Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-08-29

| is one of those statistical gentlemen VINO
want facts, and he's got no end of money
and a fine place. in Somersetshire-
wherever that it,
cit is in England goosey.'
Every we'll, I've no objection; only
wish he was there too, for-don't be an
cry, July-I have to 60 to the opera with
him tonight; he made me promise, and l
could not refuse"
"But you had a prior engagement with
me, sir, and I shall not release you, so
don't imagine | SHALL"
81 don't want to. be released; you know
that; and what am to do p
"Why did you not tell him you had an
engagement with lady 20
II might go to his hotel, and tell him so
yet"
'Certainly that is the proper thing to
| do"
/ An hour afterward, as julia sat in her
room, making her white satin ribbon into
bows, servant entered and said: "A
gentleman, miss, III the parlor, tosee you. =
| She laid her bows carefully on the bed,
covered. them with a clean handkerchief,
and went down stairs. Charley stood on
the hearth rug; looking into the blaze with
apeHplexed look. Julia went and stood
beside him. - ~
s.Well; sir ?'' ga ~ ~
swell, July, 1 sawsMr. Brookes."
"Yes?"
II told him l had forgotten that had a
prior engagement with lady, and that in
America ladies always came first.''
very proper. / am glad you told him
quite secondary. Charley, it is your duty
to give him lesson on that subject. What
did he say?'
'That perhaps the lady would excuse
me-under the circumstances"
'sNo, sir, she won't. 1t is a national
question now, Charley, the honor of your
eountry-women is in your hands, sir. And
the circumstances?' what are they?"
'His being stranger-a very promi-
nent stranger, and all that.
II snap my fingers at the eircum-
stances He is a man, and rich man; ),
if he can't take care of himself, he can.
hire policeman to go with him.
Charley laughed. 'July, you are too
pretty for anything. have great mind
not to tell you the rest. have present.
ment that I am cutting my own throat
breaking my heart, I mean.''
"Go on, Charley; what did he say
next?''
f. -s'He asked if the lady was my MOTHER
The two looked at each other a mo-
-ment, and then went into a paroxysm of
laughter. Julia recovered first.
ooh, Charley, that is really too Eng
fish! Why could he not have said at once,
is she young and pretty, and are you in
love with her?"-that's the way New
Yorker would have put it.''
"That he would; but E nglishmen are all
trained in circumlocution offices. told
him the lady was beautiful, bewlldering
and bewitching.''
every good indeed! What then?'
sHe proposed to go with us. He said
he had no obje ctions to the lady's COM
pany."
mo objections! How kind of him
Well?"
so changed our tickets, and got three
seats together. He will be our guest,
July; and treat him decently, dear.
think from what he says he is curious
about American women"
She went upstairs little excited, and
laid out thoughtfully the well-used black
silk dress. 1t was not so bad, after all.
II have new laces and ribbons and fresh
flowers; dare say shall look well
enough,' she thought. And then:
"Brookes!-that is twice to-day Brookes
has been forced on my attention. 1t did
not trouble me long the first time, and l
dare say shall get rid of the second in
trusion quite as easily"
She took great pains with her toilet
but she always did that. And though she
was dressed on time, she kept the gentle
men waiting for her full quarter OF an
hour. But as she never kept Charley
waiting. she hoped he would understand
her motive, and do all in his power to
make the Englishman feel that he was
waiting on a woman. Somehow she had
got the idea that Mr.. Brookes would feel
it humiliation. But if he did, he had
either admirable self-control or really fine
manners. He chatted with Charley, quite
oblivious of the lapse of time, and rose to
meet Miss Tyrrel with an air of such in
difference as to the opera, that Julia really
had the impression that he would just as
willingly stay where he was as go.
And he was nice fellow, too. In spite
of his scrupulous toilet and his formal
manners, he contrived to make the night
a thoroughly delightful one to Julia. He
did not give her an opportunity to say a
single saucy thing; he was so charmed
with America and every. one IN it that
Julia declared the deserved to be New
Yorker. However, Mr.. Brookes.'' she
added, with mock seriousness, ''good Eng
lshmen come to New York when they
die"
Gentlemen generally ''talk over" the
ladies who have adorned their evenings,
but Mr.. Brookes did not make single
remark about Miss Tyrrel. Charley wish
ed he had. He had watched the two with
a burning heart all through the opera, and
he told himself with jealous anger that
July had never looked SO lovely or been SO,
brilliant and entertaining.
Sand that Brookes,'' he muttered, ibid
nothing but watch her. He is in love, of
course; no fellow could help it; and he
has nothing to do but buy the ring and
order the wedding cake. Fifty thousand
pounds a year, and title coming by-and-
by-and 1 have fifteen hundred dollars,
and no particular expectations of any
kind. Of course July will take him-any