Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-06
payne. found herself much perturbed in

pdHUc. IOuIlu ucISel1 much pcTtuTDcu III
mind as to an accident which almost
happened. :. Margaret's health was
drank; MIR. Pierce got up and made q
little speech-a better speech than Mar
garet had expected, in which he care
fully suppressed all mention of the
trouble she had given him, and spoke
only of her good points. Margaret felt
grateful. 1t was now that Mrs. Pierce
suddenly remembered that she had
forgotten" to arrange for some one to
reply to this speech, but after being a
moment disconnected, she thought she
saw her way to an interesting develop
ment OF the situation, and teiegraphed
to MIR. Biddulph to make the reply. He
would willingly have risen to the occa-
sion, but Margaret, suddenly becoming
aware of what was being agitated, said,
composedly:
..No, Mr.. Biddulph do not trouble
yourself Tom and have arranged it
all, and he has got beautiful speech
off by heart and is going to deliver it
now .----.-...------.-.--.--.--
And, indeed. to Biddulph's extreme
annoyance, and Mrs. PIerce's horror,
Master Tom was perceived on his legs,
glIbiy repeating an Grafton which was
at least amusing, and at the end of
which, winking visibly at Margaret,
who was utterly unprepared for his tax
ing the peroration into his own hands,
he announced that his father had for
gotten just one thing in his speech, and
that was, to request the company, on
filling their glasses, to rise and give:
For She s a Jolly good fellow, that no.
body can deny" Il assure you, ladies
and gentlemen, that l know it from
experience to be true" he added, sol
EMMY; land now, having exhausted
the subject, I will resume my seat"
which he did, amidst loud and prolonged
cheering. <.e.r.. s-e-a. e.s -
Supper over, Margaret found herself,
she hardly knew how, arm-in-a arm with
Mr.. Biddulph in the large, marble
paved hall, near the open door. Mrs.
Pierce usually devoted her conservatory
to loungers and fiirters, and it was full
of them now. But Mr.. Biddulph had
no desire to form one of that crowd; at
least it would seem not, for he said to
Margaret:
shall we go into the garden? It's
dehciously warm-as warm as June.
See! If put this little shawl over your
shoulders"
-.Yes, that is good idea," said Mar
garet, dreamily, as they stepped out OF
the house into the garden, Which was
partially illuminated by some Chinese
lanterns, and they wandered to another
side of the building, where there was
short terrace of well-rolled, dry gravel,
affording a solitary promenade. The
air was, as he had said, balmy. The
co.,
close to the great thoroughfare, it was
SO late that traffic had quite ceased. The
last omnibus had, hours ago, rumbled
past. Nothing but, now and then,
some belated foot passenger, or a
smoothly-running brougham returning
from some similar party, disturbed the
quietness CT the night. That, and the
sounds of music from the ballroom; the
melancholy wailing scltnluchtsroU 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 uneon-
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? I think she is charming
$50 do l." he replied; "Iwonder I
never noticed her before ,.-...
This is promising" was Margaret's
thought; while Biddulph mentally
wondered why on earth Miss PerciyaPs
name should be dragged into the con-
versation. He wanted to speak of
something quite different, if only he
could see his chance; but talking of
Miss Percival gave him no chance. It
must be confessed that Maurice Bid
dulphsswas more than half fop; he had
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;
it was not his unselfishness that cared
for her, but his vanity and his love of
distinction. Those two qualities had
made the conquest of the incorrieible
young heiress an object of great impor-
tance to him. Yet Mr.. Pierce had read
him Alright when he had said: "Mar-
garet has mind, you know, and Bid
dulph hasn't"
Eyes, 1 wonder you never perceived
before how charming she is. But per-
haps now you will become better ac-
quainted with her."
LAS how?"
"Well, does not your estate at Beck
bridge adjoin mineP have heard so."
Eyes, it does. What then?"
Il heard that you were going to stay
there"
("What," he asked himself, scan that
have to do with Miss Percival?" And
aloud:)
"That depends entirely on circum-
stances, Miss Darlington. I may go, or
I may not. 1t rsquirestanzattraction 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.'
(This was true. MIR. Biddulph had
hundred Miss Barrington's
for the active and practical
~ minded man, by confessions of that
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