Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-18

ayes, and he u called After me-"
"Wen, yea know I told yea when wrote
not persuaded Geraldine to show me his letter
TO her should never have guessed that he vas
not your godsoni you know Ogg Is such an I'M
common name, but you always told me your
served my eodfather. 9This Cecil IS, / dare
say, very good young fellow p his way, but
poor g rat and Geraldine Is hardly the girl
"No, indeedi" said Mrs. Montague, warmly
"Dear Mr.. Bottletop, am % glad-so satisfied,
soSS n. sninh hnys done
trouble to me, and girls nowadays are very
different to what they where when was young.
Do you think 1t probable that Mr.. Nehemiah
Nvery probable" returned Mr.. Bottletop,
without muscle twinkling; sand, as told you
last night, I really think It will be worth yonr
while to stay and meet ham. Meanwhile, 1t is,
as you say, rather awkward about Cecil being
here just At present, but think with your tact
and good sense you can easily manage him, and
can't send the man away"
Mrs. Montague smiled sweetly; and Mr.. Bot
tletop laughed in his sleeve till he nearly blew
himself up.
tramped away in the September sunshine,
shooting wildly, and needless alike Of the keep
er's sarcasms and the reprOachful glances of the
settlers. But on my return to the house, re-
sumed my Off-hand manner, went through din
ner in triumph, and, not content with flirting
tonight, made vigorous love to q lady with a
remarkably long nose. The next day it was the
same thing over again, and began to feel that,
in spite of Mr.. BOttletop's entreaties and my
own clear conscience, could not stay the week
out. A severe bow and stately goodnight"
and "good- morning" were the extent of my in
tercourse with Mrs and Miss Montague; there
were some other ladies in the house, my long
nOsed fair one among them, or couldn't have
stood it for an hour.
On my return from my third days shooting,
Tom Marks, the keeper, happened to be carry
WHAT tO was t ana H h we came by
tation which we had been through in the morn
ing.
L remarked. "YOu had better 60 round by the
gate Is you've got those guns" and scrambled
through the thick fence. Tom, I suppose
thought more of his opinion than mine, for as
Cling among the brambles, and the next mo-
ment the report Of gun rang out, followed by
faint cry-nOt from me, though got small
th a dsr sh0 sls You oone ,e..,
naturally very angry; but Toms white scared
face stopped me-. He was still on the top of the
fence, from which eminence he commanded q
wider prospect than l could obtain from the
ground; and he gasped in we-stricken accents
lady!"
enough, behind the low thicket down or the
ground, pale and frightened-lookin was Geral-
"Are you much hurte' exclaimed. ats
that fool, the keeper1an accident you know
"My ankle" she said; and as had some
brandy in my flask proceeded to give her a
strong dose, which kept her from fatigue.
"You co." L said to the abject Tom, who now
came up, Ego and bring up the little pony phse-
ton here, and send fer a doctor. Mind you
can get the trap here, I'm certain, in less than
twenty minutes" Whereupon he dashed off
like a mailman.
al think L must have strayed into a part of
the grounds where ought not to be-" said Ger
aldine cOnfusedly. 'Mr. BOttletop told me
where 1 was not to go-but was stupid, /
think, and didn't understand"
II am afraid you are in great pain" said,
and tried very hard even then to appear quite
COOL knelt down by her and put the flask in
her hand, telling her to drink some more; as 1
did so she suddenly became paler than she was,
and held my hand
"Look-look here!" she exclaimed, ooh.
there Is blood running down your arm-yOur
waistband is covered with It'll Oh and YOU are
wounded all the time-and never thinking of
yourself. What can l do? How selfish, how
would gladly have had the whole contents
OF Toms gun in nv shoulder for the exquisite
pleasure those words gave me; but what price L
could have scared to for the additional Injuries
OF her heartrent tone, her sweet looks, the white
and red that came by turns to her face on nv
account really cannot imagine.
Notwithstanding at all ;" stam-
mered; al really don't mind it a bit, you know
only a shot or two in nv shoulder Recover
ing myself, added neatly. ard be shot gladly
--although-if L could save you a minutes pain
by it."
Upon this thought the brandy-fask would
have to come into play again, she went SO pale
but it is rather difficult to keep sentiment, how
utes But afterf a little pause she went on
brayely, though not without a shiver in her
voice, 81 don't think you carry out your words
as a rule. But | suppose you would say the
"Geraldine! don't think I'm to blame"
But Miss Werter is very handsome" (she
was the long nOsed beauty(-this was said In a
manner yerging on sobs-''and very well Off
"What are you talking about?" exclaimed.
ing-can your"
"Yes," hesitating. "Cecil-you know IL was
all %amm ma, doing"
eyes, indeed. Dear old Mr. Bottletop told
me that she wrote dreadful letter to you, and
treated you so shamefully that day in the Park,
and, all the time, never knew. and only won
dered what had become of you"
need hardly remark that by this time her
blOod-on my shoulder in fact; but whatever she
might have felt, never was more unconscious
of pain In my life. We made it out all straight
very soon. she had !, never seen me on the
had canght sight Of me first, and then ASKED
Geraldine eff it was not Mr.. Cecil Ogg in the
carriage with that pretty girl?' which at once
turned Geraldines powers of observation in an
opposite direction. She had spent some misera-
BILE weeks at Spa, but she was too proud to write
and ask me to explain myself; at the Duffer-
kins dinner she heard of me from Mr.. TOppin-
send liked him 80 much, )" she observed with
candor, 'fOr he knew YOU"
The arrival of Tom and the pony pheton put
an end to the tete-d-tete; and there was q great
when we arrived at the house. Mrs.
Montague embraced her daughter as if she had
just come in from heading q forlOrn hope, and
bestowed tragical scOwl from me when in
asked If the doctor had come yet for
Geraldine" Mr.. BOttletOp stood looking on
with face absolutely funeral, which knew to
be the very verge Of a burst of laughter. Miss
Werter, being q strong minded charmer, wanted
to cut my coat of, and volunteered the infOr-
nation that she was remarkably clever at bind
ing up wounds, and never felt faint at the sight
of blood; to which interesting facts every one,
including myself, displayed the most chilling
indifference. Her younger sister, on the con-
trary, went into Mysteries on discovering GER
tain mysterious CORY traces on the back Of Ger
aldine's waist.
"My dear, you'll die if you have been shot
there, - said the elder Miss Werter, consolingly;
and at the sight Of Geraldine's crimson cheeks
Mr.. Bottletop suddenly exploded into an ecstacy
Of laughter, and rushed out of the hall door.
vi.
The next day Mrs. Montague, Mr. Bottletop.
Geraldine and myself all met in solemn con-