The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-04

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during which Horace rather awkwardly took
a seat at Lydia's side on an ottoman ana
cazed at the carpet Mr.. Freake was not
altogether stupid, but even wits often become
rather dull when they are meditating an i'm
mediate proposal; and the situation is so try
ing to almost every man who finds himself
in 1t, that it amply excuses the exhibition OF
a little uneasiness and nervousness. Mr..
Frenke certainly was nervous, but he soon
recovered himself.
"Your father is at the meeting, / suppose.
Don't you feel it very dull all by yourself
here, Miss LirripipT
o mol | have been singing; and all day
/ have been painting"
But dull, l mean, without society," know
that l do, and / have much more society, |
suspect, than you have. Unless l go out, the
evenings, l find, pass very slowly. l cannot
get the excitement Of work, for, Of course,
one can't paint by artificial light; and If
try to read 1 generally so to sleep over my
book"
Il think that you must be difficult to
please, Mr.. Freake. You have a lovely studio,
and you ought always 10 be able TO amuse
yourself among such beautiful things as you
have in your house"
"Nci ! don't think that l am difficult to
please, Miss Lirripip, for l know exactly
what l want. Tn fnct is that a bachelors
existence is not suited for a man OF my feel
ings and sympathies. live wrapped up in
my se~lfshness, and feel my heart growing
colder and colder every day. l have beauti-
full things in my house, but they don't satisfy
me. 1 want living beauty-something which
| may really care for and do f~or-something
which shall make my life complete. And
it WINS to talk to you about this, Miss Lir-
ripip, that l came to zee you this evening"
Lydia experienced a curious sensation
which she had never felt before.
you know, 1 suppose, Miss Lirripip," he
continued, what l mean. You know that
since l first saw you, three or four years ago,
l have loved you" And Horace took Lydia's
unwilling hand. "Can YOU he went on,
learn to love met VIII you be my"
Observation-Disclosures There was n knock
at the front door, and Lydia was greatly re-
Heved.
"Is somebody coming upr' asked Horace
anxiously. "Oh, l so much want to tell you
all. Say you are not in. Send them away.
But let me stay. Promise to let me stay.p
a voice, evidently Mr.. Merton Murley's,
was now audible from below, the drawing
room windows being open and the voice
being loud.
1T is Mr.. Murley." said Lydia. al expect
that he only wants me TO give some message
for him to my father. He will not detain me.
But II | let you stay, you must not talk any
more as you have been talking, Mr.. Freake.n
At this moment there were footsteps on the
staircase, and Horace, without another word,
He'd incontinently into the back drawing
room and rapidly drew the curtains behind
him so as TO conceal himself from the new
conner, who Immediately afterward was an
nounced.
Mr.. Murley was not so nervous as Mr..
Freake had been upon his first appearance.
He shook hands with Lydia in IN easy and
light-hearted manner, paid her an airy com
pliment, seated himself comfortably opposite
her, and, without many preliminaries,
revealed the object Of his visit. 81 know
that your father is odt, Miss Lirripip," no
said, 'and l may as well confess at once that
| have deliberately taken advantage of his
absence to come and sec you upon a subject
which nearly concerns my happiness. 1
should have spoken about 1t last night but
that l could not command your attention
save for n few minutes at n time. Now, how
ever, we are safe from interruption"
But, Mr.. Murley," said Lydia, sit would
be so much better II you would call when my
father is in"
'oh, that is not important, my dear Miss
Lirripip. 1t is a subject that may be settled
by you alone.n
"Please, Mr.. Murley, do not tell mo about
it now" pleaded Lydia "The windows are
open, you know, and there are ~servants about
tho house and
Observation-Disclosures
This time Horace, as well as Lydia, was
greatly relieved; but Mr.. Murley was furi.
Gus. Let me see you tomorrow he said,
hastily.
"Ycsl mol NOR returned Miss Lirripip.
thankful for any opportunity Of getting rid
OF him. 'Good.by, Mr.. Murley, good-byr"
And the same servant who showed up Sir
P~ertinax Popinjay showed down Mr.. Merton
Murley, who glared ut the baronet with a
look which spoke volumes.
my dear Lydia, - said Sir Pertinax as he
offered both his hands to Miss Lirripip; ''you
were really charming last night. l never saw
such a perfect sylph in my life, and many
people agreed with me. You were tho belle
OF the room. There is no doubt about it."
"Tm sure it is very good Of you, Sir PERTH
max, to say so" returned Lydia. But l
thought that the countess herself
"Oh, the countessl Sho and you cannot DO
mentioned together, my dear. Every ono
said so. And beside, the countess of course
Is married. She has met her fate. Ha, hal
But you-you are still-my lear Miss Lydia,
| may be a fool, but, upon my honor, I have
come here this evening with tho determined
intention of asking you whether you will
have me. You know / worship the very
ground you stand on" And, to Lydia's great
CONSERVATION, the old gentleman, ere she
could prevent him, calamity knelt at her
feet. and took her hand, with the evident in
ton Of pressing it to his lips.
"Do get up, please, Sir PertinaN y said Miss
Lirripip, forgetting for n moment that Hor-
ace Freake was within hearing, but anxious
that the baronet should not make himself I'M.
necessarily ridiculous even to her. "You
can talk just as we'll IL you sit down; but
really you mustn't talk in that way. Idon't
want to DO married; indeed, | don't. You
know l like you very much, but 1 could not
possibly marry you"
Sir Pertinax rose with dignity and cooked
rather disappointed. ~ had hoped, Lydia,
that you liked me we'll enough even for a
husband. What you say, however, may not
be final, because nothing can alter my regard
for you, aud perhaps in the future you may
think better OF me.h
Il could not think better Of you than l do
returned Miss Lirripip feelingly, land you dc
not know how sorry l am that this has hap
pened. We can never again DO tho Same to
each other. l am so sorry
Sir PertinaS began to feel sorry too, for,
up to that evening, he and Lydia had Away:
been like unclo and niece, and in an uneasy
way, he turned the conversation into another
channel. But he could not for long carry /,
un, and in less than n quarter Of an hour lie
said good-bv, like a sensible man rs be wa
In spite Of his weakness, and departed
No sooner had he quilted the room thar
Horace emerged from his hiding place
Lydia blushed to remember all that he In,
overheard hut he did not allude TO it. Lydia,
he continued, almost as II nothing had hap
pened to disturb him, III love you truly, an
with all my heart viii you, can you, lear
to love me, for your love alone will make m
completely haPPyr'
ID not ass me" replied Lydia, who wa