; and
the only wonder is, that none of the penni-
less Foreign Office clerks, or medieval majors
of her own rank in life, had carried her oil
long before. However, there she was; and
when Dick Whistler reached his noble hosts
hospitable roof, Lady Dorothy was very far
from the least important person under it.
They did some hunting on Wednesday and
Thursday. Dick got fall from not very
tractable young 'un to which my lords
groom had treated him for first horse; and
Lord Swansdown was nearly drowned in the
river. which had overhowed its banks. Lady
Dorothy did not hunt, but Cicely Provost,
the baronet's daughter, did; and engaged the
attention of Major Thrustham, OF the Guards,
to his intense disgust, who lost the best
twenty minutes of the season in shortening
the ladys stirrup.
at really looks as if the frost was gone,'
said his lordship, coming home on the Thurs
day evening in a warm fog, with southwest
erly breeze; "what do you think, Swans
down ?"
"Devilish cold,' said Lord Swansdown:
"anyhow, Pm shivering'
"Oh you've been in the water; no wonder
you feel cold; but look at the sky" So they
all looked at the sky, which gave a cheerful
promise of fall on the morrow. 81 wish it
mayn't be snow," said Dick, than which,
however, he desired nothing more earnestly.
Fortune favors those who live by their
wits, and in the present case she did so
pre-eminently. She postponed the plea
sures OF at least dozen people in one house,
and thousands in other houses, to make
an opportunity for - well - fortune
hunter, which may account for the preference.
The impossibility of making love in a six
days-a-week country is obvious. The morn
ing absorbs an elaborate toilet, a hurried
breakfast, much comforter and pea-iacket pre-
paration, and drive. The afternoon, if you
return soon enough, baths, slippers, dress
ing room fire, letters to answer, and a less
elaborate but equally needful toilet. Dinner,
absorption of viands, and conversation and
who was Dick Whistler that he should expect
to take in Lady Dorothy Peacham, while Plan
tagenets of the Foreign Office, and Tudors of
the Household Brigade, were there before him?
He envied them their opportunities, and des-
pissed their apathy.
As he lay in bed on Friday morning he was
cursing the thaw, and looking at his boots with
a savage animosity, when the servant ap-
pointed to look after his welfare knocked at
his door, and opened his shutters.
81 should like those brown tops of mine, if
you please, and mind the shaving water
bOils.n
"Certainly, sir; but don't think there'n
be any hunting to-day"
''No hunting ?'' inquired Mr.. Whistler, sit
ting bolt upright in bed, and running his fin
gers through his dishevelled locks. "No
huntingY Why not ?''
''Cos it's froze hard all night, and don't
seem like giving. My lords man says he'll
wait till eleven, and then beat couple of out
lying covers, if the gentlemen would like to
SlOOC; anu away WeuI Cu6 luerCuIldl NdlSG w
tell the same tale to his next master.
True enough, it was hard frost; and as by
IL o'clock it had not begun to give, nor for
| twelve days after, the men who chose to stop
buckled on their CATERS and thick boots, bor-
rowing my lords guns and my lords leaders,
and had a very pretty battue in an outlying
| cover-a battue almost good enough to have
elected the abuse of the sporting writers, who
| go in for the bob-tailed pointer and the stub
| ble-field, to the determination of the barn
| door fowl and Leadenhall Market system, and
| to the glorifcation of ''real sport, sir, and
healthful exercise" How little they know OF
the business
The frost continued, and some men went to
shoot their own covers, some the covers OF
other people. Dick sent for his skates, by
Lord Woodcraft's desire, and so did one OF
| two more. The ladies were already provided,
and it was quite clear that Dicks chance was
better at torshlight picnics and luncheons on
the lake than it had been hitherto. Still
Lady Dorothy did not thaw much; and she
was lady well calculated to hold her own,
unless she meant to relinquish it voluntarily
Lady Woodcraft was a cheerful woman, and
having still a detrimental or two from
the Household Brigade, with Miss Cecily
Provost, left behind, was bent upon
doing something to amuse her friends; SC
she organized tent on the lake, with fam
beau and tOrchlight procession, to come of
when the safety of herself and her followers
would be assured by the thickness of the ice
The tenants were to be there, and all the in
habitants of the neighborhood who liked tC
come and there were to be cakes and tea
and wine and cherry brandy, and as much
strong beer as Hodge could dispose OF to Ills