Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-09-02
:, SATURDAY., SEPTEMBER 2, 1871

I 4
| 81 am completely at loss to un-
derstand TO what cause am indebt-
, ed for the honor of this Interrupt
E tion in my walk. The fact of my
engagement to Mr.. Hughes can be a
matter of no moment TO you. When
d, L first saw you, you were a stranger,
and stranger you are likely to re-
| main."
And having said these words, Miss
| Davenport, her face flushed with in
! dignation, swept past him with the
! air of tragedy queen.
! As for Henley, he stood rooted to
the spot. To him il was all dream;
| | but he did not stand there long. He
; laughed allow and bitter laugh.
) "a cOnsuma ate actress, a heartless
fiirt. l envy Hughes! And these, ."
he said, ''are marlborough young
: ladies! ] suppose the atmosphere OF
this delightful place superinduces
! the habit. And here am /, who
ought TO be proof against such silly
contingencies, fooled exquisitely by
a mere country coquette. Bah, let
me treat her as she deservesr' And
Henley strolled back to his inn, an
CRY, aud though he would not have
| alIOMeu II, WIetCneu.
As he drove down 70 the Rattle
borough station he caught q glimpse
of form with which he was famil-
lar; he saw face that he knew well.
1t was Miss Davenport. Did his
eyes deceive him? She bowed TO
him as il nothing had passed be-
tween them. But it was Lionel's
turn this time. And he remained
still and motionless as marble.
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
two sisters had both married, and
he had returned TO England the
owner of his fathers estate, Will
liam Manor. As for the Davenport
affair, he had striven hard TO forget
it all; but in spite of all efforts, he
could not Danish every remembrance
of ii. He was still young and had
wealth; his digestion was unimpair-
ed, and he enjoyed life keenly. But
/ whenever his thoughts recurred, as
! they did pretty often, TO his hunting
| days at marlborough, Miss Deyen-
| ports image was not far OF. He
could not forget it, brave and reso-
lutte though he was. Great as was
| his self-control, there were times
when he showed that he carried
about with him traces of a little
| sorrow. There are some men who
can only love once. Oliver Henley
was one of these. He had loved
Miss Davenport, and he did not feel
disposed to love any other woman.
That was all.
About two years and n 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 assem-
bled at breakfast were full of the |
coming event.
"By-the-by, Mr.. Henley, F." inquired |
his hostess, "have not heard you
say that you were at Oxford with !
Mr.. Hughes, the gentleman whose |
mining property is so immenser"
Yes, of course, Henley had been; |
and what WIS more, he told the |
lady, though not without a pang of |
regret, he knew Mrs. Hughes-a lit |
tie. Perhaps he should hardly rec
ognize her now.
"Then, Mr.. Henly, you viii see
two old friends of yours here Ito |
night"
Oliver said nothing beyond that |
he should feel very glad. Nor did |
he think much about the "Mr. |
Hughes whose mining property was |
so immense" but he wondered how |
he should meet Mrs. Hughes, who |
had done him what he should ever |
think so grievous q wrong.
The evening came, and when Mr.. |
Henly entered the balL Dom, the |
greater number of the guests had |
already arrived. The first person |
whom he caught sight of as he en-
tered was Mrs. Hughes. He recog-
nized the Miss Davenport of other |
days a. a glance. The face had |
changed little, perhaps, but a very |
little; and somehow or other, as he |
looked, her hair did not seem to him |
the same jet black color that it had |
been. While he was standing look
ing at her, Mrs. Hughes came up to
him.
say how glad, how relieved ] am to |
see you. For more than two years
L have longed to do so. Can you
forgive me for what passed between
us when last we met? No am sure
= Oo NlhhCNs OuI W LCL lOu AIOh ]
everything. | think YOU will
There was a misapprehension be-
tween US, but you shall hear every
thing by-and-by."
But Mr.. Henley could only make
some remark to the effect that by
cones were bygones. Would Mrs.
Hughes give him the pleasure of a
dance by-and-by?
Gladly; and Oliver duly indorsed
his name on the programme of the
wife of the wealthy Mr.. Hughes.
The dance came, ii was a waltz,
the same tune as that to which he
had danced with her when she was
Miss Davenport, more than two
years ago, in the ballroom of Eyer
ton Arms, at Marlborough. When
it was oy,- they strolled into a CON-
servatory adjoining. Henley+Snged
TO say something about the old days
but she had promised the explana-
ton, and it was for her TO begin.
"Mr. Henley" she at last COM
menced, E'do you remember the Rat
tleborough Hunt ball? Do you re-
member what happened after it
that interview between us.
Henley made ne answer.
would you like to know how the
whole matter originated? Would
you be glad if it could be righted
now?"
s'What do you mean?'' asked Hen
ley.
''Simply what l say"
At that moment there was the rus
tie of a dress heard amoEE the
leaves of the conservatory, but Hen
ley was too much engrOssed to no. !
tice it.
''Here Mr.. Henly, here is my ex-
planation.-Let me introduce you to
my sister, Miss Davenport
Mrs. Hughes! Miss Davenport! |
What does all this mean?"
But Mrs. Hughes had risen and |
left the seat. Only Miss Davenport
was standing before him-the same
Miss Davenport of the Rattlebor-
ough Hunt ball, with the same Jet
black hair, the same lustrous beau
ty, the same sweet smile as of old.
Henley was too overpowered to
speak. He tried to do so, but there
was something in his throat which
seemed to choke his utterance. But \
each understood the other, and Oil
yer at last said one or two words,
and Edith Davenport knew their
meaning well.
''Mr. Henley" she said, Il have
lOnged for this hour to come; | have
prayed for it. | knew il would
come some time or other, but l did |
not know when. 1t has come now,
and you shall know all. 1t was l
whom YOU met al the marlborough
hunt ball, and not my sister. We
are twins. You are not the first per-
thaf has rnT=fot-1v,