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


adopt another name--John,e q George-and then
tell my friends; but it must Be done at once.
Here goes, then. Ever devoted%-yOhn Ogg?
There was want Of euphony about ass:. John
confound Ill ..In for penny, in for pound"
II you win believe il, I signed that document
Cecil G. Reginald Ogg;" and If l could have
came, probably would have substituted for
Ogg, Plantagenet.
Ny relief and joy at having boldly cast of the
incubus which ?; % long had is weighed upon me
consciousness accompanied il. felt that 1
ought TO have done il with more care and less
abruptness. There ought to have been some
could advertise the very thing which wished
to bury as profound secret-the name which
might so probably catch her eye and revolt her?
No; had taken a bold, decided, manly step,
and would abide the consequences. The con-
sequences began In a most bitterly unexpected
manner, though could not complain of being
kept in suspense unnecessarily long The day
after despatching my letter received the foi-
lowing reply-not from Geraldine, but from
Mrs. Montague. How high my heart beat with
my trembling fingers. though aattered myself
reasonably enough that had no cause b be
alarmed as to my reception by my future mann
'SIR,"-(at the first word felt nv moral
temperature fan at least twenty degrees)-
'SIE-My daughter, Miss Montague, has shown
me q most extraordinary letter addressed BY you
to her. For what reason you should have writ
ten In manner so unwarrantably presuming Is
pest known TO yourself; but as Miss Montague
Is too indignant to reply to it, I must tell you,
In her name and mine, that we think that what
has happened IS much to be regretted, but that
after it we feel compelled 10 decline the honor
OF any further acquaintance with you. 1 am,
"MADELINE DE CoURcEY MoyrAsUE."
What-what was this? Was 1 mad? or was
she? or were they? 1 stared at the paper with
nvno ia a~~a AxxI 49, Al
can assure you 1 never was more in earnest in
all my life, and very probably said "R-r-r-re-
1ectedi' in tone which would have brought
l tore my hair, L CRASHED my teeth, (fieurative.
lyD raved, / swore; denounced ali the Wo-
men on earth as imposters, deceivers, snakes,
toads. Little, little did it matter by what name
was known to this unfeeling, unfaithful wO-
man. While I-poor fOOl-was willing to even
sink my own identity for her sweet sake, she
was laughing at me IN her sleeve" leading me
on" (had not read of such dark deeds among
beautiful women p in order to goad some re-
fractory admirer into jealousy and to lure me to
hundred sweet glances from those soft blue eyes
smiles from which the most bashful might read
encouragemenO-not to mention the occasions
among a crowd Of competitors in a ballroom o or
had persuaded her to I" throw over' some poor
wretch in my favor, or detained her In some
conservatory or secluded nook during dance
promised to some other fellow? 1t was impos-
sible; for my eyes, coming back from their
mental meander, fixed themselves on the words
Of that audaciOus old Montague. The letter
was deliberate INSULT but how can a man
retaliate when woman strikes him? She
knows so well the strength of her weakness that
she verges now and then on cowardice, being
careless of the pain she may inflict where she
knows il will be silently borne.
But a sudden Authorization seized me- Could
l, by force OF the odious habit, have signed the
letter by my own name after all? and could she
could Geraldine have been SO repealed by it as
TO- assent to this letter? eagerly looked at the
address on the envelope. Not even this loop
scribed to s'Cecil g. r. Ogg, esq, and even
that fash of hope faded.
Need relate how 1 couldn't eat my break
fast. how paced about my room, how scowled
at myself when met my eyes in a mirror over
the chimney-place, and Hung the morning pa
per unopened into the fire? What was news to
the people in London, in England, or the world?
Society was humbug, and consequently the
sooner IT became extinct the better. Most peo-
pie Of at all an excitable temperament have the
joys Of this frame of mind, and those Of the
calmer mood succeeding it, The repentant fit,
think, is the worst when you consider what an
idiot you have been making of yourself; how you
have knocked over your claret and broken your
favorite claret-jug; how You have made your
hand SO unsteady that you cut yourself while
shaving; how the paper is in the fire, and YOU
high life"
A cheerot rather soothed me, and 1 came 10
the resolution to haunt the park in the after
no moon ana a. about st the hour when thought
myself to the park. had not been there a
quarter of an hour when 1 caught sight of their
well-known turnout coming slowly nearer
close to the rails where was standing. 1 felt
my heart going like steam-engine, and went
quite chill and ''shivery" with apprehension
The drive was 30 crowded that the horses moved
Montague caught sight of me; knew it by |
instinct. Some remark was passed between |
Geraldine and herself, and as raised my eyes |
Montague met them with calm, cold serenity.
cutting me dead. Geraldine's face was half
averted, and her eyes wandering quickly
no chance even to read dismissal in the ex-
preston of quiet determination new to me on
her features.
When they had fairly passed me drew nv
self together. "Well, there's one comfort
thought grimly; '.there can't be any mistake |
about this, you know; and of course shall
grow wiser as grow older"
L think my mental system received severe
shock at the time OF which am now writing.
/, who had been the idIest Of tie die sud I
found an idle life insupportable, and my inward
man clamOred for something whereupon to
employ my thoughts which were no longer
pleasant ones. After much cOgitation decided
upon learning farming. Farming is one of the |
finest pursuits in the world for a gentleman to
lose money at; and as that was the one thing
" hich knew by experience could do better
than any other, / thought was sure to take
X Odly to it. So, few weeks after nv rebuff
Il made no attempt to provoke a secondly / |
decided to go to Cheshire. / told NV father |
about my new plan-but not yet about the /
dismal failure OF my matrimonial hopes, this
being too sore point to write about-and he /
very cheerfully undertook to do what he could /
for me, evidently beginning to think that per- |
haps there might be something in me after all; |
and he reminded me that ought to 90 and
visit my godfather who lived in the neighbor- |
hood of Chester-the horrible man through |
whom i had come by my fatal name; for |
whether by instinct or merely coincidence, / |
always associated my vanished hopes with my |
Ddious name.
/ felt very blighted indeed about this period, |
having arrived at the properly reckless frame |
Of mind. smoked and drank much more than |
was good for me, 1 neglected my personal ap- |
pearance, and felt altogether down on my luck. |
What great deal some young ladies have to |
answer for! Still kept saying should be all |
right when went to Cheshire and got regular
" to work. went to a certain bookseller in |
Regent street, the day before left town. to in |
vest In some eminent works regarding the rela- |
tive value Of guan0 and manure on different |
soils-when found the footman of the Mon |
tagues at my elbow, inQuiring for parcel. This |
gentleman had every reason TO regard me as a |
friend, and accordingly he grinned |
and touched his hat with full experience of |