The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-09-16

enjoy the sport while it lasted; and among
them little Miss Dering, though still i'll the
schoolroom, came to be acknowledged as the
beauty, and found herself to be the object
of a great deal of attention.
| Her mother and the Captain were secretly
gratiiied by this success, looking upon it
as preliminary canter before the great
race for which Floss was shortly to be en-
| tered; and the little thing was allowed to
chatter and coquette in her childish fashion
unchecked, save by the reproachful glances
OF her lover, whose eyes wistfully followed
the little beauty through all her arch vapar-
les. These glances, sad and stern as they
were, interfered very little with the young
lady's enjoyment.
She even took Humphrey to task about
them, saying that, if he wished her mother
to suspect and send her away to boarding
school, she, Floss, would talk to him and no
'one else: but, if, on the other hand, he
wished their secret to remain in their own
keeping, he must do as she did, and pretend
to be very much amused by every girl he
met
Humphrey could not deny the precocious
wisdom of the advice, hard as he found it to
follow; and he might have gone back in
few days to his chambers, as he had often
done before, to work for and dream of his
willful little love and to look forward bravely
to the remote prospect of their marriage.
but for an accident which happened on the
last day of his stay at Wintersloe
Miss Floss, who had been in wild spirits
all day, and who was looking more like Dres-
den china than ever in her costume of violet
velvet and chinchilla-all her delicate tints
being deepened and her pale yellow locks
blown about by the wind-was skating
across the pond in capricious avoidance of
poor Humphreys melancholy face, when
she tripped upon the half-buried roots of a
pollard-willow, and fell, striking her head
against the ice and cutting her forehead
somewhat severely.
In an instant the girl was surrounded by
q crowd of eager young men; but Humphrey
Lamont, who had flown to his darhng's as
sistance, thrust them all aside, muttering
imprecations on their audaucity, and him.
self lifted the little fainting figure in his,
big arms, calling on his sweetheart by
every fond name in his lovers vocabulary
and trying to warm her into life against his
breast
In few moments Mrs. Dering and hsr
brother were on the spot, followed by Lord
Oldentowers, who seeing that Humphrey
had lost all control over himself, contrived
to disperse the wondering crowd that had
collected, and to get people out of hearing
of the poor fellows rawlings, while old Doc
tor Long, who had been watching his chad
ren's feats on the ice, prepared to examine
the extent of Miss Dering's injury.
Even then Humphrey held his darlsngs
hand jealousy in his, and would not ba put
aside.
IF you please, Doctor Long," said the
little widow quietly, II think we will take
Floss to my brougham at once, and I will
ask you to drive home with us and attend to
her there"
''No one shall carry her but me :" cried
Humphrey fercely, as Captain Rxagleigh
was about to lift his little niece in his arms.
The Captain would have declined the SER
vices so rudely offered, when glance from
his sister checked him.
One look at Humphreys disturbed and
stricken face had been sufficient to enlighten
Clarissa Dering as to the cause of his Incl
Witty. 1t would not do to have scandal,
she thought r.., .,,idly; it would not do to Of
fend the Wintersloe people.
eff you will be SO kind, Mr.. Lamont ~
she said then very gently-''you are stronger
than Rex; and he will 60 and see that the
carriage is ready for u.s."
And, seeing that Mrs. Dsring took the
matter so calmly, people who had been tell
ing each other that Humphrey Lamont
must have lost his senses now concluded
that it was ''all right" and that, as neigh
Dor and an intimate friend, it was only nat
ural he should be allowed to perform the re-
quisite service for poor little Miss Dering
MY darling, it is 1 I!"whispered the lover
in the unlistening ear that lay upon his
breast. "Oh, Floss, speak one word to me,
before they take you from me for ever.
And so poor little Floss was driven homes
and Doctor Long pronounced the wound On
her temple slight one, but ordered the
young lady to be kept free FROM all excite
ment.
Meanwhile poor old Humphrey was pac-
ing the tiny foxer-scented drawing-rooln
at Gable End like sorle Gagged animal, and
to him presently there entered the widow,
who In wounded accents demanded an ex-
planation of the scene on the ice, which
had SO narrowly escaped compromising her
daughter
Humphrey found it rather a relief than
otherwise to be compelled to confess the
truth. He know, of course, that it meant
absolute separation thenceforth between
him and his little idol; but concsalment and
speeches with double meanings and secret
meetings were intensely distasteful to him,
and he was glad to be done with them at
all hazards.
Mrs. Dering listened to his confession
with commendable patience and in an artis-
tic attitude expressive of mingled dignity
and sorrow; and, when the poor fellows
blundering statement of hopes and fears
and regrets was at an end, the little widow
said, between smile and sigh, that foolish
as Floss had been, she at least had the ex-
cuse of extreme youth for her folly.
''Of course, Mr.. Lamont, you will SEQ
that the thing is quite-quite impossible"
she added gently, ''Even if Floss, poor
darling, were of an age to be thinking of