The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-11

| self walks I'M ana Wnen ne mas shaken
hands all round, Chris, who shows great
want of tact, blunders most terribly.
UEverythng has gone wrong, jasper
George won't be Elaine; and so the whole
thing has to be altered"
Sir Jasper knits his brows for a second,
and then speaks.
"Can you find substitute for Lanceloti
Then nm sure Miss Delacourt will not OBJ
ject to the Lily Maid"
He looks straight at her as he speaks, a
keen penetrating look; and George an.
swers with some spirit
at makes no difference who Lancelot
is; think Elaine Il stupid hackeyed sub
ject. Cannot we have something else,
Oliver"
s.No; it is utterly impossible to make any
alterations now. DO be reasonable, Geor-
giew
CAPTAIN Delacourt has set his heart up.
on this tableau; for it is to have the double
attraction of another picture in the second
scene, in which Elaine appears in the fore
ground, dreaming of Lancelot, and weav-
ing sweet fancies as her loving hand Gu
resses his shield, while behind second
gauze appears in the dim distance Lance
lot the brave, bending low before Glinc-
| we're.
George sees that it will be in bad taste
to hold out any longer, and so gives in with
q good grace; and the work goes on smooth
ly.
Suitable costumes present great diff
Guilty. And everybody more or less dis
plays his or her ignorance or knowledge
by the various opinions expressed on the
subject. Books are consulted, pictures ca
gerly appealed to. and, will little inge-
nuty, the difficulties vanish
al must not forget the oldtrunk at Car
stairs" say. "Suppose 20, all come up
tomorrow morning and seaTh for itp
We are merry party day after day at
Ripley, discussing the arrangements, stage
properties, footlights, and all the et-cGte-
ras necessary to make the ta,leau per-
feet success, Occasionally George and Sir
Jasper have q war of words; but other
wise perfect harmony exists.
Bee is quite well again. and Regy and
Isabel are in an advanced state Of conva-
lescence. Humphreys hundred pounds is
to be devoted to month at the seaside in
the summer; and after that, when the sea-
breezes have blown away all chances OF in
lection, Bee and Lena will pay their long,
promised visit
We have great fun at Carstairs, search
ing for the box
"Mrs. Steele, am going to have lunch
eon-party, so please have everything very
nice"
know need say no more; and so my
housekeeping is easy work. arrange the
flowers, and give few finishing touches
to Bernards preparations at the table;
and cannot help thinking that there IS
some comfort in being rich mans wife.
"Madge how do you manage every
thing so niccly" Mrs. Delacourt says
And answer cheerfully-
ooh, leave everything to Mrs. Steele"
We are very merry party at luncheon,
my first entertainment without Humphrey.
There is little laughing confusion about
places, and Captain Delacourt takes my
husbands vacant place at the foot OF the
table.
"Shall carve this beef, Mrs. Carstairs!"
he asks, looking with smile down the Ia
BILE. 81 am usurping Carstairs' post.
Sir Jasper sits at my left hand, and
George next him. She tried to get to the
other side of the table, beside of Mrs. Del
acourt, but Chris was already seated there,
and she was obliged to take the chair of.
fered by Sir Jasper However, as we all
have tableau on the brain, there is plenty
of conversation. Various rehearsals are in
contemplation, but Chris objects to this.
.Better have the whole thing impromp-
tn. am sure | shall feel like having my
photograph taken; and once goodness
knows, will be enough"
Chris turns his handsome face from one
TO the other, with such an air Of comical
perplexity that we all laugh.
"Don't laugh, Mrs, Carstairs," he says.
"'Pon my honor, am in earnest! know
l shall feel an awful fool and If try the
task before, shall never have the cour.
age to go through it again."
"You have only to stand STILL" Sir JAS
per remarks-"to stand still and not to
laugh You can manage that, Christ"
81 don't know" Chris answers ruefully.
81 hate being looked at"
"Then you are the first of your sex that
ever hated anything of the kindv' laughs
George.
"That is not business" Captain Della
court breaks in. "Chris, never fear, the
Blake girls will admire you to your hearts
content. Jasper, how about those lightsW
And so the discussion goes on. Mrs. Del
acourt gives smiling assent to every
thing; and / think Give might burn Rip
ley down If he liked,
After luncheon, we invade the house.
keepers room; and Mrs. Steele gives me
an enormous bunch of keys.
"You will find the box in the lumber"
room at the end Of the corridor, ma'sm,"
she says; "and strange collection 1t is
, court dresses and the like"
"This is exciting" Captain Delacourt
remarks. "Let me carry the keys, Mrs.
Csrstairs."
: "No," cay, laughing. 81 will open
Blue Boards box myself
, Gathering my long dress over my arm,
, hasten up stairs, and the others follow.
Sir Jasper comes up leisurely. l do not
} think he could hurry himself to save his
| life, for at all times he preserves the same
3 dignity of demeanor Now he comes stalk
ing slowly down the passage, and arrives
0 ut the room designated the lumber-room to
}, lind us all more or less on our knees round
; great black trunk, which might, from its
| size and ancient appearance, be supposed
to bear considerable resemblance to the
. chest in the "Mstletoe Bough."
5 The lock defes our united efforts for a
long time, but Chris succeeds in turning
i. the key at last, and the treasures are dis