The Hickman courier., 1868-08-08

& ivSc ouiy TOO Tapiulyi would 60 throl
with til would win Ny scruples '
ishcd in thin arr forgot them. L
not drunk. but terribly excited. :
Soon the lady's maid entered with
water, brushes, &c. i remember I
y very much Inclined to chuck her un
u the chin, and ask her 10 get me 80
a more brandy on the sly. The m
Ie thought, however, steadied me at once
! 1t struck me how nearly had mad
i mess of the wh1f matter. I sat do
e before the glass, touched mp nv hs
o somewhat composed my flushed IA
d shook out my skirts, rinsed NV mon
d With eau de cologne to remove the sm
y OF brandy, and put scent on a new Ia
: pocket handkerchief / had borrow
: from Mrs. Dundee had often acted
: lady 5 partin private theatricals. and "
+ tolerably sau fait in my work. When
descended to the drawing room III
J Dundee looked me over. Oh, how
! shuddered when she touched one of. U
Knowing as she did my assumed charac
ter, she must have been nightly amused
at the way in which / said "Oh, pleas,
don't. / hate all finishing touches OF
every kind - @ 80
In due eaSsscof time the four hors,
bus. came sreund, aud We drove TO sSii
George Cionmells. Ny spirits had agar
sunk to zero / feared / should not b,
able to Keep up my character, aud in
stinetively felt THAI was doing wrong
Oh, those horrible BETS There were
several of the 10th in the room. ]
danced with tT One was in my Sc
eret, the other was not Any one who
had overheard Us would have been amaz-
ed at the conversation between my part
ner who was in the secret and myself
Erred, my boy, whenwill supper Gomez
Do take me to some room where | can
get some bitter beer or something to
drink"
80 Can't do ii, old fellow, at any price;
you would be found out, and / should
lose my money you must get on as best
you can without drink ~
q But am dying with thirst I can t
hold out till supper time, and my pluck
is oozing out at my fingers ends, for
feel I am in mess, aud am sure shall
put my foot into il, and be discovered, if
l do not get some stimulant to keep
me up" ss sasn eeaesse4 HIw
Cant help it, my boy; you must do
your best. I tell you what you had bet
ter do-smuggle your flask out of your
pocket, and give it to me viii FIJI it
with sherry and then, while you and /
take one turn together on the terrace
which propriety allows, you must con-
trive to drink it.
Soon supper was announced, and / felt
better. If, however, my partner, who
was Fred, had not been in the secret, he
would have been astoaished to see how
very much | ate, and how many glasses
| drank on the sly when thought no.
body was noticing. Fred watched on
one side OF the table, and / on the other
When he thought no one was looking,
he would give me kick and if was
satisfied that I was not watched on nv
side, down went the champagne in the
At length the company began to dis
perse, and rather quickly, too, for the
rain was pouring, and an awful thunder
storm coming on. heard more than
one anxious parent hasten their. charge
away with: Come, come my dear YOU
must come now, or, as papa says, we
shall be obliged TO stop here all night. p
The words did not strike. me very
much at the moment, but did they not
Soon the storm broke; it
was something frightful; and after the
severity OF the thunder and lightning
had spent itself, the rain came down in
torrents, and gave every sign of continu-
ing TO pour in that way for hours. Sir
George and Lady Clonmell would not
hear of the few guests who remained
going home. s. Such weather r. no one
ever say anything like it the river swol-
len, the ford impossible. The house was
very large; the young ladies could sleep
two in bed 60 goodness, how my heart
sank D the bachelors must rough it at
once the cushions in the smoking-room
and the billiard room were very soft. y
A few desperate, and, sas thought.
happy people would go. Mrs. Dundee
easily persuaded her husband. to stop.
What on earth was to do? Ny face
showed the mess / was in, for one of my
friends came aud whispered 20 me, az eep
yoar pluck up, old boy; few more
minutes, and you will have won your bet,
for you are sure to be separated from
old Dundee, and may" Ael Bickedlyg adj
ded, perhaps be joined to some one
better" o, how did abuse everything
and everybody. sThe sleeping arrange
ments were soon Nade. OF course. IN :
less compelled by circumstances Iszwas
not going to state who L was. 1t struck
me that Mrs. Dundee, who vas great
friend of Lady Clonmell, rather favored
me. Hurrahi it ended that / was to
sleep alone in tiny little bedroom close
to that of Cgtain and Mrs. Dundee.
Hurraht thought / viii lock my
door, set all the ladies' maids at defiance.
and throw myself to morrow on Mrs.
Dundee for help and protection, and
with an ample confessions and apology,
for she must, at any rate, in a few days
know the truth, and she viii help me
out of my mess and out of the house.
q Good night, Lady Clonmeil.
ssGood night my dear Miss Fenwick.
1 hope you viii sleep comfortably."
My conscieuce smote me, as the kind
hearted, imPulsiye old Irish lady kissed
my foreneau. s .r-r-p--n~
I was alone in my bedroom; I had not
locked my door because j was waiting
until the ladyls yaid haa called and
asked If she coul do angling more for
me. Of course, decided perempfory
q No, I thank you, would have been
the answer. And there I sat with my
elbows in a most unladylike manner, on
both my knees, head filed with the most
unmaidenly thoughts They were COM
pounded Of semi prayer of thankful
ness to the presiding genius Of luck for
having pulled me through my scrape,
and mixture of doubt a. to whether i
had better trust the heathen deity Of
Baccy, and smoke couple Of cigars out
of open window, or for xonco in a. way
chew . bic. Tobacco in some shape ]
felt must have, 20 soothe my excited
:, a~<,as .ErsSH58 f&s Ns EF&&& - E&sz4A ,
g tnoct at fbe door. |. Come ia y