The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-07-06
LADY R0DNEY'S PLAY.
From the Home journal.
II wish you wouldn't Dorothy"

Ponsonby. The way he stares at you
and fixes you with his eyes, is
enough to make man forget his man.
ners."
my dear Cyril, you can't be serious.
have never heard you 80 unreasonable
BEFORE"
'Unreasonable!m my dear girl! Conid-
ering we are to be married 80 soon, and
all that, really thought you would not
object to little advice from me-"
''Of course not. I'll like it, I shall al.
ways follow it. You know that"
"Butsurely, Dorothy, it can't be pleas
ure to go through rehearsals with that
lanky fellow?'
Well, you see, I am bound to act now.
This is the sixteenth, and the theatricals
come off on the nineteenth only three
days; and how could Lady Rodney pro.
,ide substitute in that time? And be-
sides, should like to-"
ooh, would you? That, Of course, SET
ties the question"
'Why, Cyril" exclaimed Miss Bohun,
II do believe yon are jealous!"
''Iam. 1t does not make man par
ticularly cheerful to know that the wo-
man he loves is to be the object of anoth-
er mans alteration for even an hour"
but, my dear Cyril, it is only farce"
"But; my dear Dorothy, I see no rea-
son why it might not terminate in trag-
edy."
Miss Bohun laughs.
Given that" she says, "would be bet-
terthan nothing. This place has grown
SO dull since the Stewards left, and those
men at Coote Hail."
"Lcok here, Dorothy, throw it up, )"
says Mr.. Disney, leaning over her chair,
and bending his head until his face is
very near hers, for my sake"
"Well, if you can bring me some fever
I'll take it; but don't see where you'll
get it for there's nothing of the sort in
the parish, and I'm convinced thatnoth-
ing else could save me from this thing"
"Ihen you are quite determined not
to give it up?" says Dinsey, coldly,
81 never was determined in my lie !"
says Miss Bohun, with some just indi9-
nation. 4 am remarkable for never
saying mo- to anybody. You yourself
have frequently told me that had the
sweetest nature in the world, and it is
quite too late to alter Lady Rodney's
arrangements now"
''No doubt you are right, as you al
ways are. Pm sorry can't be present
on the nineteenth, but it is impossible,
as I shall have business that shall detain
me about that time"
Every pressing business?"
"?es, very pressing business"
"As!" says Miss B0eun'
When Disney had been absent two
h l. 4
change
To have left Dorothy in the manner he
had seems to him now to have been
not only an unmanly, but q most un-
worthy action.
There is only one way out of It. He
will write to her, and humbly apologize
for his conduct.
The night passes YEARLY enough, and
the morning brings him no relief. He
is still indcscribably miserable, and sinks
INTO the belief that there is no balm in
Gillead for his uneasy spirit.
The next day he grows even more des-
perately, and finally decides that to-
morrow, come what may, he will-met-
aphorically speaking-throw himself at
her feet, and irnplore forgiveness.
How slowly the tain seems to move,
and how intolerable seems the delay at
ing he travels on his way to Brompley.
One half-hour more, and he is filling
the guards demands for the shattered
remains of the mutilated ticket, and
awakes to the fact that he has actually
arrived at his destination,
Hastily procuring his luggage and
engaging the first car convenient, he i'm
mediately proceeds to the hall. Arriving
there, he dismisses the man, and, giving
his luggage to the inestimab1e Williams.
he enters the house..
How good it seems to him
being back again, and how
small by this time have Dor
othy's sins grown in his eyes! After all,
how could she help it? He is sure she
hated having to do it: And how could
ING to play her part? And, besides, how
many women act in private theatricals,
and why shouldn't Dorothy, who is evi.
IDENTITY fitted by nature for that sort OF
sport? And when one comes to think OF
it. dispassionately, there are few things
$50 innocent as little tableaux and lit
tie drawing-room pieces, and that!
In fact when they are married, he
doesn't see why they shouldn't have
private theatricals once q month. The
green room at Kingsmore is Just the
place for a stage-footlights and drop
scenes, and so on.
He is getting positively enthusiastic
over the theatricals, which subject has
carried him as far as the drawing room
when it suddenly occurs to him thai
Miss Bohun is not there, as the man ha,
led him to suppose.
No doubt she is in the conservatory
which she SO much affects. He pauses
He thinks he will give her a pleasan
surprise, and, cautiously moving aside
the eo curtain, that he may not too 1udel]
break IN upon the reverie that is doubt
less filled with him, he gazes upon th.
little pertumed paradise beyond.
At first the light dazzles his eyes. HI
draws his bteath quickly. and then
what Is it he sees? In the distance
stands Dorothy-her features eloquent,
her eyes alight, her lips half parted, az
a smile fond and tender hovers round
them.
At her feet kneels Ponsonby, bis
hands tightly clasped, his whole attitude
betraying devotion the most intense
Even as Dinsey watches them, strick.
en- to the heart by this cruel picture
which he has 50 unwittingly intruded, q
passionate outbreak of words comes
from Ponsonby's llps.
Darimg, ne says, II appeal to you
TOR the last time and implore you to lis
ten to me! Do not, I beseech you, lei
the alteration ofanother"- (s'Thats me, y
Disney says, between his compressed
hps)-"bind you to the undying love !
otter! On you are centered allmy hopes
Of future happiness! Do not sentence
me to lifelong despair, but say you
will be mine!''
!. Disney waits with maddening impa-
hence and beating hea:'tfor her reply.
:, It comes very nervously from Doro-
thy's pretty lips.
Her bead is bent modestly, and her
hands lie passively in Ponsonbys.
"How can answer your" she saws. in
distinct but wayerine accents. and
yet why should I not unburden my
mind? Truth is always best. My heart
has long been in your keeping. and Il
you wish 1t, it is yours"
1t is too much! Sick at heart, Dinsev
turns away, not caring to listen to words
evidently not meant for him to hear.
The dreadfal awakening has comet Ali
his dreams of bliss have been shattered
hVy< III 4 En-