The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-11-25

Nor was he yet to reach the presence of
his lady-love without encountering an
| enemy.
Pinch seemed impressed with the
idea that he was fulfilling the whole
duty Of good dog by lying upon the
steps leading up to the front door,
blinking in the sun, with one ear cooked
up to listen for intruders. Pinch had
taken great aversion to the Honorable
Mr.. FancOurt; and now, as soon as he
saw him, he sprang up snarling and
showing his teeth. Sarah stood with
the open door in her hand, ready to ad-
NIT the visitor. 7.1@-
BE quiet, Pinch," she said-"lie
down, SIR"
But Pinch found it necessary to give
vent to his feelings by making an mag
mary onslaught on the Honorable Mr..
FancOurt's boots as he went up the
steps.
such BRUTE" said that gentleman to
Sarah, as he entered the passage.
I'VE don't consider him a snappish
dog in the general way, SIR" returned
Sarah, who rather sympathized with
Pinch's feelings, not liking gentlefolk
WIZ blCdtVu otl NdIllo do III tllty were
dirt" as she confded to Martha.
"The Honorable Mr.. Fancourt," she
announced, throwing open the draw
ing-ro0m door before he had time to
reply.
Mrs. Dalton's reception was cordial.
She met him with outstretched hand.
II am so glad to see you," she said.
ut is quite an unexpected pleasure. |
thought you had gone off to the moors
probably, and forgotten all about your
friends here"
There are some not easy to forget"
Fancourt responded, with a glance at
Lena.
Lena was languid, and rather cool.
AS she had told her mother, she knew
perfectly well what she was about, and
how to regulate the thermometer of her
manner.
Fancourt took seat near Mrs. Dal-
ton, and opposite to Lena. The CONVEX
sation turned on ordinary topics-the
close of the exhibitions and the opera,
the different places of autumn resort;
and Mrs. Dalton's plans for the ensuil g
months were inquired into.
ave shall be Lord Alphington's
neighbOrs for time. said Mrs, Dalton.
I'm the course of September we are
going to spend month at the Larches,
with our old friends Sir Stephen and
Lady Langley"
"Oh-1aii-Sxartly," Fancourt STAN
mered, as his countenance fell. "Rath-
er slow down there, isn't it? Can't YOU
manage to 90 to Scarborough, or Trou-
vile, or somewhere where there's
something going on? There's deuced
good fun at some of those French wat
ering-places, I've heard. thought Of
taking a run over; but shan't care for
going unless you are going too-'pon my
honor, l shan't.n
You are complimentary" said Mrs.
Dalton, smiling benignly. "But an old
woman mustn't take such fine speeches
to herself where there is young one in
the way"
"Ah, well-no, it isn't likely" allowed
FancOurt, his bold eyes fixed upon
Lena, who could scarcely conceal her
disgust.
"And you men Of the world are such
deceivers, Mrs. Dalton resumed, play
fully. There's no knowing when you
mean what you say"
ut isn't so in this quarter, by Jove."
Fancourt exclaimed. You don't think
so-now do you, Miss Daton?'
"How should know" Lena parted.
81 dare say you're all much alike"
| "You shouldn't say that-'pon my
| honor you shouldn't t." said Fancourt,
| beginning to feel, as he always did UNI
der the immediate influence Of Lena's
beauty, that he could not wait longer
without securing her for his own.
Conversation tagged. as it usually did
when Fancourt was present--he himself
would have declared that he never had
anything to say to women. Mrs. Dalton
| thought that he had sat staring at Lena
quite long enough.
"By the way she said, as II sud-
den thought had struck her, IF Mr..
Fancourt will excuse me will take ad-
vantage of this fine afternoon to look
| in on Mrs. Barton. Talking Of old age
reminded me of her"
"Shall 60 with you, mammal Lena
asked, feeling as if she dreaded what
she had just before been plotting to OBJ
tain.
"Oh, no, my love, thanks. Mrs. Bar
ton is so very deaf that it's really of no
use for more than one to 90 at time"
said Mrs. Dalton. by by she added,
playfully, kissing the tips of her fingers
to Fanc0urt. Stay and take care of
Lena till come back
Mrs. Dalton left the room as she
spoke, and Fancourt found himself for
| the first time alone with the object Of
his passion. He had scarcely arranged
| for making any definite proposal imme-
diately, though he had at that moment
q gift in his pocket which he intended
to present by way Of assuring himself
how the land lay.
At first he had hoped to persuade
Lena to agree to secret engagement,
| If not to secret marriage: but lie soon
found that lie must give up any such
idea. There was certain dignity about
her that kept him in check, just as Lena
| intended it should. Nor could he fiat
ter himself that he had excited any such
| feeling in her breast as would induce
her to make a sacrifice for his sake. He
perceived, as plainly as if Lena had put
| it into words, that, If he desired to win
her, it must be openly-that she would
condescend to nothing less than an ac-
knowledged position. This conviction
| forced upon him, had cost him many
anxious days and sleepless nights; but
now, as he found himself alone with
her, as he sat opposite to her gazing at
her beauty, he was carried away by his
passion. OF self-restraint lie knew
nothing; he told himself that he would
not c0uld not hear to leave his fate