The Republican. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 187?-187?, 1873-12-06

heard of it, to-day"
Ii Charles brain were not affected,
I somebody's else appetite was the song
she had been practicing, that afternoon,
would keep recurring to Margaret's
memory, with its refrain of Shakspeare's
verse
Then sigh no more, ladies; ladies, sigh no more;
Men We're deceivers ever
One foot on and shore.
To one thing constant never"
Have you dance to spare me, Miss
Dene? ?''
Ct 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 disagreea-
/ BILE things people were saying about
him; but he had shown pretty plainly,
/ by his silence all this time, his perfect
I
she determined on that point to meet
/ him more than half way.
/ She had just arrived at this cOnclu-
sion when Cecil Collins came forward to
claim her for the waltz then cOmmenc-
/ ing and as she walked down the room
on his arm, not a lew turned to gaze at
/ the handsome couple and wonder who
/ they were a wonder easily satisfied,
/ for Cecil, at least, was becoming we'll
/ known. Not only had he won the
/ queens prize, which in itself made him
/ a sufficiently marked man, but with that
i prize he had come into the heirship of
/ a large fortune.
His uncle, rich and eccentric old
/ bachelor, who was wont to describe him
self as the best shot of his day, sir,
and who considered that quite descrip-
/ tion enough of any man, was so delight
/ ed TO find his scapegrace nephew turn
ing ont a distinguished marksman that
he wrote TO him, promising not only to
/ pay his debts, but to make a new will
in his favor, if only that nephew sue
ceeded IN carrying off the prize of the
year. \ strange excuse, through which
the truth showed somewhat pathetcally,
for making one last effort to reclaim the
Drodigal; that so, If 1t were possible,
. still be found worthy to ill his place,
when that place should have become va
cant instead of the old home and well
filed 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
tu-ir thoughts wander back TO that 9th
er .ardeu they had stood together in,
long ago, ere sin and sorrow came to
overshadOw their young lives2 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 10 say that which he had
brought his companion out there for
the express purpose Of telling her.
Margaret" " he said, "Ralph Leices-
ter is a friend of yours, is he not p
"A An acquaintance would be the more
correct term"
Why so? I have heard your names
. coupled together more than once vet
in now I myself saw you refuse to
dance with him. Are yOu offended, like
, all the rest of the world, because he
1 threw mp the shooting at Wimbledon
r or. perhaps, because he did so without
= telling you the reason? %
Margaret's only answer was a sugges
tion 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 a thing Is still
left me-" said Cecil, with rather a bit
> ter laugh. People are saying tina
! Ralph Leicester has promised to VII
the queens prize for your sake, and tina
YOU have thrown him over for giving /
1 up. How far that may be true, I feel
~ have no right to ask, but as ], and
= alone, can tell You his real reason 70
. not shooting, [ suppose he would rathe
lose even You than confess 1t himself
> Won must listen to me a few minute
It while I do so. Long ago l was fortunat
enough to save his life in an encOunte
> with a mad dog. [ had almost forgot
= ten the circumstance, but 1t seemed tina
Il Leicester retained a very vivid remem
brance of it and when, the day befOr
the prize was to be shot for, my uncle
II strange intentions came to his know
4 edge-how. I do not know, as l Ina
4. tried my best to keep the world ignO
10 ant of the stake for which l had playe
and he found that thus somethln
lie more than life, reputation and the mean
rt Of once more facing the world, wei
o., within my reach if only could be su
lg cessful-he generously determined L
ID act of his should diminish my chance
Up and by quietly Withdrawing from I'll
IL shooting, paid back his debt to me mu
IN tiplied a thousand times. The prize
mine, Margaret, and with it the ne
a life that has opened upon me; but
'e need hardly tell you how I shall com
it all too dearly bought ii Leicest I
III future happiness has been sacrificed
lS its payment.
Half an hour later, as Ralph Leice
ce ter was standing moodlly in the doc
y, way, his meditations were broken
; upon 10y yadance-prOgramme falling at b
L; feet, as some waltzsrs flew past hiT
10 He stopped to pick it up, not at q
5h knowing who was it's owner, and a
ia sently ran his eye down the list
-, names inscribed therein. His indiffe
IL, ence vanished, however, when, tOwa
he the end he came to his own, written
er a remarkably clear hand. 1t was cd
he thought, decidedly odd ; as, wi
as one exception, he had asked no one
dance with him that evening. He W
just beginning to wonder who the scri
IS. tcO?Ifd be, when avoice said at his side
ly -: ':I'think you have picked up my pr
II