The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-14

KnlttlhS vigorously.
"AprOpOs of our picnic tomorrow"
i The needles clicked an interruption.
"We-really we are very sorry" said
the lady, nerYouslv, "but until now
had entirely forgotten an engagement
that will make -quite-qulte ImpOssi-
bic. am sure you Will excuse us, Mi.
| Meriden."
With bow and flushing face Ralph
moved away.
"Bravo, bravo, Mrs. Rich! That's the
neatest deoapitation pVe seen in ten
yearsw chucklGd Byrnes.
"What ON earth do you mean? Have
you seen nymph and been punished
with an lncapacity to talk intellglbly p
said Bertha, sharply. .
"IJ is you who have the fncapacity,'
'mignonne,' to read what is palmer than
the sun. E liza Is fully determined not
TO change her name, aud TnorndlKe
Meriden, well, l DON'T know the details,
only Ralph has lost all. Every acre,
every dollar gone to claimant un-
ul canned or"
Bertha sprang up.
Wel," said Lawrence, "where nowp
Are you going to hy or will the ponies
answerp
Sue crushed past him and went up to
MerIdeH.
| 'hdlpuS CulnG ueT6s 1 am HdunGeH
Iwitn the ghost Of our old duet from
Nabuco. Let me hear II you are out OF
voice"
"Ralphw When had she called him
that before? There was something he
could not tathom in her glance. Her
cheeks Were burning; her manner fever
lsh ana Joyous, He ma ie some jesting
lemark, and she, the cool and LOFTY Ber
Ina, laughed uut like child. She sang
Ike rd on irolic. AL the while her
little fingers wandered over the KEY 8,
stumbling through unknown sympho-
MES aud forgotten accompaniment; her
gleeIul talk rang on like brook just
ESCAPED from trost-cnains into the
spring light. Ralph, in nightmare OF
doubt and surprise, waited Ior the key
to thls new revelation, aud meanwhile
basked in unaccustomed sunlight SO
tpr0dIgahy showered around him.
| Lawrence, l0unging ABOUT in al ainl-
less way, looked AZ MIN curiously.
Paying Mark Tapley, eh, RnphT he
SAID, WIN MS snort laugh.
| "Whal?"
"Y u look tolerably sunshiny. Being
| ruined agrees with y0u."
"Psrden; but l am deaf, or you talk in
enigmas."
"Weli Then, In broad Saxon, if 1 had
| luuClibO" hOl uulh6 MGG1Q6nb OoGaLC.
and IL had just taken wings-as yours is
said 10 have done-l couldn't help out
Miss Bertha there, VITA her musical mo-
sale, as you are doing"
"My dear Lawrence, you must have
forgotten to wake yourself This morning.
There are no wings in the case. My
Iacres lie undisturbed by even the
TsAadow OF any change"
"No wings? Ehl eh! wretched man
that | am! A second Icarus. | shall
perish, my wings Of wax melted in Tie
ire OF these ladies' indignation. Why,
my dear fellow, have been entertaining
Miss EIza and Bertha here, and all the
rest, with u iuIl account OF your woes
How a new heir had been discovered; !;
| how your fine sense OF honor, being ooN-
yinced OF the justice OF his claim, for
bade any appeal to litigation; how-O,
bah! what romance you have spoileu."
| Ralph looked curlously at Lawrence, {,
| but the latter remained lmpenetrable-
only expressing in the dIsLre ressful arch
of his eyebrow his gentle VeXaLion. He
turned 10 Bertha. Sac was looking
straight ahead as il she had not heard
word, her fingers wandering soundlessly
over tue keys, and u cold gray shade of
| disappointment obscuring all that bloom
| Of hope that had so puzZ ed him mo-
ment before. Feeling R,lphs gaze, she
turned toward him.
"Please TO put the book away, Mr.,
Merlaen. These old things are such q
Dore."
"lir. NJ Meridenw echoed he. "A mo-
ment ago 1t Was Ralph"
Bertha bit her lips and toyed nervous
ly with her fan. He bent low over her
Bertha, l would supply Thorndike
MerideTo legacy with the wings that
Lawrence lent them if thought that it
stood between you and me-"
"What are you laughing at, Mr..
ByrnesW asked Eliza IL on, as Lawrence
came toward her. "WAat have you been
about now?'
playing Joshua, my dear Miss Eliza.
A very pretty little game, l assure
you."
40, you odd man! I never"
"By the way, Miss Eliza" interrupted
Byrnes, carlessiy, "tAat was slight
m stake OF mine about Ralph Merldun.
PIl have that Jones' head"
"Mr. Symmes, you are intolerable,"
said ELIZA, sharply, "sweeping off all the
men al one move. L shall shuader al the
sight OF the chess-table for month 10
come. Mr. Merlden, why, where is hep
"Gone out with Miss Vaughan"
answered Lawrence, rubbing his hands.
"Gone 10 make arrangements, prob
ably"
arrangements W
For tneli marriage" smiled Byrnes,
enjoying the discontinue of the two
ladies III his quiet fashion. "lt's an old
affair. broken of once AT the instance OF
MIS-. vaughan. Qllte a little romance
laltogether," tinlsned Byrnes, smiling in
uocenly in the blank face 0. Ell u Rich.
That young lady never ascerlaineu
what Mr Byrnes meant by 'pla, ing
JOSHUA" but she wi, Messed its Conse.
IqIences i'll MARRIAGES. service, pc .
urmed not hundred years ago, where
she played second instead ol first tiddlr
as she had expected.
l
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