Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-09-14

social scale, and as yet without sue
cess. Still she was Sc good summer,
to quote her masters words, "and as
steady and as honest girl as any this
side the water"
Presently, as the fingers OF the clock
were marking eleven, and she was calcu-
lating that in another hour she would
have finished her days work, a little in
terest intruded itself into the dreary
round of pewter-flling. Two gentle
men, fashionable, good-looking, and in
evening dress, had entered the room,
and become the centre of attraction. A
swallow-t tailed coat is phenomenon in
the Blackfriars Road. They had come
for the fun of the thing. One of them
had in some way fallen in with the
American proprietor. who never missed
a chance of extending his custom, es-
pecially upward. Of course they called
for something to drink, and, being Young
and Oxonians, they, equally of course,
made for the Hebe who presided over
the beer engine. But like the smaller
| fry, they received little encouragement:
and Bunbury, not caring that his repu-
tation for gallantry should suffer in his
| friends eyes, soon moved off to find
other amusement. But Preston, who.
though far from saint, neither was nor
pretended to be roue, found consider
| able amusement in drawing out her
scornful replies. He was thus engaged,
and was scanning her more closely, when
his eye was caught by gold pencil case
hanging conspicuously at her waist. He
wondered for moment why it seemed
SO familiar to him, then suddenly recog-
nized it as former possession of his
own. It flashed across him how and
when he had parted with it. $50 you
are Hester Leonard, he said, coolly, and
enjoyed her flush and start of surprise.
Then he told her who he was, and how
he had known her again, and laughingly
reclaimed his gift. With something of
the shy pleasure of the child she recog-
nized her boy hero.
He was delighted to see her, and freely
told her so; the ice was broken, and It
was almost as if two old friends had met.
He told her, with his boyish frankness,
of all that he had done, and was doing.
and OF his Oxford Life; and he quite for
got to reassume his old Irritation man
ners, which now might have met with
more success. Presently Car Bunbury
came back in state of great boredom,
by no means well satisfied with the fun
OF the thing Preston introduced him to
Hester, told of the accident, and how
! they became acquainted. But Car, after
| taking off his hat like an emperor, and
saying few polite but naughty nothings,
did not seem much interested; he leaned
against the bar, and thought apparently
of nothing, while the other two talked.
| Only he stroked his moustache, which in
many men is sign of meditation. Be
fore they left-and they stopped until
the house closed-Preston announced
his Intention of coming again when he
was next in town. Hester appeared by
no means displeased. SO they went
both of them together, as old Homer
puts it OF his heroes. He did more than
keep his word, as was natural; for, hap
pening to be, which was a rare thing.
on that side of the water q fortnight
later, he looked in, innocently enough,
| to while away half-hour in the bar
parlor. But there was no Hester there!
A strange girl, all fringe and ribbons,
regretfully referred him to the landlord,
by whom he found himself very coolly
received.
6 L guess you've come after the new
one" said the man, grimly; and with
| great difficulty, and only by the exercise
OF unwonted patience, could Preston
persuad that he was really ignorant
what was the matter. At length he
learnede that the gentleman who had
come every day, had been always
hanging about the bar, talking to the
girl. And just three days before Hester
Leonard had gone off with him. "She'll
have repented it before now" said the
landlord gloomily; and his nearer, as he
cursed his own familiar friend whom he
had trusted, knew that the man spoke
the truth. There was nothing to be
done. He could cut Bunbury, but for
anything else 1t was not his business:
and who was he, to talk? And. again.
he had never seen the girl but twice.
He shrugged his shoulders with an at
tempt at cynicism as he left the house
and tried to shake off his regret. Yet
the rocking greasy streets through which
he has to pass had never looked so
squalid and wretched as now. He slid a
few coins into the hands of the miserable
beings that, dirty and cold and wet.
oAou LII OAo oHoIter VI the Df1Qge.
and hurried on to the more familiar
parts. There are times when a mans
eyes are open for moment to see life
from different point of view. And he
gave shiveling backward glance as he
turned into the well-lighted hall of his
club, and his friends thought him
strangely unsociable that evening. But
it passed away; the velvets, not the rags.
were for him.
CHAPTER LII.