Nebraska advertiser., 1882-06-29


| slances.r
"Awkwardness Is not charming" returned
| Pauline; land a shy man Is hardly better than
| a rude one. However, | will give him another
chance tomorrow; but II he is not nicer at
breakfast aud luncheon than he has shown
himself at dinner, | will have nothing more to
do with him. He is not the only husband TO
be had In the world, ! suppose; and am but
eighteen after all, and just as good looking
as other girls. Good nilht, dear mamma"
And with parting kiss and a satisfied glance
In the mirror, Pauline passed light-hear ed to
her chamber.
But next day things wore no better an
aspect, aud mademoiselle's second denouncia-
tion OF her intended spouce was unequivocal
and decisive. Hugh, on his par, saw reason
70 congratulate himself on the course he had
adopted, and he quilted The smokng-room at
midnight he had accepted friends Invitation
to leave Shireton Manor on the morrow for
congenial joys elsewhere.
"Certanly,n said this recacitrant young
man, as he eXtingulshed his candle, 81 have
ac ed wisely In getting out OF this business. |
should have been miserable for life II had
given In. What monstrous thing IL 10 In
this century Tor mans relatives TO take on
themselves the disposal OF his liberty in such
an outrageous way as this Pauline 10 the
las girl In the world to suit me- W tn her prim
aiIectation Of coyness aud her ridiculous air
air OF petite REIN. i believe she has not an
Idea In her mind-thesc French-bred young
women never have-aud sho doesn't know how
TO be natural and sociabe and sympat .etic
Whenever my time does come 10 turn Bene-
dick, my wife shall be Just as unlike mademoi-
selle ma colsiHe as po sible.n
SO there was an end OF this most excellent
ma ch, TO he Infinite disgust, vexation and
dismay OF the intriguing parties. Hugh com
municatei TO his grandfather In respectful
terms, but with firm expressions, his absolute
repuRnance o he proposed alliance, and his
unaltcrable resolution undergo the worst
thai might happen rather than submit TO It.
And Pauline declared with immense fervor
that rather than perform her share in The con-
ract she would be cut TO pieces or buried
alive. In the face OF such obstacles no more
could be done, and af or sundry futile re-
proaches aud aments the family scheme was
abandoned. Hugh was admitted to be free
man, and Madame Lestrange began TO turn
her thoughts to the pursuit OF some other
eligible part
But The cousins, however widely separated
from ma rimonial point OF view, were cous-
ins still, and the unavoidable failure Of mutu.
ally cherished hopes could not be permitted to
elect an estrangement between the two
branches OF he family. Early in the spring
Pauline andher mother reappeared in London,
and thither also came her only brother JACQUES
but recently emanclpated from the bonds OF
Alma Mater. Now Jacques was the chosen
particular friend OF his cousin Hugh, aud
although, being the younger man, he had en-
tered the Un versity later, they had during
more than year been fellows udents at the
same Hall, and inseparable allies In all the
pursuits and interests OF college life. There
fore, Immediately on his arrival I'm town
jacques sought out his cousin, and within
half an hour of their meeting, the Younger
Lestrange was In possession OF the details of
the family Vaccinations and the flasco conse.
quent thereupon.
Il heard something about the affair from
home," said jacques, but In such a vague way
that could make nothing of 1t. However,
we need not trouble ourselves about the thing
now, and suppose you won't let It make any
difference TO you. Are you going to Lady
Leigh's on Thursdayf'
Upon my wOrd,n answered Hugh, medita-
lively ~ don't know. | was going, but hear
Pauline and your mother win be there, aud
that seems awkward, doesn't it'll"
my good fellow, you don't mean TO say you
are going TO cut us on account of this unto
ward Atari You will have everybody pos-
sipng about the thing II you behave so
| rldculousy, and you may injure Pauline's
| chances In way you don't think Of Why
| should people know there has been anything
contemplated be ween youl All sorts OF tales
| Will be told, hundred times worse, every one
OF them, than the truth; and nobody need
guess ANYTHING at all IL only you conduct
| yourself nationally and In natural manner
And really cannot see why you should dis
like meeting Pauline. There has been no
| regular quarrel between you, no lifting or
Il
simple mutual dissent from certain views
entertained for you by older people who ought
| TO have been wiser, Besides, It all happened
four months ago, and he entire scheme has
been dropped. Were you, would rot only
go TO Lady Leigh's ball, but | would dance
with Pauline, just to show friendliness and
disposition to put things back on the old
footing"
This discussion ended as Jacques wished
Hugh promised not to absent himself from the
hl nIln itaata h A.
was one OF the first balls of the season, and
was well attended. Pauline seemed to be q
great success and danced unweariedly. But
shortly after supper, as Hugh, having handed
his last partner to her seat, stoo idle a
moment by Il doorway, his surprise was great
at being lightly tapped on the arm by Pauline's
ian and hearing her say, as though echoing
her brothers advice:
| when are you going to ask me to dance,
cousin ituguesf have just this waltz free II
| you like" Then in lower tones: "Do not
| seem To avoid me; there Is no need for us to
| be strangers to each other on account of what
has occurred. People will notice it, mamma
says"
| What could Hugh dol Impossible to re-
iuSe' ana besides, whether he danced with her
now or not mattered nothing; their engage.
ment had been formally null led, and no at
tenu ms he might pay her could be msinter-
preted After all, too she was handsome
! GIRL and supper able enough as mere cou sin.
"A cousin may De 10 Grated and even danced
with very agreeably, provided one is not ex-
pected to make her ones companion for life
| so Hugh resolved to be pleasant. Perhaos
! Indeed. poor girl, he owed her some amends
for his part In the recent failure Of the family
| plot; at any rate, they stood now in no false
light together, and there was therefore no
reason for observing constrant or reserve In
his manner toward her. And so the next
minute the young mans arm was round Pau
lines waist, aud the pair were whirlng to-
gether amicably down the room.
Ihey paused at length by a conservatory,
and Hugh found his partner seat beneath a
tall tree fern.
graciousy. did they teach you that In
ParisW
She answered pleasantly, with a manner so
unaffected an u smile so bright, that Hugh