Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-11-29

Come along, Meg, let's try to forget
about shooting for while, or it will de.
cldedly affect my brain after all [ have
heard of If, to-day"
If Charlie's brain were not affected
somebody's else appetite was the song
she had been practicing, that afternoon,
would keep recurring to Margaret 5
memory, with its refrain of Shakespeare s
verse:
Then sigh no more. ladies'; ladies', sigh no more
Men Were deceiyers ever:
I One foot on sea and one on Shore
L" one thing constant never"
Denc?'
:" fear not, Mr.. Leicester :" and,
without glancing at her programme,
Margaret turned toward her companion
to continue the conversation Ralph had
broken In upon, nor did she look round
again till she knew he had left her side
1t was their first meeting since that
luncheon party at Wimbledon. now
more than a month ago, when Ralph
Leicester had been foolish enough to
talk great deal of nonsense, which she
had been still more foolish in believing.
so Margaret said to herself. She did
not in the least credit all the disagreed
bic things people were saying about
him; but he had shown pretty plainly.
by his silence all this time, his perfect
indifference to her good opinion, and
she determined on that point to meet
him more than half way.
She had Just arrived at this conclu-
CI IN v-l,a Ill 4 4 A
claim her for the waltz then commenc-
ing; and as she walked down the room
on his arm, not lew turned to gaze at
the handsome couple and wonder who
they We're a wonder easily satisfied,
for Cecil, at least, was becoming well
known. Not only had he won the
queeus prize, which in itself made him
sufficiently marked man, but with that
prize he had come into the heirship of
Il large fortune.
His uncle, rich and eccentric old
bachelor, who was wont to describe him.
self as 1.-The best shot of his dav. sir"
and who considered that quite descrip-
ton enough of any man, was so delight
ed to find his scapeSrace nephew turn
ing out distinguished marksman that
he wrote to him, promising not only to
pay his debts, but To make new will
III his favor, if only that nephew sue
ceeded IN carrying off the prize of the
year. a strange excuse, through which
the truth showed somewhat pathetically,
for making one last effort to reclaim the
prodigal; that so, if it were possible,
this only son of his dead brother might
still be found worthy to fill his place,
when that place should have become va
cant T; instead of the old home and well
filled Golfers passing into the hands of
strangers.
The dance over, Margaret and Cecil
strolled through the open window into
the moonlit garden beyond, glad to ex-
change the heated atmosphere of the
ballroom for the cool night air. Did
their thoughts wander back to that 9TH
er garden they had stood together in,
long ago, ere sin and sorrow came to
overshadow their young lives? Per-
haps so, for both were unusually silent;
and it was not till they had paced the !
whole length of the terrace that Cecil |
reused himself to say that which he had
brought his companion out there for
the express purpose of telling her.
Margaret, he said, "Ralph Leices-
ter is friend of yours, is he not ?''
An acquaintance would be the more |
correct term"
"Why so? I have heard your names
coupled together more than once; vet |
ju t now 1 myself saw you refuse to
dance with him. Are you offended, like !,
all the rest of the world, becSYeton?
threw mp the shooting aid SO without
telling you the reason!
Margarev- only answer was sngges-
ton to go in the night air felt chilly,
she thought.
"Not yet, Margaret; not till I have
told you what is weighing on my con-
science, if, indeed, such thing is still
left me-" said Cecil, with rather a bit
ter laugh. "People are saying that
Ralph Leicester has promised to win
the queens prize for your sake, aud that
you have thrown him over for giving it
up. How far that may be true, feel 1
have no right to ask, but as ], and l
alone, can tell you his real reason for
not shooting, I suppose he would rather
lose even you than confess it hirlself,
ycu must listen to me few minutes |
while do so. Long ago was fortunate |
enough To save his life in an encounter
with a mad dog. ] had almost forgot
ten the circumstance, but it seemed that
Leicester retained very vivid rcmem-
brance of it and when, the day before
the prize was to be shot for, my llncle's
strange intentions came to his knowl-
edgc-how, 1 do not know. AS l had
tried my best to keep the world iSnor-
ant of the stake for which had played
and he found that thus something
more than life, reputation and the means
of once more facing the world, were
within my reach if only 1 could be sue
cessful-he generously determined no
act of his should diminish my chance I;
and by quietly withdrawing from the
shooting, paid back his debt to me null
tiplied a thousand times. The prize is
mine, Margaret, and with it the new
life that has opened upon me; but l
need hardly tell you how l shall count
it all too dearly bought if LelcestT RS
future happiness has been sacrificed to
its payment"
Half an hour later, as Ralph Leices-
tsr was standing moodily IN the door
was> his meditations were broken In
\ upon >sdance-programme falling at his
4 fae stoope0e waltzsrs flew past him:
knowing who Qick it up, not at all
ssntly ran his eS its owner, ana an
names inscribed there.anwn TN .ne l,st s;eo oi
ence vahislied, however. whs, to tuon1
the end he came IN HI, - towaru