The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-20

| scr1mmage without being noticed. Then on
/ with those sealskin swaddling. clothes, into
the sleigh, and--touette cocher Z We ought to
be halfway to Calais before any one but you
and Miss Carew's the wiser. Understand f'
GAN right l' Dick nodded. "But, / say,
Don, she won't hang back at the last moment,
eh It's now or never for you, you know.
| You won't get chance like this again. And
women are queer CATTLE"
~ don't think she WILL" Rawdon said
| looking up the room towards her. "She
might under other circumstances, perhaps,
! but not now. Marsden has managed matters
too well for that The pompous bully would
| drive woman to anything. He was hector
| ing her about coming here tonight before we
started, just as if she didn't hate him already
The mans been playing my game all through;
my last move will oheokmate him. It's time
to play it. You've ten minutes to see to the
sleigh, and to dance number nineteen. Go
along, old boy
"'Now tread me a measure, quoth young
Lochinvar,'" hummed Dick, as he turned to
go. "Wonder whether he's ever heard of
that song, old All beg your pardon.
Marsden," he calculated with unwonted
oivility, as he ran against the Cr@sus, re-
turning from his hunt for Lady Hopes
carriage. Hope l didn't hurt your All
right, Don 20
and the guardsman moved off to fulfil his
part in the plot, chuckling at intervals over
old Je1's approaching discontinue. Rawdon
went straight towards Hilda. Marsden fol-
lowed.
"Well, DEAR" Helen whispered in her
cousins ear rather anxiously, "will you ?"
A pressure of the hand she clung to was all
the others answer. Then Helen felt her
start nervously, and saw her turn pale, and
then flush feVerishly. She had caught sight
OF Don making his way round the outside of
the circle to where they three were still stand
ing. Miss Carew's own pulse quickened
sharply. The decisive moment was all but
come.
"Where can Mr.. Marsden be ?" snapped
Lady Hope, querulously. "What time he
is seeing about the carriage All there he
is at last"
There he was, close behind Rawdon; whom
Lady Hope overlooked till she heard him
speaking to Hilda.
"Numbar nineteen" Don was saying, sour
valse, you know, Miss Jocelyn."
Poor child How much those quiet common
place words meant to her The crisis had
arrived. If she took his arm now she gave
consent to that plan for saving her he had
proposed. If she refused it-what was left to
her
"You had better let me take you to the
cloak-room, l think, - rasped Marsden's saw
of voice, wonderfully apropoS; ''the carriage
will be ready directly, believe" it added, as
the speaker turned to my lady,
"Then we had better CO." Lady Hope
assented. "Will you take Hilda 2"
This was pointedly at Rawdon, who showed
no signs of giving way. Marsden advanced
little. 1t was with his most insufferable air
of proprietoIship that he thought fit to say
"Excuse me, Major Daringham. Now,
Hilda, come - And he put his arm out stitfly
| for her to take.
AS Don had said, the man couldn't help
playing his opponents game. That t6te-d-t5te
| in the drawng-room at Dane Court just now
even hadn't taught him better than to take
this tone to the girl second time that night.
| He fancied, perhaps, that with my lady to
back him, she must submit to him this time,
and give him pleasant triumph over the man
he hated. So his tone and manner towards
her were simply undesirable. If she ever had
hesitated, hesitation was past now. II he ever
could have kept her, he had lost her in that
moment. She lifted her head: her eyes met
Don's; and Don read her decision plainly in
them.
A light came suddenly into his; but it was
in his usual impossible fashion that he struck
in, sure of winning now.
"Afraid | can't torego my engagement and
lose number nineteen, if Miss JOcelyn decides
for me-" he said. 81 don't think the car
riage can get up for ten minutes or so, you
know, Lady Hope" he added, blandly; "and
So"
"Exouse me-" Marsden said, with his
severest, iciest hautsur, ''but Miss Jocelyn
really cannot"
Hiida put her hand on Rawdon's arm at
the Cannot
81 decide for number nineteen, at al
events" she answered, just in the way she
had answered him before the ball. The child's
blue eyes looked at him again in that defan
, way that had so apgered him then. MarsdeI
bit his thin lips, and looked at my lady. Ny
lady looked fairly astonished for once.
Greatly, Hilda"-she was beginning in he
punishment" tone.
IIilda shook her head.
81 have promised, mamma. 1t is too late )
, Then quick whisper in Helen's ear -
"Good by, darling Nell !" And before tn
2 others could speak sgain RawdOn had carriet
her off.
Ny own IIilda now % he said to her wher
bis arm were round her in that last valse
lyon will trust yourself to me, darling?"
90 Don. ike me away! |" she answered
passionateiy. take me away from him
Anywhere with you u
lie made no reply I'M words; and she had n
more to tell h i'm after tHat.
Round and round they swept; past my
lady's angry eyes and MarsGen's scowllng fac
aSain ana again. Each time they went by tn
doorway, RawdOn looked '"r LICK 'OIetyn, St In,
signal that all was ready for the raid. -. 100
Dick appeared.
"NOW for it % muttered Don. He checked
his partner, and brought her up close II
where Jocelyn was waiting. 1t was a trying
moment; fortunately it was but a moment. AL
passed SO quickly that poor trembling littl
} Hlda had no time to break down.
RawdOn got her through the little crowC
near the door without notice. Then ana IVA