Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-09

so late that traffic had quite ceased. Tit
last omnibus had, hours ago, rumblec
some belated foot passenger, or &
smoothly-running brougham returning
from some similar party, disturbed the
quietness of the ght. That, and the
sounds of music from the ballroom; the
melancholy wailing SchmuchtsroH tone
of some German waltz, rising and fall
ing in measured cadences, and waited
TO them by fits and starts. Margaret
excited by her thoughts, and uncon.
sciOusly by the music and the dancing
as well, walked along, humming the
air. At last she said, almost abruptly
"How do you like Miss Percival, Mr.
Biddulph? / think she is charming"
$50 do l." he replied; II wonder
never noticed her before"
This is promising" was Margaret.
thought; while Biddulph mentally
wondered why on earth Miss Percival'l
name should be dragged into the con
versation. He wanted to speak o.
something quite different, if only ht
could see his chance; but talking o.
Miss Percival gave him no chance. i
must be confessed that Maurice Bid
dulph.was more than half p fop; he baC
studied Margaret so long with the de
sire that she should fall in love with
him, that he was too ready to take any
sign at all for a sign of that which he
desired. And then, he cared for her
not as much as for himself, naturally
il was not his unselfishness that cared
for her, but his vanity and his love o.
distinction. Those two qualities had
made the conquest of the incOrrieible
young heiress an object of great impor.
lance TO him. Yet Mr.. Pierce had read
him Alright when he had said: MAR
garet has a mind, you know, and Bid
dulph hasn't"
Yes, / wonder you never perceived
before how charming she is. But per.
haps now you will become better &C.
quainted with her."
las how?'
"Well, does not your estate at Beck.
bridge adioin minea have heard so. -
Yes, it does. What then?"
81 heard that you were going to stay
("Whdt." he asked himself, "can that
have TO do with Miss Percival?" And
aloud)
THAT depends entirely on circum.
stances, Miss harrington. / may 90. OIL
i may not. 1t requires an attraction to
draw me there"
"YOu have often said, Mr.. Biddulph,
that you wanted some occupation, and
that you would like me to give You
/ some"
(Tbis ,,-os t,-,,o A. pill,,1l IL
/ frequently humored Miss Barringtoa's
admiration for the active and practical
ly minded man, by confessions of that
nature.)
Would it draw you there, if I said
wanted you to go to oblige me?" she
asked. incautiously, and almost before
the answer came repented her.
by George! Margaret. yes"
Wild with herself for having thus com.
mitted herself, she asked, coldly.
"What do you mean?'
"What do you mean?" retorted Bid.
dulph, perceiving in moment that he
had gone too far. Yet, might he not
turn the mistake to advantagep Wa,
he not cleverer than this reckless girl,
who said the most riSque things with
out needing how her words hit OF
missed9 He saw that she was annoyed
with herself, and. summoning all his
''cleverness" to his aid. he resolved upon
a stroke of policy which should bind
/ her TO. at least, ''think of him." as the
curious saying goes. He said, com.
/ posedlv:
81 think, if you will permit me to say
so, that we should have an explanation.
On both sides it would be better"
"Oh, no! 1t can only be disagreed.
BILE, said Margaret, in her fatally soft
and gentle voice. Evidently, she re-
| quired only little management. which
surely man of the world should be
able TO compass. She had not been two
years out of school!
I'm afraid must insist. You have
said things to me tonight, and ut other
times, which you must explain"
''But if can not?"
81 am sure you can. Listen, Miss
harrington, and try to forget that ]
called you Margaret Just now, as
will try to forget that you provoked me
into doing it.
Il never meant"
81 do not know what you meant. ]
know what you said and what l feel.
For instance, that question about goino
to Beckbridge-itwas curious question
to put to man."
1T was, very. l see it now. II
did not mean anything. At least, Twas
thinking of something else.''
something else than what?" he
asked. throwing a little judicious stern.
ness into his tone-a sternness which
seemed to have its effect, for Margaret
averted her face and answered with q
voice which was decidedly not steady:
Il can not answer such a question"
did you think that my presence al
the Hall would make the Abbey a little
less dull for you?" he asked, bending q
little nearer to her. 1t would not be
wise to make her cry. Her face was
still averted, and where they sat it was
as nearly dark as possible. The before.
named Chinese lanterns were at the
front of the house, and they only saw a
faint reflection of their light.
elmo. that was not what / was
thinking" answered Margaret. still
TREMENDOUSLY. Mr.. Biddulph was SC
clever that it would not easily occur &c
him that any one could be laughing al
him-and then that voice-so soft and
sweet
There is one thing, and only one
which would reconcile me to going tc
Beckbridge for permanency," said
he. land that would be if you, Mar.
garet, would 60 with me there, as my
wife. and its mistress?"
There was "a pause. A sob rose in
Margaret's throat; she felt half hys.
terical. 1t is too bad to try and en-.
trap me thus" she thought. "As foi
caring for meP not he. I do not care
what say now"
And she answered. turning round,
and lSoking at him.
That is quite impossible, Mr.. Bid.
dulph."
So decided was the voice; so grave and
so self-pOssessed. that he began to fee,
at most disagreeable disadvantage.
Impossible! Why? Am l SO ex.
ceedlngly distasteful to you that, under
Cirpf1nagt apnaG -