Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-03-15

next to it Jack Burnett has been put Il
sleep because the house is full and h,
is only boy"
eyes; well?"
"Well, mamma told me | was tC
write the menus for to-morrow's din
ner, and rs intend to pass tomorrow
in the woods | thought would take
time by the forclock and do them to
night"
"And what has happened?"
"JnSt as | got half through them
heard an awful noise in the next room.
1t was Percy WiImot trying to wake
Jack Burnett, who was fast asleep
boys always do want so much slrcp. -
"And did he succeed?" asked Mrs.
Bulmer, half wearied.
81 should think he did, and what he
told him you would give your ear
"What was it? though, stop; one
ought not to listen"
81 didn't liSton-I heard. Bows
should be more careful; ii is their fault,
not mine, if secrets are revealed. This
one concerns you. A bet of $50 has
been laid about yOu tonight"
About me, Mimi? What do you
mear?n
"Why, Captain Mcrrick, whom |
rather meant to hirt with myself. has
taken bet with Major Ricketts, that he
will win you and distance Arthur Scy-
mour, your old friend, whom the Ma
Jor has a sort Of suspicion is in love
with you.n
Mrs. Bulmer started up from her
chair and catching on the arm of it as
though to steady herself turned very
pale.
"And Arthur-Mr. Saymour-does
he know anything OF thisP"
Not word. There would be no
fun ii he knew. Julia, you must not
betray me; you must keep Your own
counsel and act, not talk. Why, you
look quite frightened over it! Now, if
it were only me instead of you, what
sport it would be. would teach them
to lay wagers about me-"
81 wonder what you would do?"
qucrcd Mrs. Bulmer, with smile.
"Do! Why, would llirt with this
impertinent Captain Algy Mcrrick till
| drove him perfectly silly, and then |
would leave him Piunte Ii to pay bis
$50 and be laughed at by ali his
friends" "
"lt might be dangerous game.
Mimi, You yourself might have your
affections engaged"
"Julia! 1t cannot be possible that
you are in love with Captain Merrick?"
why Mimi, | never saw him in my
life till this evening"
"Of course not, how silly | am,
laughed Mimi. "Dear me, this is n
beginning to our shooting party. You
will 10 the thing thoroughly, won't you,
Julia?"
Mrs. Bulmcr could not help laughing
at the girls energy.
"Ill do the best | can-yes-but
there are reasons cannot explain which
make the position rather difficult. Il
thank you for warning me, however,;
you have done me greater service
than you even in.endcd.n
And then Mimi kissed her friend,
bade her rely on her assistance and
lence and crept very quietly up stairs
to her room.
She would perhaps have decided that
the hour when her assistance would be
acceptable was not So very far distant
had she seen Julia Bulmer sink down
once more into the chair by the win
dow and remain there for long time
motionless, lost in such deep, grave
thought as the contemplation OF no
mere country house wager could have
produced.
Next morning when the house party
met nj breakfast there was still a shadow |
on Mrs. Bulmer's brow, beautiful though
she looked in the dark mourning clothes |
which she had not yet wholly cast of, |
Mimi did not fail to notice it, and as
she passed her whispered, "Be brave;
| will help you"
Next Mrs. Bulmer was seated Algy |
Merrick. For few seconds Mrs. Bui. |
mer scarcely noticed him. She seemed |
absorbed by her own thoughts; but two |
or three flashing glances from Mimi
awoke her to recollection of what was
required of her, and she began to chat
very pleasantly with the guardsman.
She looked around the table and saw
amusement depicted on all the male
faces excepting Arthur's; he looked
graver and sterner than ever, and dur
ing the whole of the breakfast was
never heard to utter word.
The start for the woods was made,
the ladies from the windows watching
the shooters sally forth. Agly Merrick
stood till the last moment, leaning
against the porch talking to Julia.
"We will meet again at luncheon up
at Vidal's Bar" where there is a Druid
temple" he said, and then he lifted
his hat with grace on which he
prided himself and followed the rest of
the party, congratulating himself that
he had made so successful beginning,
and already decided in his own mind
that the widow and the wager were
won.
As for Arthur Seymour he did not
take the slightest notice of Mrs. Bul-
mer except when absolute politeness
it. Certainly there was
nothing in his behavior that betokened
a deep interest in the young widow,
and yet there was not one among all
that shooting party but felt intutively
that there was some magnetic power
hat linked these two together. In no
one was the instinct more fully devel-
,ped than in Mimi; she knew nothing
'f their antecedent acquaintance, yet
The could not help suspecting that
Arthur's cool indifference had a good
ieal to do with Julia's warmth of man /
Ter to Captain Merrick.
at is quite interesting" quoth Mimi
% herself, "almost as good as having n
owe affair of ones own. But don't
mean Algy Merrick to win his wager if |
can help it." {
So she started forth in search of /
Julia, and proceeded to tap her meta :
on the back.
go on dear; go on as you have =
'egun. Arthur wont be able to stand
very long. He is frightfully in love T,