Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-16
CECIL'S MISTAKE.
CHAPTER /.

Edgar TTeS,ilan was one Of Fortunes dar-
liIgsi so at least said every one who knew him.
lie was nye-and-twenty, handsome, well en-
uoVed with brains, popular with each sex;
the only child Of one OF the most wealthy and
highly respected bankers in London; and as
y0t he had not known q care. Look at him, as
ne lounges into the breakfast room OF the hand
some great Kensington mansion his father has
lately taken. Did you ever see better speci-
men OF a fine young Engushman of the Pc
rcd? Tall ana slender, With a lazy. careless
grace OF manner; dark eyes, hair jet ola *,
ana slight dark mOuStache. He l0oNS VefJ
lazy; perhaps yOu might suspect hin 10 be SET
lndulgent- But for all that Edgar FRESHMAN Is
True gentlemen When you get me I real man Al
tender hearted: gentle to the Old aud the very
young; honorable too; and with genuine 5cOca
OF anything base, mean or degrading. The
breakfast room IS empty; she table only laid for
one. Mr. TTesiilian the elder is up and In the
city before bis INDECENT sou mas rlng for his hot
water. What does It matter? the father SAYS
He likes Ms Dly 10 enjoy what his industry las
provided for him
Edgar took up the le'ters lying IN little Pile
by hts plate and turned them over. He tossed
the business looking documents On 0ae side and
glanced over the invitatiouS caraleSsly Bu
t:tre vas one directed In clear round won IN $
hthd ne picked from the rest with some
iat"reSt- Il wonder what Cecil has got t. say
10 He?" he said 70 himself. 1T isn't often my
htiie cousin honor5 me- Perhaps it Is only In
her mothers name-invitation to some dlnee or
picnic at Richmond" As he opened the eayel-
ope ne saw with surprise that it contained
CLOSELY e 3. written letter, beginning aoHlp.ly
IL II were any one In the w0r.d oI- y11 |
would deny it even now: but you would
s s,fGr m md e out was de9eI;Ing you And
a man who does not care for herr" "G)ot
heayens.' Edgar ejacrlated in dI5mt ~, letting
the letter fall from his hand. .'Cln tt DC
possible that Cecil MAN ard writes ike tnat 10
lne?' He read on, however. Il VIII be honest,
and have It OIt; and thea you must never,
think IL VIII kill me. can't naloi-. kn)S
am fooi-anything you Ike bat m ri sr viii
out am In love-(there5 plain Old English to-
you az last. y1u sea) with Edgar TreSIl'tln.
Now. Olive. IL you ever breathe a word OF this
do believe AM capable OF killing you." ''0itve"
cried Edgar. Then the letter IS not TO me-,
What have dOne?" lie turned the sheet over
quickly; Ii ended thus: ''Well. have scores OF
other notes TO write 50 N Isl bring this scya.gl
10 an end. Excuse II, d5arc5t Olive; pat ii al
down 10 the hOrrid state OF mind Ia which il
was written. / feel as ii my face never would
grow cool 2Z,3ia, after what YOU iii Ia Sc nj sht:
and believe me always your affaGti0aate blt
ii'oflc friend Cecilia Maynard. TueSiay eTeI-
Ing
Let me think now" Edgar sad to hims"lf'
folding up the poor little traitorouS letter with
reLlOrsefJi care. Il have got into a pretty
scrape! CsCil must never fiud this OFT. L Is
as pain as possible to me nov. Sle has pu- a
note for ne PROB lDly into the envelope directed
TO Miss peBzI; and Miss D5nZil'5 letter ms
fODnd It's way. o. n most unfortunate mist Axe
10 me. What Is 10 b. done? The first thing is
10 keep IL from Cecil. Poor dear little girl, I
would not have her hurt 70: WORLDS. So she Is
In love with me; and all her defiant prou1
SaUcy ways after ali come ID that, I neVec for
one second imagined il. It IL had been Olive
DeDzil noW-Jhe worst o. Il Is. i am m0rtaly
afraid prefer Olive II Cecil. who prefers m:
and yet. Cells happiness IS the first thing.
Ofler myself 10 her. No such great sacrifice on
my part Their. have known ami been iona
OF her since was in jackets and sent her val
ent1neS. My little wife / used to call her.
Strange If she Is TO be my little wife after all :"
Edgar T'reSiiilan did nO0 eat much breakfast
AFTER this disclosure; his thoughts were t5y
md iJ. rrr-I1 that
been enigmat1cdl to him was plain now, and
be would make Cecil happy, AID flirJ no more
with Olive. InyOluntarily. he signed as this
resolve passed through his mind. Olive was
very fascinating, though he did not believe IN
her as he did in Cecil, VINO was true to the
hearts core. He knew that Olive had not
very much heart; but she was Sd "takiny"
and always knew exactly what 70 do and say.
Cecil was little bit shy ana abrupt sona-
times, and would get huffed and say snao3,sh
things. Never mind. He had quite deer
mined. The first thing 10 be done was to see
Miss DenZil. and set the matter right with
her, and then he would so 70 Cecil. After alItt
was something to have a purpose In life He
was almost tired OF the endless round OF pleasure
that year after year had brought him The naxt
chair from his scarcely touched meal was no.
TO get at Olive without any one else being th re?
He was 10 nave met her, and Cecil, too, tlaJ
evening at Mrs AppletOn's; but he dare not put
ft on till then. The end OF his coGiIatio1 was
that he must call In Monteagle Square directly
and get minute with Olive somehow. Ell .ar
~
thought OF sparing Cecil pain, OF giving her
happiness, r0use1 him to resolution OF puro } se
The IateS were propittous to him that IN IN
Ing. The servant tod him that Mrs. De1:l
lad driven out with the young ladies': bat iii,
DenZil was having her singing lesson; AMI II
ne would sit down in the drawing room a IN d
ute, she would De df5eDgagel 81 Elyar Say o1
the sofa, feeling little bit nervous for ALA ~
the first time in his ljfc and I0okir very m II
some and With slight fiu5h On his face, "a i
Ieaned 0ack, tapping his boot With his cila
The folding doors were closed and from IN
back drawing room came the sound OF Cd
plano and the clear. brilliant bird ike notes #
the singer Edgar did not think OF the IN ls:-:
he was only impatient Tor It TO case Attt-'
Sfgnor Rossi took his leave: and The 10 ~
door swung PACK TO admit the entrance OF Mss
DenZil.
..You here. at this time Mr.. Treslluln,, she
cried with pretty surprised look, stepping TO-
ward and giving him her hand. 'Wnat very
important business brings You pray?" S1n5-
thing IN the young mans heightened color and
confused look struck her as she boxed Ia his
race; ner own color rose Slightiy-very slightly
Miss DenZtl generally kept her face 10 eX.aIll1t
control. she was a striking looking girl, tall
and slim, with an iy0Ty-whiIe ska and eyes
that seemed able to express anything at viii
Edgar noticed the faint, so.J color TINT rose
10 her face, and he felt thai he was getting on
dangerous ground. He saw that Ouve mis-
Interpreted his Grand: aui he stammare1 draei-
1ulty as he spoke, drawing Cecils letter frJn
his pocket.
Ill believe, Mss Denzl-you must have re-
ceiVed a note which puzzled you from-.rOn
my cousin Miss Maynard. tdi5 morning"
Prom Miss Maynard? From Cecil? IadeAi
have received no note She looked wonder
1ngly az him, completely at d loss: and he pau3eE
too. scarcely knowing what to do. IsVnlt
makes you think ] have heard from herr" sha
asked again.
At that moment, oddly enough, the po5.nlo's
rat-tat sounded. PERHAPS it vas deIlyei-per-
hapS t1a1 IS II, :" nuttered Edgar.
Olive looked more aud more SlrprISad-a faint
fro1n crossed her forehead. Had Edgar Trcs.l-
Han come 70 call Just TO ask her Ii she ID heard
from Cecil Maynard?
He hurried into an explanation, very yk-
waIdly. The fact iS-you VIII wonder what am |
driving at, Miss Denzll-I received letter from
Cecil which was intended for you. The enve- |
l0peS were wrongly directed. This Is the letter.
But 90 lot read 1t, please, till have said |
word or two"
The servant entered az this moment with a |
note, which he gave to Olive. Eyes, 1t Is from
Cecil, she said. 'Shall open it?'
Please do. You will md that 1t Is INTENDED |
Tor me. believe
Miss Denzil read aloud: 'Dear Eiyar-Mim-
INA daAed ne 10 SEND you line 70 say she viii |
AoI u aoie 10 go with US 70 Hampton as We |
IdIAtu OF doing on Thursday; so OF course it IA
oAt Vi tne question, as We have no other CHI Az
eIOh on hdnd- She wanted me also To ask Won
II you can persuade Mr.. Tres,llIan to conS +,
gunner WIN Us on Friday, as an American pen
lIeinan IS Coming with whom she thinl-S ba |
WOu!d De pleased She will be glad to sea Won |
700 that evening. Dinner az the usual tIn,s
Yours always truly . NJ 'AAI