Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-24

sable garments WHICH cry, opSi', |
sesame, at the portals of society.
| duloing in a fit of insanity, and the
attack, which in the commencement
promised to be of a somewhat mild
| form, gradually assumed graver symp-
| toms, until it culminased in tremen-
dous ball. Vainly pleaded neces-
sity for reading up case with which
| the firm of Thizer & Bulsome had en-
trusted me. Vainly I declared to
| Wilkin, upon the honor of man and
| a brother, that I was tout of that sort
| of thing" that have read that par
ticular chapter III the book of life
| clean through abOCO usqtc I'D Da0luD1,
and that I was only good for the ma
hogany he didn't, or rather wouldn't
see 1t, and with sense of bitter injury
| at nay heart, and an unmistakable
sense Of frost at the tip of my nose
and my extremities generally, / pulled
rlvself together, dressed hurriedly,
and arrived at Harley street in hu-
NOR the very reverse of a1nlablc, and
! with the full determination OF merely
showing myself to Mrs. Wilkin, lmbib-
ing glass or perhaps two of sherry,
! and getting back to resume the peru
| sal OF a novel.
LHCU}}lC propose.
The crush had not as yet been veil
| turned on, SO my ascent to the draw
inr-rOOm was no very difficult task.
| Upon the lobby Mrs. Wilkin was stand
ing, behind q huge bouquet which com
handed the staircase like q great floral
| gun and WilI1in was stroling III the
Immediate vicinity, with the air OF q
man who had succeeded in losing half
a sovereign, and was engaged in look
ing for it as though he wanted it very
badly indccG.
.'Ah, Mr., Brooklcy ! Tn 50 glad that
you have come. Freddy told me you
we're doubtful-all clever men are, but
you know [ always believed il yo",
and / look to y0ur aid to make this
little affair come off welt
/ groaned in spirit This meant
stopping until the candles were snuflel
out-until the tallow-faced green gro
GERS were paid off-until the milknan
arrived at the area ratings, and until
[ should be jibed by disappointed cab
bies as "thc cove as was a playln' the
pianner."
by the way, BrcokIey, there's Il
: little Irish girl stopping here, Miss
; Blake. Come, and III Introduce you
as a friend o mjne," observed Wilhln,
dragging NE, BON gre, NAL gre, to-
wards Il mass of tine illusion surm cunt
cd by bunch of white flowers.
Now, any Irish girls whom | had
hitherto been fortunate enough to
meet had, somehow or other, been al
ways too much for me. If | was b}asc,
they were saucy. Ii [ was dCNUyC,
they were sentimental. III was learned
they were blissfully and hugely igno-
laIt I had been invariably folled,
and my most skillful fencing went for
| nothing. l have not been able to score
9 ralpablc Lit under any circumstances
/ Whatsoever.
I held back much after tie fashion
> Of dog being led to corporal punish
: meut through the medium Of a collar
and string-Jowed q grim rnearthly
} bow, and proceeded to fiddle with the
: buttons OF q pair OF soiled bulgy
gloves, and to peer IN every direction
, save that supposed to be occupied by
wilkins Hibernian guests.
At this jlncture, an attenUated,
= waxed-lo0king, beef-fed artist hung
! in chains and clad in garments run
nj with grease and threadbare from
age. proceeded to round upon the piano,
aided and abettcd by podgey man,
who appeared to be throwing his
) whole person into battered c0rno-
coDian, and another conspirator, Who
: discharged his duties 10 society and to
: Will1in by dolefuliy scraping upon a
: vIolence!lo.
. Ibis is our quadrille," exclaimed q
very sweet voice at my elbow, with
Just touch OF the brogue pervadiDG
: it like Il perfume, and soft little hand
placed itself confdingly upon lay arm.
| had not asked her to dance-she had
: evidently taken it for granted.
Would / say that I never danced ?
: that I bad sprained MY foot? or invent
- zonc patent and plausible excuse?
10, It would not be fair to mine
hostess, SO [ s1!lienly resigned myself
10 my fate.
This is my first visit to London, = D:
c!.irp#l Miss Blake.
'sAh, iuGeed.'
Il live in the wilis Of ConIemara."
~ wish You were there just now,
was my inner thought.
lis TIE widest place on tie face
Of the earth, and the loveliest-but
won't you secure riS-0-ris.''
[ compounded with a plnk-faced
youth, who was in the talons Of tall,
lean. vulture-like woman, to face me
IN the forthcoming melancholy cere-
mory, and to assist in carrying cut its
sad solemnitics in all their fuucreal
details.
Have you ever visited Ireland, Mr.
Droolllcy?" asked Miss Blake, at the
conclusion OF the first figure.
81 should think not. Ireland Is 4
wretcllcd mistake"
The moment tho words escaped from
my lips, 7 could have parted with
Good lf 10
been enabled to draw them back again.
They were childish, rude, ungentle-
nanIikc, and turned to her to apollo
Gis0.
The hot flush was upon her cheek,
The little hands were olenchcd until
The gloves threatened to ''burst up"
and her flashing eyes met mine as she
hOtly retOrted: ''IOu must be an
English boor to say So
The pas SCW commenced, and. to
use q stage phrase, Miss Blake event
on.
Z had committed a thrice accurscd
mistake and / felt it. She went
through the entire figure alone. She
world not dcign to take-to touch my
! out-strctched hand. I had no words
! ut all to cudgel into a proper form OF
! apology, ana | was bcwilderod by her
/ beauty.
Lovely blue eyes with sweeping
/ blua-black lashes; a dainty little nose,
wit q rosebud mouth, and teeth like
mrffied diamonds, radiant brown hair
! in massive plaits-and her expression
! -1y dc mi -fhdn'0
We did not speak during the quad
rifle The pink-faced youth-con-
found his mpudence-strucl up an
a"quaintanceship with her, and treated
the vuIture-looking woman badly. I |
felt inclined to hurl him at his partner,
impale him upon her nose, and rush !
frantically from the house. The |
charming disdain with which I was
treated by Miss Blake, rendered me
more mise1 abe, and t was only when
the laws Of society compelled her, at
the conclusion Of the dance. to take |
my arm, in order to be conducted to |
the place whence she came, that [ ven