Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-11-06

| and she had treated MIN III CnlS unacCOunC-
able manner! But he was prevented from
continuing these reflections by a letter
which was put into his hands. 1t was
| from his sister, and he had half expected
it for some days past. 1t merely told him
that his father, whose health had for a long
time been bad, and who was then staying
in the South of France, had suddenly
become worse, and was particularly anx-
ious to see his son. Would Oliver come
at once? -S <s-@
Yes, he would start directly; next
evening. But there was one thing he
would do first. He would see if he could
not meet her in the street, and would en-
deavor to gain from her some explana-
| ton.
On the following morning Henley wan
dered about the town, but not a glimpse
could he see of his partner at the ball.
! Up and down the streets he went, gazing
into the dim recesses of linen drapers and
milliners' shops, and other similar resorts,
which seemed to him probable that the
young lady might affect but still there was
no Miss Devonport to be seen. Half way
up the High street at marlborough there
was narrow turning, which led to what
was generally called the marlborough
| Lawn, where the marlborough band was
| in the habit of occasionally exercising its
musical powers, and where the less select
of the marlborough young ladies were
wont, in the summer, to erect their esoquet
hoops, and to pursue the mimic warfare OF
the mallet 1t was half unconsciously that
Henley just now took this path. He was
thinking of what was to be done, how he
was to see Miss Devonport-for he had
| quite determined not to leave the place
without seeing her-when an abrupt turn
in the avenue brought him suddenly into
the lady's presence. Yes, it was Miss
| Devonport-at last. He stood still and
| bowed. Miss Devonport it was; but her
face no longer wore the look of tender
ness that had charmed him so much at the
| Hunt Ball.
"Miss Devonport," he said, bowling, II
am quite aware that / am guilty of some
I have to leave Marlborough to-day, and
I feel cannot do so without a few words
of conversation with you. Nor, if apol-
ogize for asking, do 1 think you can well
be surprised at my wishing for something
of an explanation from you. How, then,
am I to account for the extraordinary
manner in which you have treated me
during the last few days-now recognizing
me as friend, and now passing me as an
entire stranger? I confess that when
met you did not know that you were en-
gagged to Mr.. Hughes"
"Sir!" interrupted Miss DevonpOrt,
with a look of absolute wonderment upon
her countenance.
"What? Is my information wrong ?
Is it not as say?"
"I am completely at loss to under
stand to what cause I am indebted for the
honor of this interruption in my walk.
The fact of my engagement to Mr. Hughes
can be matter of no moment to you.
When [ first saw you, you were stranger,
and stranger you will still remain"
And having said these words, Miss Dew
onport, her face flushed with indignation,
swept past him with the air of tragedy
queen.
As for Henley, he stood rooted to the
spot To him it was all dream; but he
did not dream long He laughed low
tress! heartless fiirt I envy Hughes
And these" he said "are the Rattlebor-
ough young ladiesi I suppose the at
mosphere of this delightful place superin-
duces the habit. And here am /, who
ought to be proof against such silly con-
tingencies, fooled exquisitely by mere
country coquette. Bah, let me treat her
as she deserves !" And Henley strolled
back to his inn-angry, and, though he
would not have admitted it, wretched.
AS he drove down to the marlborough
station he caught glimpse of form with
which he was familiar; he saw a face he
knew well. 1t was Miss Devonport. Did
his eye deceive him? She bowed to him
as if nothing had passed between them.
But it was Henley's turn this time. And
he remained still and motionless as mar
ble
Two years had passed away. Henley
had reached his father just soon enough
to be at his death bed and catch his dying
words. His two sisters had both mar
ried, and he had returned to England the
owner of his fathers estate, Wickham
Manor. AS for the Miss Devonport affair,
he had striven hard to forget it all but, in
spite of all his efforts, he could not Danish
every remembrance of it, He was not the
| kind of man to carry about with him the
traces of an overwhelming sorrow. He
was still young, had wealth, his digestion
was unimpaired, and he enjoyed life keen
| ly. But whenever his thoughts required,
as they did pretty often, to his hunting
days at Marlborough, Miss Devonport's
| image was never far off He could not
| forget it, brave and resolute though he
was. Great as was his selfcontrol, there
were times when he showed that he carried
about with him traces of life's sorrow.
| There are some. men who can only love
once. Oliver Henley was one of these.
He had loved Miss Devonport, and he did
not feel disposed to love any other woman.
/ That was all.
About two years and half after the
marlborough affair, Henley was staying
with some friends in town. There was to
be a dance in the evening, and the party
assembled at breakfast were full of the
coming event.
"By the by, Mr. Henley" inquired his
hostess, "have I not heard you say that
you were at Oxford with Mr.. Hughes, the
gentleman whose mining property is so
immense ?"
Yes, of course, Henley had been; and,
what was more, he told the lady, though
not without pang of regret, he knew
Mrs. Hughes-a little. Perhaps he should
hardly recognize her now.
"Then, Mr.. Henley, you will see the two
old friends of yours tonight"
Oliver said nothing beyond that he
should be very glad. Nor did he think
much about the 9 Mr.. Hughes, whose min
ing property is so immense" but he won
dered how he should meet the Mrs
Hughes who had done him such a griev-
Gus wrong.
The evening came, and when Henley
entered the ballroom, the greater num-
Der of the guests had already arrived
The first person whom he caught sight oi