Litchfield enquirer., 1875-09-30
WHOLE NO. 2573.

mel, still her constant friend, quit Nan's side, than Dick rises, walks round tho table, and seats himself ;n the vacant chair.
 Can he have sent her that red rose she wears in her bosom? Can he now, as he turns toward her, pretending to admire 1t, be speaking of something quite different, something known only to their twoselyes? So it is; he is telling Nan not to mind, it will be all over in half an hour; and then he asks her to wait in the drawing room, while he tells the governor. He ig going now, and accordingly, be quits the room; and Miss Bushe again experiences Q sensation of relief Mr. Wyatt is nothing to her, of course; but she would be sorry to see him entangicd in any absurd way. As Miss Church goes away in the afternoon, she has no objec- l ton to take her own departure also, es- pecially as they will meet the Wyatts next week at Preddingtram. and then who can tell what may happen?
 Edith and Deity have so many depart | ing guests to attend to, that Nan is able to escape from them better than she could have hoped, and the drewing-rOom is empty at this hour. ..
 She seizes her opportunity and steals in thither, taking refuge among the music | books. s
 Of course her music is mislaid; but what a wretchedly uncomfortable half hour it isl Everybody going in and out troubles her; and what if anyone should stayl Ohi why did Dick put her in there? And why is he so long in coming? Every minute is precious. She IS shak- ing all over. And then the party of girls come along the terrace, and stroll of to- wards the garden, and at last he comes. A whisper, pause, something else, e,and she goes of with him like tame dove. Well, of course it is all right: No one who knows Lord and Lady Wyatt would doubt that. Nan escapes at laet, with half the life kissed and pressed out of her, and finds the maid raging up and down in her bedroom, stutfing all her best gar ments maliciously into the bottom of tho trunk in revenge for having been kept waiting.
 Miss Church must excuse her, my lady sent her there an hour ago, and she could not possibly tell what Miss Church would wish to have left out. She begs pardon, but there is so little time. The woman is gently dismissed, Miss Church does not travel that day. s5 v...... Nan takes her hat, and goes down just as she is, for Dick is waiting. sE. stt
 Passing out at the garden door, they meet the whole troop of men and maidens point-blank, and for once in his life Dick does blush. @ tz s. --r..s -- .. Edith steps forward. "Nan, dear, you have been looking for us. We went down the long path to get some strawberries. Are you going? Mind you keep to the right. they are only ripe under the net ting"
 All right-Pll take her," says Dick, in unmistakable accents, and no one dares to say a word.
 They go of, away from the strawberry bed, in view of the whole party, and then smOthered guffaw from little HeftOn shows that the secret is out. He knows. | of course ---s11
 Dick told him, the first thing in the morning, and it was he who took them all of to the garden, to leave the field clear for his friend.
 ''Well, Miss Wyatt?" Edith looks as if she had seen a ghost. | 'I really had no idea of that" whispers slS thiAhggBg, AgB f66aWF~UjRFE f6aWF E6d interested You | yourselves" Edith is not sure whether she has kept it or not, is unable to answer Lord Hef- ton, feels as if the ground were rising un- der her feet.
 When She lifts her eyes at last it is 10 | find two other eyes fastened upon them.
 For Pax Burnand has caught fire; and so, when Dick and Nan come back, they find that another pair have mated like wise; and poor Lord Wyatt never thinks | of the day after the ball all the rest of his life, without shudder.
 Nobody responds to Eddy Dents inyi- tation, though the poor lad has ridden over in the heat of the day to give it. They are far happier at home. When the last carriage with the Bushes in 1t. rolls away from the door, everyone feels relieved. Augusta is so odd and tired, And does she always have such headache after 6 ball? At any rate they are all now of one heart and one mind.
 After dinner they have strawberries and cream on the lawn. Nan has had her sleep out in the afternoon, and has writ ten her letter, and the whole house knows abOutit Dick lies at her feet, and the nightingales are singing in the wool be- low.