The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-25

"And She made you learn your genoa
logy? u;
ticular relationship for particular rea-
son." ~ i..r.
"What was that?" -
Cant you let a fellow smoke in.
peace?" ?. m .'.iH ,u. l...r.
''Not if peace means silence; had
enough Of that before you came. Go
op."
81 remember it because found various
illusions to it in some papers which be-
longed to Philip, my elder brother"
"Never knew You had a brother"
"Perhaps not. He died ten years ago;
about that time you were speaking of
when we were in Lower Fourth"
''He must have been great deal older
than YOU"
fourteen or fifteen years. He was
my half-brother, and I scarcely ever
saw him. He was my guardian, how
ever, the little time he lived, and good
one too"
'Did he know Lady Daintry?"
"Helen Fortescue she was then. He
could not very well help knowing her, for
they lived in the same house."
. ''How was that?" ''' f-
"Philip was the secretary to old Gays
borough, who was distant relation of
ours. and who had married an aunt of
your friends. She,y suppose, was an
orphan-at any rate, she lived with her
aunt, and married from there
'tWell, that's all. Poor Philip died
there died suddenly of heart disease,
and what few papers and 80 on he left
went to my aunt's. where on her death
found them. There were notes and
memoranda, and Miss Fortescue was
sometimes mentioned"
II shall introduce you as o cousin"
Gas you please; but 1 think it would
be as we'll not
Their talk rambled off after that to
other subjects, and never came back to
the relationship between the beautiful
countess and theyoung soldier, until the
two friends wero driving to that dinner
party, which they had discussed over
their cigars. ....t r..
"Well, Charlie.'' Murchison then
said, will you go in for cousinship or
not?"
"No-at any rate, not at present, SO
please keep quiet on the subject"
GAS you like. Here we are"
They were all but late. So near it, in
oSSbJ Ihht runway uuC Dub Ou6 mo-
mentary glimpse of Lady Daintry ms she
received them before dinner was &an
nonnced. He found himself, however,
at no great distance from her at the ta-
BILE, and Murchison smiled to himself as
he saw his friends eyes turn instantly to-
wards her, ,s.f go: .ur
'.Ah," lie thought, silly, ,''he'n be glad
enough, by-and-by, to claim m>kindred.'i
But, as dinner progressed, Conway
still looked ut tho countess. He said
nothing to the lady beside him-he put
away the dishes that were offered him
he did nothing but stare fixedly at his
hostess. Again and again his introducer
glanced across the table at him; with sur
prise and displeasure he noticed this ex-
traordinary behavior, and tried to attract
his attention. No efforts were of the
least use. Conway, when spoken to,
either answered shortly or not at all
when merely looked ut, remained evil
IDENTIFY unconscious of the look. One
after another the people who sat near
seemed to become aware of something
singular in his demeanor, the countess
alone paid no heed to it. Perhaps she
was too much accustomed to admiration
to be discomposed by the regard of q
stranger-and yet the one now fixed on
her might have been embarrassing from
the very fact that it was not admiring
What did it express? Fear? surprise?
incredulity? horror? All these, perhaps
nothing less strange and misplaced
What the deuce does the fellow
mean?" Murchison thought to himself,
uneasily. HAS he gone mad all at
opce? or what is it? Everybody is be-
ginning to notice him. Won't 1 give
him blowing mp when I get hold of
himf' tFf 'sf .+J,F
But, as the long ceremony of dinner
progressed, Ralph, grew more and moro
uncomfortable. He saw that the infiu-
ence of his friends silence and strange
behavior was making itself felt; it seem
ed at last oven to reach tho countess
She still talked with her usual grace to
those beside her; but she grew slightly
pnler, and once looked for n moment
steadily MT Conway. Murchison, watch
ing anxionsly, was struck by the fact
that, while her eyes evidently rested for
the moment on the young soldiers face,
his did not change or falter as he met her
glance, but rather seemed to look over or
beyond her She continued her convor