The daily gazette., 1883-11-16
On the River.
rThs ArSOsr.l

.so vane Is at HIS old tricks againi II
a, that girls father or brother should
inclined to express my opinion Of his
,,es pretty stionRlyV
f,1 ,T. hat Miss Elliott! / have noticed
80 her side more than half the evening
ri may Judge from the .ady's ex-
Inn. his attentions are not otherwise
,, acceptable"
5nI,ndldly handsome girl, isn't shel
Fn Hargieaves, the new beauty, is not .
po,ea upon her in my opinion"
..tIandsome enough-for those who ad-
leo that style--great Eastern eyes and
r.ier u.s something softer and more femin-
aso apparently did Vane yesterday morn
rg He was sitting in the park under Mrs.
Falrsx's parasol for over an hour and g
sIf How proud girl like Blanche
ot eau stand such open rivalry passes
Dr eomprehension.p
aNrs. Fairfax The widow OF Jack Fair
oY Of the Artillery"
- Even so Nina Forester, that was. You
ms. remember her, Graname-a pretty
ltle Iair.haIred thing, who looks as II a
png Of wind would blow her away. She is
w6llly we'll of--Jack took care OF that,
bS1r Old chapl And really she looks hard
more than child still, though she has q
Iule girl, us pretty as herself, over Eve
Fears old"
y 1And she is flirting with young vane, you
ayP
England. Her villa at Twiekenham Is a
b.radsc for that kind of amusement.
Hoping lawn down 10 the river-boat al
avs sready--strawbc berries and cream--snd q
rctty little hostess so charmed to sec you if
Eou run down for o breath of fresh air on u
Iot afternoon. She has been up in town
IBIS week, staying with her brother, but
rs TO 20 home yesterday"
During this last speechC Colonel Grahame's
tcnton has apparently been chiefly be-
bowed upon Miss Elliott and the counte-
anCe of the man who Is so assidiously bend
ng over her.
Ills very od-looking iace-a face
which one of Sir Reginald Vane's og-loving
trends has sometimes lIkened to a Gordon
liter, With darS, lustrous eyes and delicate
oalt-and If there are weak lines marring
he mouth and chin, they are concealed by
be black, silky mustache and beard which
lover both. He is q popular man, especially
ri;b women, who easily learn TO csll him
.klyg'c," and smile over the rather free.
bdcasy compliments which have charm
.U LltlI Ohu NhNh hbbCtNA IA AhaN NV
al murmur. In fact, o drawing room pet
b The nineteenth century such as ono meets
With here and there In the course of every
season
or very different type is Leslie Ora
haze, the man who, standing In the door
wsy, lls been listening to the careless re-
marks Of Gossipping acquaintance. OF
Scottish descent, and with the rugged cast
hi features common to that nation, he
Blght, except for bis commanding height,
Dass unnoticed IN the crowd assembled at
Lady llctherington's At Home. But prob
|sbi5, on an Aldershot tield-day, spectator
would pick out the cavalry officer who sit s
Ou Liz horse 80 galantly (though three fn-
gtl5 Of Lis bridle-hand are gone, and he is
lain to wind the chargers reins round his
vH.D as an object of curiosity.
For do not other medals, beside those so
lately won In Egypt, decorate his breast;
had is there not some tale of heroism and
tsnger, almost unparalleled in modern
eunas, connected with the Cross earned at
'undi
Blanche Elliot, keen-witted In reading
tcuatenances, has singled him out this even
lg and appeals to Vane with halfcon-
Ci1us laugh.
PRAY, who Is that stern-looklng man
eauug against the door He appears to
hike an interest in me-this is the second
time have caught him gazing this way"
ia that SO remarkablel / should have
bought the occurrence too frequent and
tatural to attract your attention-although
is rather wonderful Tor Colonel Grahame
Ocondescend to notice any one. His head
: Usually in the clouds"
"He looks out of place here-and feels IT,
Bee, he is 'sloplng of, as you say. Gra-
hsme-l remember the name-a V. C., Is he
l0tw
"Just SO. A great hero In his way, but
lc. very amusing companion In ordinary
lle, only know him by sight, however.
But tell me once more: when and where
am 10 see you againl"
Miss Elliot is playing with her fan, and
c1nlriyes with II to hide the color that for a
moment overspreads her face at this ques-
ton.
As she remains silent she repeats 1t more
eagerly.
you know my hours--I always ride in
the evening during this hot weather-six to
eight shall probably do SO tomorrow"
TO morrow !" Yane's handsome face
betrays evident disturbance. "I am afraid
shall be out OF town. Very proyOking-an
Old engagement with q relation"
why stoop TO prevarication, Sir Regi
uaid" Blanche has risen now and her dark
eyes are flashing. "You are your own mas.
ter See, mamma Is beckoning to me. Good
night. You will find II pleasant on the river
tomorrow" And with this parting shot
She Is gone, leaving Vane looking decidedly
ioolish, and what is worse, unpleasantly con-
'cous that he is looking so.
"By George !" he soliloquizes, as he lights
scigar during his midnight walk to his
club. "How savage she can look when she
plcases Yet don't know but that l ad-
Hire her all the more-a fare-up shows of
those magnificent eyes, and the very fact Of
jealousy betrays an interest in my move.
nents Still the widow is decidedly pretty
and have been down on my luck lately
aud sadly need a windfall. And really be-
leVc she Is is foLd of me, dear little SOUL
And Sir Reginald Vane's reflections, no'
leading him to any satisfactory conclusion
lle lext afternoon finds HIN at Waterloo
tAklng return ticket TO Twickenham.
Five minutes walk from the latter station
brings him to a charming little villa, will
green lawn sloping down to the river; whit
tom beneath weeping ash, dainty lIttl'
a9ure emerging from the depths OF a chais'
Qngue, comes with hand extended to mee
hin.
In her cool white summer dIaperies, anC
with tue fllckering sunbeams lighting up he
great childish blue eyes and waves Of pail
gold hair, Mrs. Fairfax is as pleasant an OBJ
ltct On blazing July day as any mans ey
could wish to rest upon. SO Reggie Van
thinks, as, with sigh and murmur of salts
lalion, he sinks into seat by her side, take
oil his hat, and helps himself uniDyite'
nom the fragrant pile Of Strawberries In tn