The Portland daily press., 1880-10-04

course?'
''When do YOU start?" he asks slowly, as
he thinks of the opportunity thus afforded
him of smoothing the difficulty he has SO
long dreaded.
Tomorrow, think"
''That is rather short notice to get all
ones kit ready, as 1 have come up quicker
than my servants who won't be here for a
day or two. But will JON you at Fagoo."
"Gladys, dearr' cries Lady Oatleigh.
turning in her saddle. II forgot how late it
is, must ride ON and get Puck to give
him his evening run. Don't hurry; will
walk on and meet you with him. and she
carries off her husband The other two
men, not sorry for an excuse, lift their hats
and leave the pair, whose understanding is
very evident, to follow at their leisure.
Meeting Mrs. Blanque on her way home
one of them, with the true instinct of the
babbler, pulls up and as he bows says,
You will meet Dolly Manners coming up
the hill with the lovely Gladys. None of us
outsiders, evidently have chance now,"
and canters on.
He little knew how great a kindness he
had done her, or it would have been LEFT
unSaid. Had she come npon them sudden
ly, without warning, passionate and Jealous
as she was, she could not have bowed with
that serene composure to the girl whom she
recognized on the instant as her successful
rival, or with tthe quick glance of concen-
trated feeling which stold him anew what
| he would haue to encounter ere he could
hope for peace.
| As he follows Gladys past her jampan he
| stoops for an instant and says, ''To-morrow
| night at ten.'
He is strangely silent, she thinks, as they
ride homewards, and with reason, for all
hat he has so Ion feared has sprung no be-
fore him in fir, sh and startling significance,
of rbp Of
voking the anger of such woman as she
with whom he has but nov made that as
signation. Yet it was his only hope of
| escape from the tolls wich youth, inexperi-
Fence, weakness, vanity and generous, un-
selfish nature had combined to work around
him wh!lr he basked in the beauty of one
who, for the first time had lost in the game
| she had played so often.
The heart that had long ago gone out of
Gladys keeping has never prompted dis
loyal thought of him. 1t was enough to be
| near and see him often. Yet noW while
| they ride side by side, as much alone as if
| the world contained no others, she cannot
| help the question rising almost to her lips,
why is he, has he been so long sient?''
Ii looks, words, manner mean anything,
surely he is hers. Yet he has never told
her SO.
For the first time in their knowledge they
feel it would be a relief to see their sister as
she had promised. Aud yet something tells
him he should not lose this opportunity of
speech.
"Gladys!' at last he says, but in a tone so
strangely unlike his own that she turns, half
startled, to see if he is in pain. ''It NAV be
that shall not again have such a chance of
talking to you before you leave tomorrow
had intended waiting yet a little longer.
| that might speak so frankly as would to
| God l might have done year ago. But
| something uncomfortable compels me to
| speak now. even though I cannot tell you
all that have waited SO long to tell you.
| You know love your
| Poor Gladys, unprepared for this almost
| solemn development of his protracted 81
| lence, bows afirmativey, while her eyes
| look lovingly and inquiringly into his.
lie continues, II aave known loved vou
| darling, from the moment 1 felt 1 had led
| you into the jaws of death when you rode
| so hard upon me into that pit from which
we so marvellously escaped How long be-
fore, cannot say. Why, ere this, l have
been unable to plead for happiness from YOU
could only tell you after had returned to
India. Fate brought you here, and now l
hope that when We meet at Fagoo may
| show you that if l have been too long
| tongue-tied it mas been from cause not al
together to my blame. Do you believe and
| trust me?"
with my life, my love, my llr' she cries
lmpulsively, and he leans across and takes
her hand and carries it to his, lips in pas
sionate caress.
AT the club, next night, Colonel Tattler
and Major Pry are dining together, rather
| late, before going to the ball of the Simla
season, the masquerade at the chiefs.
''Deuced odd thing. Pry! The Oatleighs
would go Off this morning to the interior
Nothing would induce them to Stay for it -
"Ah, Manners is wiser! He knows
where the fun is to be found. Ha, ha!
| hap
"My dear fellowi you are altogether mis-
| taken. l know for fact that he is engaged
to oatleigh's sister, only he has gambled so
desperately that her people will not allow
the marriage to come off until his estates
| are clear.''
"Really; Tattler! wonder your informa-
ton is no better. Now, l know it as posi-
tive fact that she came out here because
the devotion of certain parsonage was too
marked for the happiness of several peo-
ple.''
"Pry! Have you lost your memory, your
common sense? In the first place you can
not have forgotten that escldndre the season
before last when Mrs. Blanque flung herself
at Manners's head, and the row there was
when her husband appeared on the scene,
unexpectedly, as he always does.''
Zone would think, Tattler hadn't been
at Simla off and on for the last tive-and-
twenty years! Allow me to correct you.
II any young fellow was ever bowled over
by matron sufficiently old to be-well, his
elder sister, it was Dolly Manners
"Nonsensel I have it Oh the best author
lty that he did not care rap for her. OF
course he was flattered by her evident pref
erence, and all that sort of thing, for she
was, bar none, the handsomest woman out
till these fresh English girls turned every-
thing upside down. But l know-vou'Il
swear this will go no further?-I had it from
my bearer, who was told by her own ayah,
SO there can be no question about it-well.
one night she repeated the last episode of
Don Juan, only young Manners escorted the
would-be duchess back to her own house on
the instant, applied for and got leave to go
home next day."
''Yes. But not before she went again to
his house and vowed that if he dared to
marry while he was in England, she would
denounce him tC her husband as having be-
trayed him."
What. you know the story, then, Pry?''
Sufficiently well. / wonder if that has
tied his tongue all this time and if he means
business with that lovely girl? | was rid
ing with her yesterday when he came up.
and finding very quickly that was de trop,
rode Off. As luck would have it l met his
older inamorata a little while after, and she
must have seen them together. | hope not
in tender situation for all their sakes.''
by Jove, no! or there would be the dev-
il to pay! AS it is, Manners will need all he
knows to steer clear of the difficulties before
heavens! Here's Blanque himself, and my
bearer told me not an hour ago that Dolly is
to be with Mrs. B this eveningr'
"Ah! you ancient gossips. Here you are
again! AT the old game-I bet. Whose
miserable reputation are you tearing into
further tatters?''
"On my honor-nobody's We were talk
ing of that splendid shot you made at the IT,
ger last hot weather when was with you in
the Teria. When did yoI come up?''
''This moment l got month, and
thought l would look in at the fancy ball to
night unbeknown. So I'll dine here and
just go down to my wifes house to dress
after she has gone. May join your table?
And We'll have some 'Simpkin.''
''Oh, Lordn' thinks the perspiring Pry, as
he sees the imDendinu catastronha vithout