The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-04-08
Tg The Cloak-Isoom.

There vas mistletoe eerywhere at
harrington Hall; it had even found its
way into the cloak-room. where the case
ller was full of it. 1t was Christmas
eve, SO of course the mistletoe had a
| right to be there; but 1 don't think it
ever hung over anything more fierce look
ing that night than the face of Colonel
eerschoyle, great, tall, soldier-like,
brown>bearded, brown-faced hero from
Abyssinia.
Colonel Fiyian Verschoyle, c. B. and
V. c., had done his country good service,
and laurels had been amply heaped upon
him; he was "honorably mentioned and
duly lauded, receiving his fill of adula-
ton and alteration from all the country
round. His handsome face was as
bronzed as it we'll could be, but all the
mischief the African sun had done his
complexion, had not spoiled the beauty
of those deep, dark eyes, or the perfect
symmetry of those noble features
\ es, he was q wonderfully fine fellow.
this Abyssiuian hero, and a great lion in
his way; all the girls about Harrington
had fallen down before his shrine and
worshipped; but their alteration was
short~lived it died away with a faint
struggle when they heard the gallant Col
onel was engaged to be married 1t was
all up with our hero then! Abyssinia
was no longer an interesting topic of con-
versation, and l don't think the Colonel
was c, nsidered so handsome as he had
once been.
There was a grand entertainment at
Harrington Hall on Christmas Eve, and
Colonel Verschoyle and his .fance were
at it.
L he evening was more than half over.
and the Colonel was in the cloak-room.
standing under the mistletoe, lookiu5
with great, dark, angry eyes into the
glowing fire. Let me tell you this brave
warrior was very much put out just then.
and about as angry as he could be; YOU
could see he had hot temper, and that
something had occurred to make it hotter
thar ever. The Colonel was a man who
would not stand being trifed with, and
he considered that he had been trifed
within most shameful manner; he was
there to learn the cause, and he was wait
ling for Enid Vavasor to come and render
and explanation.
"Meet me in the cloak. room in quar-
ter of an hour" he had said to her, in a
low, determined, hard voice, as she was
whirled away in wal. by tall, dashing
young officer, whose name the Colonel
did not know, and whose handsome face
he had not seen until a few minutes be-
fore, when he caught sight of it In the
conservatory, amid orange trees and ca
melias, in very close proximity 20 the
lovely, laughing lips of Enid Vavasor.
!. The storming Of Magdala was nothing
to the fierce warfare in the heart of WV
ian Verschoyle as he witnessed that kiss
He walked away to the far end of the
long drawingroom at Harrington Hail.
bewildered, maddened, fu:.iously angry,
fiercely jealous. This great, strong, no.
ble>hearted man had given all his pure
love TO that girl, and she had made fool
of him. Another moment and she was
whirled past him in the arms of this
stranger--waltzing, too, thing, she said,
she had given up because she knew he
dIsliked it. The Colonel was beside him
sell, and then it was that he went up to
ner, and told her to meet him in the cloaE-
room IN quarter of an hour and Low
ne was there awaiting her presence.
. she was long in coming. He pulled
Iuriousiy at his great tawHy beard in his
restless lmpatience, and jet he had not
,naoe up his mind what he was to say to
ner, though he felt that girl who could
act as she had acted that night vas no fit |
wife Tor him. He was bitterly disap>
pointed IN her; for he believed her to be
al f.. tnae was pure and womanly, having a |
the period.o ' g.
iney bad been engaged about month,
a0 heI fathers estate joined Harbing-
don, where Colonel Verschovle vas nov
staying on visit to Lord Weuborourh.