Morris tribune., 1882-08-31

choose one, and SO mako the other very uu.
happy-you wouldn't find 1t an easy thing tc
do, would your"
''Then you can't blame me. A'@ ~
81 don't blame you, Nellie, :. he answered, at
tacking great purple toadstool with his stick.
81 think that you are quite right to be sure OF
your own mind. 1t seems to me-" he contin-
ued, speaking rather gaspily, but saying his
mind like true English gentleman that he
was-'it seems to me that Hawthorne is an ex-
csllent fellow. He has seen more of this
world than have, and always does and says
the right thing in the right place, which GER
tainly Is not one of my characteristlcs Then
he is we'll born and has good prospects, ]
think should be very grateful to you for your
hesitation, Nell, and look upon it as sign of
your good-heartedness."
eve won't talk of it any more" said /, think
ing in my heart what very much finer fellow
here, my jacket is all stained with horridlfungi
and things We'd better go after the rest Of
the party, hadn't we? wonder where they are
by this time!"
1t was couple of days after the picnic that
our great Derby sweepstakes was to come off.
This was an annual ceremony never omitted al
Hatherley house, where between visitors and
neighbors, there were generally quite as many
candidates for tickets as there were horses
entered.
''The sweepstakes, ladies and gentlemen,
comes off tonight" said BIO Bob in his character
ten shillings Second gets quarter Of the pool,
and third has his money returned. No one is
allowed to have more than one ticket, or to sell
his ticket after drawing it The drawing will
be at seven thirty" All Of which Bob deliv-
cred in very pompous and official voice,
though the effect was rather impaired bv a
sonorous ssAmen!' from Mr.. Nicholas Cronin.
must now drop the personal style of nara
tive for time. Hitherto my little story has
consisted simply in series of extracts from
my own private journal; but now have to tell
of a scene which only came to my ears after
many months.
Lieut. Hawthorne, or Jack, as I cannot help
calling him, had been very quiet since the day
OF the picnic, and given himself up to revery
Now, as luck would have it, Mr.. Solomon Bar
ker sauntered into the smoking room after
luncheon on the day of the sweepstakes. and
found the lieutenant putting moodily in solitary
grandeur upon one of the settees Itwouid
have seemed cowardly to retreat, so the stu
dent sat down in silence, and began turning
over the pages of the Graphic Both the rivals
felt the situation to be an awkward one. They
had been in the habit of studiously avoiding
each others society, and now they found them
selves thrown together suddenly, with no third
person to act as buffer The silence began
to be oppressive The lieutenant yawned and
coughed with over-acted nonchalance, while
honest Sol felt very hot and uncomfortable,
and continued to stare gloomily at the paper in
his hand. The ticking of the clock, and the
clicking of the billiard balls across the passage
seemed to grow unendurably loud and monot-
onous. Sol glanced across once; but catching
his companions eye in an exactly similar &C
ton, the two young men seemed simultane-
ously to take deep and all-absorbing interest
in the pattern of the cornice.
"Why should quarrel with him?" Thought
To al 7 10
but fair play. Probably I shall be snubbed;
but may as we'll give him an opening"
Soils cigar had gone out: the opportunity was
too good to be neglected.
=, ''Could you oblige me with a fusee, lieuten-
anti" he asked
The lieutenant was sorry-extremely sorry
but he was not in possession of fusee.
This was a bad beginning Chilly politeness
was even more repulsing than absolute rude
ness. But MIR. Solomon Barker, like many
other shy men, was audacity itself when the
ice had once been broken. He would have no
more chickering's or misunderstanding. Now
was the time to come to some definite arrange
ment He pulled his armchair across the
room. and planted himself in front of the as
tonished soldier.
You're in love with Miss Nelly Montague -
he remarked.
Jack sprang off the settee with as much
rapidity as if Farmer Browns bull were COM
ing in through the window.
"And If l am, SIR" he said, twisting his
tawny moustache, "what the devil is that to
you?"
''Don't lose your temper" said SOL ssSit
down again, and talk the matter over like a
reasonable Christian. am in love with her
too"
''What the deuce is the fellow driving at?''
thought Jack, as he resumed his seat, still sim
mering after his recent explosion.
ESQ the long and the short of it is that we
are both in love with her," continued Sol, en-
phasizng his remarks with his bony fore
finger.
n"What then?" said the lieutenat, showing
some symptoms of a relapse 81 suppose
that the best man will win, and that the youn e
lady is quite able to choose for herself You
don't expect me to stand out of the race just
because you happen to want the prize, do
your"
''That's inst it,'' cried Sol s'One of US will
have to stand out You've hit the right idea
there. You see, Nelly-Miss Montague, I
mean-is, as far as I can see, rather fonder
of you than of me, but still fond enough of
me not to wish to grieve me by positive re-
fusal
Honesty compels me to state" said Jack in
a more conciiatorv voice than he had made
use of hitherto, ''that Nelly-Miss Montague,
mean-is rather fonder of you than of me +;
but still, as you say, fond enough of me
not to prefer my rival openly in my pres
ence.n =
II don't think you're right" said the stu
dent, Sin fact, know you are not: for she told
me as much with her own lips. However, what
you say makes it easier for rs to come to an
understanding 1t is quite evident that as long
as we show ourselves to be equally fond of he-,
neither of us can have the slightest hope OF
winning her."
''There:s some sense in that" said the lieu
tenant, refectively; ''but what do you pro-
pose?"
"Ipropose that one of us stand out to use
your own expression. There is no alterna-
tive"
''But who is to stand out?" asked Jack
''Ah, that is the question"
Il can claim to have known her longest"
can claim to have loved her first"
Matters seemed to have come to a deadlock.
Neither OF the young men was in the least in
clined to abdicate in favor of his rival
Look here, said the student, s'let us decide
the matter by LOTT
This seemed fair, and was agreed to by both
A new difficulty arose, however. Both Of them
felt sentimental objections toward risking their
angel upon such paltry chance as the turn of
crisis that an inspiration came upon Lieut.
Hawthorne.
''Pll tell you how we will decide it." he said.
"You and are both entered for our Derby
sweepstakes. If your horse beats mine, give
up my chance; if mine beats yours, you leave
Miss Montague forever. Is it a bargain?'
II have only one stipulation to make" said
Sol 1T is ten days yet before the race will
be run. During that time neither of US must
attempt to take an unfair advantage of the
other. We shall both agree not to press our
suit until the matter is decided"
s'Donei" said the soldier.
"Donel" said Solomon.
And they shook hands upon the agreement.
l had, as have already observed, no knowl-
edge of the conversation which had taken place
between my suitors may mention incident
ally that during the course of it was in the
library, listening to Tennyson, read aloud in
the deep musical voice of Mr. Nicholas Gro
min. observed, however, in the evening,
that these two young men seemed re-
markably. excited about their horses, and