Litchfield enquirer., 1881-07-21

stWhat does it mean?'' she cried, thinking it might have something to do with-with-
 ''It is to say your father is dead" Mrs. St George replied, an ashen hue overhanging her face.
 'And you will write ?"
 ssAt o.Ice," she said, in 8 trembling voice. elf he has reented things. may be very differ ent for us."
 Two days passed by, and no reply came. Dorothy was wildly curious, fretfully impa- tient and, when on the second morning the postman passed the house, intensely disap- pointed.
 "I believe it is hoax" she cried.
 But it was not so. Toward noon an imper- ative knock resounded through the house, and the woman who had gone every day to help since Dorothy's illness ushered into the tiny sitting-room small grave gentleman, clad in black, and with an irreproachable white neckcloth.
 Mrs. St. George2" he said, with grave bow.
 "Yes," she answered, rather faintly. 'Are you"
 My name is Lucas. May ask if this is your daughter?"
 .That is Miss St. George" she answered haughtily; the words 'your daughter" rath CT angered her.
 ''Pardon me, ' said the little old gentleman politely, ''this lady," taking Dorothy's hand and leading her a step forward, lis the Coun- tess of Beaurivage. You are now the Coun- tess !Cowager," at which theatrically told piece of news, Dorothy burst out laughing and her mother sat down and quietly faint away.
 Not only had great honor come upon them, but also great wealth. The lately deceased Earl had managed, shortly before his death, to pick violent quarrel with the heir pre- sumptive, and to annoy him had left will giving an exact account of his marriage and what had taken place since, and leaving every farthing he possessed to hls daughter; his wife he left unnotced, but then, as Dorothy said, it didn't much matter And so the sail- ing of the Crocodile passed apparently out of mind.
 The romantic story of the Earl of Beauri- vage's marriage and the succession of the beautiful young girl to the title was, natural ly enough, waited into all the papers, Those containing it were handed on board the Greco dile at Malta and read almost simultaneously by the two men who had known Dorothy St. George most intimately in her days of poverty.
 ''Think what you've missed, Sinclair" drawled Montagu. "Who would have thought of little St. George turning out to Countess in her own right? By love, it almost equals a novel l"
 "I suppose you'll find it almost worth while to go back and marry her now ?" said Jack bitterly. ..
 "Pooh! Not 1! I amused myself with her; but as for marrying" He did not finish the sentence, for Jack flew at him like tiger and flung him head foremost down the companion ladder. whence MT. Bryan Montagu was picked up extensively bruised. and very careful to give Jack as wide birth as was compatible with the capabilities of the ship.
 ''Curse you !" Jack shouted after him. "I don't believe she would have you at any price l" And yet It puzzled him to guess why Dorothy had acted as she did
 One week the regiment remained, after landing, at place called DeOlase and when they went forward to Unapore, they marched without Mr. Bryan Montagu, who returned to England by the next steamer. He had seen enough of India during these seven days, he said but Jack Sinclair always felt, with a thrill of satisfaction, that he had something to do with his return. He had not forgotten the time, not far distant, when Bryan Monta- gu had talked of the delights of India with what was nothing short of rapture.