The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-21

the yei!oW uoue, N'u
wearer accordingly. 80, ;,no :,
loved M wife), my aunt gave me an earnest
,,;ncb and whispered, after the manner OF
Thomnsonhv. .Fiue girl, Miss Giidders,
tnnns,us: excellent family, ono OF Inc besI
alliances in Wiltshire. just the thihS tos
rou. tcp tho,sanda year and q summer seat
i'm Wales ri
Coed gracious could my aunt have formed
40 soou such q horrid conspiracy against my
re,cc. Unite me to a dragon at least dozen
Years my senior, whose neck I'm sure Was
cuameIled by Darcy Of Bond street.
# was ,nonstrous. But then the Giidd'rs
did not look of a stout make, and there WAS
the seat in Wales, to say nothing OF the i'aho'
some income year in aud year QUE. Win sea,
sons at Paris. Vienna, Baden. the spa, ana
all manner of pleasant things when a society
man may indulge in.
These things ] turned over In my nina as
snrncd over the music on the rack ana
leaned over the suspicious shoulders, WINE
Miss Diana Glidders sang an aria from net
ven knows what, or whence, in the most ear
splitting manner.
When my hercss was at home she Ii'eu
all alone with her papa in grand state, III
very biz house in Belgravia, but she wa
speudrns few days In the country anu
meant to make my aunt week ) WISH.
There was nothing to do but submit ana
I dispatched to town for my luggage anu le.
NAMED on at PodIington Grange 10 the most
unsatisfactory position in the worId, ignorant
os TO nv aunt's worldly affairs, or nef ihleI'-
tions. half inclined to offer myself TO that
terrible creature, and bali OF another mind.
Mis-. Thompsouby-Cat III re7,ll-
~ n pretty girl, and girl Of SOUND sense
and some accomplishments, and would nave
nude an excellent alliance for any man, had
it not happened that she was the daughter OF
on IMPOVERISHED old sea captain, who, LAID
I'D six months in the year with the govt eX-
hausted his substance in living, with no hope
save in lucky marriage for his children, ana
on whom he must depend for attention anu
support in his extreme aye.
A equity sea captain for father-lii-laW
NAV lie Gil very well in a drama Of three
acts and tableaux, but in real life, to tel-
low with the tastes of Augustus Talboys, II
would prove another thing, indeed.
Matters stood in this way for fortnight
| dawied over Miss Diana at her worsted
work through the forenoon, accompanied
her in a very doubtful tenor, read the ldyk
of the King" banded her down to dinner
and played the courteous attendant to th'
letter for eight mortal hours, strolling, of tt
| the sea captain in the evening for game Q
chess with him, in which / invariabl!
allowed him to cbeckmate me with his tirs
bishop, while talked nonsense to the prett.
| Catharine, who sat by, and looked into be
soft blue eyes. wishing very seriously that SD
| had been picked out by Fate as the posses
scr of ten thousand year and the cOuntr.
house in Cwudvdly, Wales.
But all this was nonsense. The facts re
manned, and urgent letters, more tregucn
| than was desirable, came down from Lon
don, until my aunt was attracted TO 1nqulr
into them, and assured her they were fror
extrayag.nt young villains who begged til
favor of loans from me.
On one occasion the kind old soul cor
Etri5uted ESQ to an imaginary divinity SIT
dent, which eventually found its way int
the ravenous clutches Of Taggs. my tailor
forgot some time ago to state that tn
mystery which at first envcloped Podlingtc
Grange and all within had resolved itse
into q meaning politics. l did not plrtcn
to understand it at all, although lectured 70
an hour every luncheon time by my aunt
sworn believer in Bagley, whose color
were orange, and wanted to Uc returned.
Of we were to get a member like thai
Augustus. then We might talk indeed
| said. "Of course--c"riainly.'
was sent abroad among the tcnantr
with carte blmche Of Miss G0uldlllkc's dl
CATS to buy them up kegs of ale and porter
until every man Jack of them promised t.
stand by us in the coming struggle. Finally
one morning | wasawakened at al unijmel.
hour 10y Il tumut. and my aunt came int
my room unassi>ted, and, seating herself Il
my bedside, declared She WAS ready to gran
Inc any favor on earth. Being in such eN
cellent spirits, and Knowing full well that
was through lily superhuman cXertions tia
Baglcy had been returned, have Otter
cursed myself since that bad not taken nd
vantage of the burst Of generosity on IN.
relatives part, Is matters were ut that tim
approaching crisis with me.
The excitement. as is lsilal in such cases
wound up in country ball, which follows
the hastings, aud takes place at the larges
hail possible in the nearest town OF al,
size.
1t was arranged that should accompany
my aunt and "dear Diana" in gorgeous
yellow chariot with red wheels, newly reno
waited for the occasion.
| Miss Podington Gouldrake, rs the gentry
called my little kiuswonlan, hobbled ubou
in great tlutter, keeping her maid All ags
over the arrangement of every orange bow
and streamer. not, to speak Of the yellow
riDglets which were stiff with new pomade
| paid some attention to my own get up
feeling that on this evening l should stalk,
my destiny.
had made up my mind firmly to propos,
to Miss Glidders at the hustings ball, ant
trust to luck for tile life Chat was to CONE
after.
Poor Kate Thompsonby! Dear little girl
did not allow myself to dwell on tn,
thought of her sweet fresh face aud artles.
eyes after l had declared to myself about
Miss Glidders, and had even been so prema
tllre Us to press her hand gently in the chariot
under cover Of buttoning her glove.
| Kate was there, and never looked NOR,
lovely, dressed, as she usually was. in eX
IRENE taste, all in white, leaning on the arm
of her brother, the impudent young mar
whom had learned to tolerate for her sake
"By Godge here's the old fellow himself
Kate, you know. Gustus, here's Kate. Take
her off my hands, will you? So glad found
you. Talboys." 4. 60
And so in spite of meaning to do Other
thugs found myself threading the vast room
with hate, Keeping OF the sWaying crowt
i'which threatened to crush her, and feeling
very huppy whenever ] felt her warm little
hand touch mine and her pcriumed breatl
on my cheek.
The band beginning to play and the room
cleared for dancers, / had asked Kate ant
taken our places, when suddenly remen
bered that my aunt would expect me to dane,
first with Miss Diana. 1t was too late now
| RI nnpSiiar this hroach nj afsnunftn ,,o1iny.