The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-24


luncheon hour, and besides developiua very
fair appetite for the material vtands set before
us, also developed quite remarkable craving
at er what ladies term news We'll, FRANCES,
what's the newsW was nearly ner first ques-
ton.
Miss Guest colored as she professed her icno.
rance, probably thinking, 1t struck me, wnat
the answer tomorrow might we'll be. SO Miss
Bailey proceeded herself to mpart sundry in.
telgenCe, in which Miss Guest, carrying off
her secret trouble bravely (she could not keep
back preoccupied sigh now and then J ieigned
much interest: satisfied so that her father was
not called upon. We appeared TO be success
fully tiding over the mal-apropos visit, until, as
luck would have IT, tho lady's inquisitiveness
was directed towards me. Then q1ite laid for
everything to come to grief.
Ah, l suppose, Mr.. Livesay, you are
stranger to this part OF the country p saldgshe,
catching quickly at words that implied as
much. She was what call dreadful woman;
well preserved, fifty or so, with lace placid,
yet shrewish; smiling benevolentlV on you
with her eyes, but her mouth In contradiction,
said did not know much of the country.
But perhaps you mean to get acquainted with
it! Perhaps, you are thinking to settle down
amongst us p
] said / was simply on visit, and Miss Guest
coutriyed to get the conversation into different
Channel-but not for long.
You find the air keen here, don't you, Mr..
LivesayH said Miss Bailey. upou Il discussion OF
the weather giving her an opening. Pm sure |
did. But then Pm a native OF Uevonshire, and
you may come from northward.'
l wished Devonshire had kept her as | said
that on the contrary, had always lived more
to the south.
Tn London, perhapsH
Bless the womanp l thought. 'Ili try the
truth-if that will stop her. Hesitating a mo-
ment between Leicestershire and oxford, /
chose the latter. As 1t turned out, an untortu-
nate choice.
AT the university? Ali At which college
would it be? Christchurch? ah She had a
nephew, such dear fellow, but he was at Brase
nose. Did l know him ?-Dawson, Frank
Dawson? No, l didn't? Well, perhaps she
might be able to bring about an acquaintance.
Oh, Rrancesp turning to miss Guest, Alice
Dawson has had the sweetest pho 'ograph taken.'
Has she p said Miss Guest, with the slightest
dropping of the eyelids.
'0h, the most charming portraitP y blandly
beamiDg on US all. You have not seen my
niece, IMr. Livesay-my niece, Alice Dawson,
dear Franks sister? Shelves staying at South
driving Hartford way, and looked in on my little
snuggery, might, now, be able to give you an
introduction
Through all this questioning and my CORE
spending ansWers-for, once brought to book,
Pad plunged boldly IN med'dS res, and talked
Oxford to any extent, as deeming the truth
safest, from being least open to suspicion on
either side--as it went on from one assertion to
another, Miss Guests eyes had opened wider
and wider, and even young Dick was reused
from his moodiness. For all their caution, l
caught them signalling their amazement at my
aud acity to each other with their eyes and,
on Miss Bailey's credulity, brought them. But
when it came to the protered Introduction
accompanied by all Miss Bailey,s reserve of
bandness, thought they certainly must have
exploded with laughter; the better kept my
countenance the more tried their gravity. As
for Mr.. Guest, he looked the reverse of amiable
all over at what he took to be my efrontery: At
length Miss Bailey proposed departure. They
all accompanied her TO the carriage, but whilst
Mr.. Guest remained for parting word or two,
Miss Guest and Dick made speedy escape back
-. 80 oil ln,,a Col bN, tlnI IAAr
had the fortune second time to oyerhear them
oh Dick y said she.
'Oh Fanny!' and they went off into sup
pressed laughter, one against the other.
Did you ever hear chap cram like him p
said Dick, suspending his laughter only for the
words.
Dear Frank y said she, as soon as she could
get breath. And dear Franks sister But
don't let US be stopping here Aud giving
themselves minute TO recover themselves they
came in.
/ pUrposely caught Dicks eye, and he walked
TO tne window as the sole resource against a
second explosions for being, as you will have
observed, young fellow quick to stand upon
his dignity, of course he could not willingly
demean himself to exchange mirth with a COM
mon clelk! But kind, thoughtful Miss Guest,
quick to believe that kindness was meant, could
not let it pass without an ackno wledgment Of
my good nature and promptness to avoid en-
barr assment for them. And she knew well, none
better, how to thank without admitting too
much. ] felt it some return for the inevitable
dsagrecables of my work only to have had it in
my power to put her III so much better spirits;
this was just what her fine insight taught her,
aid by what she emphasized her thanks. She
asked If she could be OF any assistance quite
cheerfuly, and even conversed upon general
topics little. She only ventured on a passing
aluslou to my daring inventions-for as such
she wholly regarded them-I was half sorry to
know it-trom beginning to end-over the lun-
cheon-tabe. and that of the demurest.
You appear Mr.. Livesay, to be quite familiar
with Oxford; even more so than with South
wich.' and in spite of herself, smile lurked
somewhere about her pleasant face.
T-I-in fact, Miss Guest, IL was appren-
| ticed at Oxford
| (When | came to this point in telling the days
| proceedings to my uncle, he laughed ten minutes
off, and then admitted that had extlnguished
| him. AS OF course / should | affirmed.
Merely from the result of bigh.class education
| which would, as plain fact capable of beng
| argued, be recurrence to first principles and
! the simplest tactiCsl When my uncle informed
! me my assurance, as he was pleased to call il,
| wanted no further elaboratpg)
! l achieved my reply to Miss Guest In my
grayest manner; but She turLed away, biting
! her lip, and, l could see, doubted my gravity,
just as had detected the GTTiere DenSee in hers.
! / was strongly lmpeiled TO disclose the whole
| truth about myself, but the fear of compro-
missing Mr.. Smith Pentland restrained me until
Mr.. Guest and discretion entered together.
So | brought my business to a conclusion,
! and drove away from Culelton House and the
! Guests, feeling that had also brought to con-
! cluson a strange experience for which nothing
certainly in my life had prepared me, WhIch
| bIauched off from it ia an odd sort of way,
! without any kiud OF connection with it other
! than the slight accident Uf Mr.. smith Pentland'5
! unpIemeditated reqHest and wAich at once
passed into the catalogue OF simple remem.
| Frances.
True, after Illeft southwick once or twice
made Inquiries lor the Guests in my letters 10
my uncle. But the subject was no longer in
! teIestiDg after he wrote that there had been IA
revival in their fortunes-an old maiden aunt
| some relative or other diving and leaving them