Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-09-04
KITTY BLAKE.

ruary of 1872, I quilted my comfortable
study for the purpose of ensconsing
myself behind white tie, and of en-
casing my person in those stereotyped
sable garments which cry, "Open,
sesame, at the portals of society.
My friends, the Wilkins, were indulg-
ing in fit of insanity, and the attack,
which in the commencement promised
to be of somewhat mild form, gradual
ly assumed graver symptoms, until it
eliminated in tremendous ball. Vain
ly I pleaded necessity for reading up
case with which the eminent firm Of
Tozer & Bulsome had entrusted me.
vainly I declared to Wilkin, upon the
honor of man and a brother, that I
was "out of that sort of thing" and
that I was only good forthe mahogany !;
he didn't, or rather wouldn't see it, and
with q sense of bitter injury at my
heart, and an unmistakable sense of
frost at the tip of my nose and my ex-
tremities generally, l pulled myself
together, dressed hurriedly, and arrived
at Harley street in q humor the very
reverse of amiable, and with the full
determination of merely showing myself
to Mrs. Wilkin, imbibing glass of
sherry, and getting back to resume the
perusal of novel.
The crush had not as yet been well
turned .on, SO my ascent to the drawing
rooms was ne very difficult task. Upon
the lobby Mrs. Wilkin was standing,
behind a huge bouquet which com
manded the staircase like great floral
gun; and Wilkin was prowling in the
Immediate vicinity, with the air of a
man who had succeededin in losing half
sovereign, and was engaged in look
ing for it as though he wanted it very
badly indeed.
"Ah, Mr.. Brookley I'm so glad
that you have come. Freddy told me
you were doubtful-all clever men are,
but you know I always believe in yon,
and 1 look to your aid to make this lit
tie affair 60 off we'll"
1 groaned in spirit. This meant
stopping until the candles were snuffed
out-until the tallow-faced greengrocers
were paid off-until the milkman ar
rived at the area ratings, and until 1
should be jibed by disappointed cab
bies as "the cove as was a-playln' the
pianner."
"By the way, BrooEley, there's a
little Irish girl stopping here. Miss
Blake. Come, and I'll introduce you
as friend O. mine," observed Wilkin,
dragging me towards a mass Of tulte
illusion surmounted hy a bunch OF
white flowers.
Now, any Irish girs whom I had
hitherto been fortunate enough to meet
had, somehow or other, been always too
lauch for me. If I was blaSe, they
were saucy. If I was degage, they
were sentimental. If I was learned,
they were blissfully and gushingly ig-
norant. I had been invariably foiled,
and my most skilfnl fencing went for
nothing. had not been able to score
palpable hit under any circumstances
whateoever.
held back much after the fashion of
dog being led to corporal punish
ment through the medium of a collar
and string-bowed grim, ungainly
bow, and proceeded to fiddle with the
buttons of pair of soiled, bulgy gloves,
and to glarei in every direction save that
supposed to be occupied by Mrs. Will
kin's Hibernian guest. -
AT this juncture an attenuated, wax
en-looking, half-fed artist, hung In
chains, and clad in garments shining
with grease and threadbare from age,
proceeded to pound away upon the
piono, aided and abetted by pudgey
man, who appeared to be blowing his
whole person into battered cornopean;
and another conspirator, who discharged
his duties to society and to Wilkln by
dolefully scraping upon violincello:
"This is our quadrille," exclaimed
very sweet voice at my elbow, with Just
a touch of the brogue pervading it like
perfume, and soft little hand paced
itself confdingly upon my arm. had
not asked her to dance-she had evil
dently taken it for granted.
Would I say that Ihad never danced?
that had sprained my foot? or invent
some patent and plausible excuse?
No it would not be fair to mine
hostess, so 1 sullenly resigned myself
to my fate. -,
"This is my first visit to London, !"
chirped Miss Blake.
"Oh, indeed !"
CT live in the wilds of Connemara.
81 wish you were there just now, ="
was my inner thought.
cts the widest place on the face of
the earth, and the lovliest-but won't
you secure uiS-a-vis?
I compounded with a pink-fac2d
youth who was in talons of tall, lean,
vulture-hke woman, to face me in the
forthcoming melancholy ceremony, and
to assist in carrying out its sad solemni-
ties in all their funeral details.
"Have you ever visited Ireland, MIR.
Brookley?" asked Miss Blake, at the
conclusion of the first figure.
81 should think not. Ireland IS a
wretched mistake"
The moment the words escaped from
my lips, I could have parted with a
good deal of ready money to have been
enabled to draw them back again.
They were childish, rude, ungentleman-
like, and turned to her to apologize.
The hot flush was upon her cheek,
the little hands were clnched until the
gloves threatened to "burst up" and
her flashing eyes met mine as she hotly
retorted-" mnst be an English
boor to say So"