The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-12-21
sir?" returned Mrs. Dick,

QauSuully.
"I-I hope have not inconvenience
you by my absence?"
''It is of no consequence, replied the
little lady, Jelly. Then she turned to
Elinor, who was trifirg with spray Of
red leaves. Miss Paxton, allow me to
introduce to you my brother Robert.
Elinor's sweet eyes glanced once at the
handsome head of close cropped curls
which bent so low before her, and she
wondered much why Effie was SO short
with her very bonny brother, while she
mechanically murmured the words of
conventional greeting.
"Your flowers are fine, remarked Mrs.
Dick, distantly, breaking pause. May
1 ask whom they are intended for, Rob
erte"
Certainly Lieutenant st. Charles was
not in his sisters good grace when she
called him Robert. But he .bravely ex-
ecuted coup de main.
'For yourself, my dear Effie."
Mrs. Dick could not but thaw as she
received the fragrant burden.
Perfectly lovely! aren't they, Elinor?
Of course you haven't lost your dinner.
Bob. The cook had orders to keep a
dish or two hot. And, when you have
dined, come and join us in the arbor."
But it seemed as if Mrs. Dick was
right-the golden opportunity had been
lost; the happy first impression had not
been made. Robert was without his
usual gallant bearing in Miss Paxton's
presence, and Elinor was quietly civil.
Mrs. Dick was vexed beyond endur-
ance. What made Bob so stupid, and
Nelly so Indifferent? It wasn't in the
nature of things for handsome young
man and beautiful girl to be never the
least bit agreeable to each other for q
whole week. But il was all Bob's fault,
she declared to her husband, who
laughed at the misfortunes of her match
making.
And at last Etinor's visit came to an
end. Mrs. Dick was too vexed with Bob
to ask him to drive to the station with
her guest. She went herself, and when
she came back, she fell to reproducing
her brother.
81 don't see why you didd't like Mel
ly, Bob. l never knew man before
who didn't. You can't have very good
TASTE"
Bob, smoking on the verandah, re-
ceived her remarks with provoking calm
ness.
"You wouldn't have all masculine
creation at swords point about Miss Pax
ton, would you?" he said. 1T is wise
dispensation of Providence, think, that
tastes differ"
"But you might have cut out the
others if you had tried, Bob; know you
might! But after your first neglect
Nelly was quite interested in you until
then-she appeared to be perfectly in
different. And I'm sure you didn't try
to make her otherwise. l never knew
you so stupid" and Mrs. Dick retired
from the scene of action, leaving her
brother to the coming moonlight and his
cigar.
Now, though Mrs. Dick quarreled so
seriously with her handsome brother he
was the apple of her eye. and all might
have been forgiven, if not forgotten, if
events had not subsequently transpirec
to break her heart anew.
Bob, immaculate IN Sunday morning
costume, few days later, firted from
his breast handkerchief of perfumed
cambria, and blue ribbon dropped to
the door.
The air with which he bent and re-
stored to its hiding-place would have re-
vealed the truth had not the ribbon
been so Enthusiastically feminine in char
acter.
Mrs. Dick caught her breath. Not
only had Bob failed to fall in love with
Elinor Paxton, but had actually fallen
in love with another woman
Though this was too much for Mrs.
Dick to bear without demonstration,
and though she said nothing to her
brother, she related the whole story of
Bob's vile behavior to her husband, who,
however, only laugf ed at her, and Mrs.
Dick was forced to make confident of
Elinor herself.
She wrote her the whole account of
her hopes and plans; her secret wishes
and bitter disappointments, and des-
patched the letter forthwith to Elinor's
city residence.
But Elinor was apparently too busy at
the beginning of the season to write
reply. No response came. But it was
a greet relief to Mrs. Dick to be sure
that Nelly knew and sympathized with
her.
She bore her grief in silence, even
when she became aware that Bob re-
ceived the dantiest Of letters every
week.
If the little lady had not. with all
her faults, been the soul of honor, she
might have read them, for she actually
saw them, tied with q satin ribbon, in
the top drawer OF Bob's dressing case.
Poor little Mrs. Dick! she actually lost
do&h and color Ahia diaanr,oinkmenk vas