The Van Buren press., 1874-01-13
MISCELLANY.
Lost or Won at Wimbledon.

IL shall look out for you at Wimblc
don.
Those were his last words as he put
her into ncr carriage after the Norwood :
pleasant dance words that had dwrlt in
her memory more than she would care
perhaps. to acknowledge. And it was
with undisguised pleasure that she now
turned to answer his eager greeting
Very pretty she looked in her dainty
dress and ribbons and so Ralph Leices
ter thought when he. met the earnest
glance of her gray eyes upllfted 10 his
He felt as though he could then and there
have pledged himself Der life long slave
instead efprosng on about the heat and
the shooting. and thousand other com
mOnplaccs. which 90 to make up an or
dinary conversation. AS it was, ! think
his gaze vas sufficiently expressive, and
that Margaret Dene appreciated its silent
eloquence quite Is much as she would
have done more ut.spoken admiration
They had met for the first time at Il
pic nic some two years before, and then
not seen each other again till the dance
| have referred to but each held a lively
remembrance Of the pleasant day spent
together, and had beea glad to renew
their acquaintance. Now they seemed
quite like old friends, and more than one
remark was made during the day on the
attention Leicester was paying to that
pretty Miss Dcne; while the men won.
dcrcd, as they will do sometimes, what
the latter found IN her companion SO at
iraciive, Handsome young exqnisites
looked down upon him from the supe-
riorty of their good looks and greater
number Of inches, and said that, by
,ovc she'd funny laste' rejecting
perhaps, on her appnro"t bli"d"oss t.
their ppItecioas, and evident liking for
the "ugIy lilIle barr,tgr. Ugly he
was but in spite Of his plain face and
somewhat short Stature there was talent
and power in his strongly marked fea
lures, ;nd Al indescr bable freshness ansl
viaOr about his character which Margaret
Denc at oucc recognized and admired.
No Luncheon party could he merrieI
than that which gathered IN the tent oi
Charlie Denr, captain of the - rifles
His own spirits was overlooking. and his
guests seemed 10 have caught the nicc-
ton OF his gayety.
"Who knows whether the report is
true that Clara Rivers has gone off with
Tom LightfoOt OF llIe En-. ineers :" asked
somebody.
IL do, answered Charlie. "Old
Rivers told me about it himself this
morning He's furious, and says they
shall neither Of them ever touch u pen.
NY Of his money BY the bye, Travers,
hs added. turning round suddenly up"n
II c"ncei.ed, foolish looking young man
at his SIDE. ave ought ~ condole with
you, fincy were you not rather sweet
lii that quarter
Not at all, answered Travers, try.
my vainly to look unconcerned Il
awe were only amusing ourselves "
"Oh, | see, sand Il voice from the end
OF The table; attention without inten
tisn, as somebody has defined flirting
Very kind Of you though, old fellow, to
let her use YOU as II bind. Or perhaps
she despared Of your ever coming to the
point and it's pique after all, that has
led her nto this marriage y
Such roar OF laughter followed this
sally that Charlie called for order, and
begged to know the cause Of it.
Did you never hear that story 2" said
Bob Lambert, fixing his mercilcss eyes
on poor Travers, who was becoming
more and more uncomfortable under this
chan. "One evening, the lovely Clara
threw over our friend here for waltz
with hoistem.ps Charlie, and when he
called her to order for her faithlcssncss
she only laughed. Travcrs could not
understand such indifference, until at last
the happy thought occurred to him that
he had himself danced three times with
a certain young lady in blue. i know
why You did 1t, he said, inspired with
this new idea; it was plque. 'Pique
MIR. Travers, replied Flora; and they
said her face was quite sublime in its in
nocence; don't know the word ; what
does it meaui' BY the bye. never
heard your answer he added, across the
table to the unhappy youth, "rathel
difficult to one, was 1t noti'
"How charming! Quite a situation, u
chimed in another voice, with such an
exact imitation of Travers speech and
manner, that Charlie, in his character OF
host, began to feel things had gone fal
enough and to turn the tide Of convcr.
salion inc broke 1t with o question on his
cousln Margarets long tete.a.tete with
RAJ pin Leicester.
"Who do you think | saw to-day
Meg? Your old friend, Cecil Collins
he made most particular inquiries after
you.
"Do you know Collins z" said Ralph
looking up.
For moment Marsare, hesitated, and
her companion's quick eye detected th,
strange expression which fitted across
her countcnance but sine recovered hel
self. f.possession almost Immediately as
she answered:
1--WE were near neighbors and grea'