Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-07-01

ing akin to contempt for his pale
delicate face and sensitive, shrinking
ways. But she rejected these yer,
peculiarities, perhaps, made him NOR,
susceptible to her influence, and ed
dressed herself to deepening that, and
had the satisfaction of seeing that hel
efforts were not in vain.
To Robert Lonsdowne, indeed, thil
girl who called herself Charlotte TIA,
vers, was a revelation of the most sub
tie beauty and fascination. He hung
upon her glance and smile, shy but en-.
raptured. He blushed If she looked
toward him, and trembled If she "a.
dressed him. She had hard work Il
win him out OF his bashfulness, enough
to get him to tell her he loved her.
But one day they were out riding to-
gether, and Maud's horse threw her
She lay for long time stunned by the
fall, and quite insensible.
Robert Lonsdowne hung over he.
unconscious form like q man who ha1
lost his senses. But by-and-by shs
came to herself again, and there wa,
this bashful fellow holding ner in hi,
arms and kissing her, and calling he,
all sorts of. fond names.
He was scared when she opened hel
great black eyes and looked at him
and that would likely have been the
end ca it, but Maud was too clever anG
ready-witted to let such chance slip ol
securing a rich husband. So she just
murmured Dear Robert in that musi
cal voice of hers, and pretended to droI
off again.
That settled the business. The,
went home engaged people, and every.
body-that is Roberts people-wers
delighted.
But now came the real perplexity
Robert Lonsdowne, of course, proposed
at once to communicate with Mr.. Ira
vers, and Maud knew what could but
come of that-exposure. So she beg
ged off for little, while she considered
how to meet the difficulty, and mean.
while made herself doubly bewitchins
and bewildering to her infatuated Low,
er.
She was saved any lengthy anxiety
however, on the subject. Within three
days after her engagement took place
letter came from her uncle an.
nouncing the econvalescence Of his daugh.
ter, and her coming to make the
long proposed visit to the Lelands.
Frightened as Maud was when this
letter presented itself, Just as the fam.
lily were finishing breakfast, she could
scarcely restrain her laughter at the
expression of the countenances about
her.
"A very poor joke, indeed Mrs. LIE.
land pronounced it, and 40 more was
said.
But before noon Charlotte Travers
herself, the true Charlotte, came
Her surprise at seeing Maud was exces.
sive. A plain girl always, not to be
compared to her brilliant cousin in per-
sonal appearance, worn, too, now with
sickness, and jaded with her journey,
she made a very poor appearance.
The Lelands were aghast and hall
of a mind to pronounce her an impostor
Maud was not, however, prepared for
such extreme measures as that, so STAN
mering something about having served
them a good joke, she acknowledged
with a laugh which was not ungraceful,
though forced, that she was Maud
Winthrop instead of Charlotte Ira
yers.
Those poverty stricken Winthrops 7
exclaimed Mrs. Leland, as soon as she
could comprehend the truth. Aud
you've gone and entrapped mt son into
an engagement. Was that what you
came here forF'
Maud had temper Of her own, and
with all her cleverness it got the better
of her sometimes.
That was just what came here for,
Mrs. Leland. But 1 never had any
idea of marrying your son. We power.
ty-stricken Winthrops are reduced to
no such straits as that yet
She could have bitten out her tongue
for saving it the next moment. But il
was too late. Robert Lonsdowne stared
at her a moment from where he sat,
with face as white as ashes, and then
he got up and went out of the room
without n word. She knew then that
she had lost him-lost all the points 81
her deceitful plotting.
Like most people who are slow to an.
ger, Robert Lonsdowne was implacable,
once offended. She would have fat
tered herself that she was too deeply
rooted in his heart for him to indulge
resentment long, but it would not do.
All the afternoon he did not come near
her. and though she went so far as to
look in his own room for him, she did
not find him.
Mrs. Leland coolly notified her that
the carriage would be ready to take her
to the station at six o'clock, and there
was no way but togo. Hercousin. NOR.
tally offended, as she was pretty well
justified in being, stayed away from
her, and she packed her trunks with
out interruption, and in bitterness Of
spirit.
As she stood with her hat on, ready
for departure, Robert Lonsdowne pre-.
sented himself. He was very pale, bu,
Maud thonght she had never seen him
look SO handsome, and the stern anger
of his expression gave to him an air Of
manliness she had never guessed him
espable of.
He had in his hand little bundle OF
notes which Maud had written him from
time to time. Lovers are prone to oscrib-
bic 10 each other, even when under the
same roof. and meeting every day.
Maud received them, coloring vividly
yours are IN NV trunk. Is there