The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-07-21

to any mischief, as usual. We must enjoy
these Christmas holidays, in spite of the
snow" s8
CHAPTER v.
On the day following, being the day be-
fore Christmas Eve, Hereward is invited to
dine with the Countess. The Doctor and
the German lady are also invited, as he dis
covers by the non-appearance of the din
her paraphernalia i'll the little dining-room
when he passes through it on his return from
walk through the snow,' at about four
o'clock.
He is not very much excited by the pros
pect of this state dinner. He sits with his
book over >the library iretin the twilight
puts stop to his reading, and then he re-
mains with the closed volume ON his knee,
and stares into the red hot Goals. There is
a pleasant odor of burning wood in the room.
the freight dances on the long rows of books,
on the heavy folds of the curtnins sweeping
from gilt cornice to floor, on the tiger skin
with its glass eyes which does duty for a rug.
Hereward does not feel lonely 1T Kingscourt
vet he is good deal alone. sHe works as
hard as ever ut at his own stndies, for he has
kent his resolution, of not allowing any vain
regret to spoil the purpose Of his life. He is
not going to throw UP the sponge to fate
just yet!
ton up to this date. She breakfasted in
I.a.iy Giadyss morning room, she and Lady
Gladys together. Her journey had made her
head ache-Eot much, but enough to form
IN excuse for a teto-a-tetc breakfast with her
f,icnl, lie Las neard her voice, however.
L. !. :ot like Lady Gladys's voice, or that of
| .llc Countess it is loader and merrier, and
has who!c-hearted ring in it good to hear
She played Baanlir!on I'll the afternoon
| Notwithstanding her headache-with EVE
:il,, Lord Hcriot in TIE long corridor at the
back Of the hall. But Mr.. Cartwright's ar
rival at three o'clock Lad put Q stop to the
same. lie never played Ealmintcn, and he
IS right. His figure is too eiephantine to ap-
pear to advantage in conjunction with racket
aad shittlecock.
| Hareward, sitting alone in the dim old
library, feels Just little desolate this even
ing, he hardly knows why. Blu: probably
because he cannot help thinking of this very
| day last year, when he had first spoken of love
to Netiie Blount, when he had for the first time
| in his life spoken of loye at ALL He remem-
pors SO well tie Old dining room at the par
sonage where he and Nettie had spent so
| many hours together decorating the Christ
mas-tree ior the school children. He re-
members the very odor of the little red and
Wiiltc and bite wax candles he affixed to the
branches OF the fir ct the cost of SO many
! pin-pricis, he remembers how she tiirted
with him-for she did firt with him. It is
| proof that the glamour is clearing away from
| his mental vision to find him allowing SO
| much as that she did fiirt with him most out
Ia I'll, l. ~. =
might never have made such fool of him
| self if she had let him alone. The most des-
| pcTate lover will come to that conclusion
| sooner or later.
The dressing bell finds him still immersed
in reyerie, and it is not very willingly that
| he SO far conforms himself to sublunary
things as to go upstairs and don the sombre
swa1low-tail coat and white tie which his soul
abhors, and in which he looks remarkably
well, nevertheless.
lie delays so long-nOt from nervousness
! most assuredly-that he is only Just in time
to take the lady allotted to him in to dinner.
She is no other than Lady Gladys Palliser
The little Doctor has the honor of giving his
| arm to the Countess, Lord Heriot is assigned
to Miss Middleton !; and Lady Gladys touches
Herewards sleeve with the tip of her white
| glove, and walks beside him across the grea:
hall, with a very straight neck
There IS glare of light in the dining-room
which for moment almost dazzles him,
freight and waxlight, and glittering reflec-
tons from glass and silver and shining da-
mask. Fruit and cut flowers adorn the table
In frosty spergnos, purple grapes and dull red
chrysantheiaus glowing among the silver fern
leaves. Miss Middleton sits opposite on Lord
Heriots right hand, her cheeks rs pale, her
hair as smooth as if she had not played Bad
minton all the afternoon. She wears O
straw-colored silk, with point lace rufles
round the open corsagc and loose hanging
sleeves-none of the ladies ore in full even
ing dress. Hereward meets the glance of
those laughing dark eyes very often, though
she is speaking to Lord Heriot all the time.
He never meets it without thinking of his
! friend !; but Miss Middleton does not know
that Lady Gladys Hereward cannot see,
without turning his head, and he does not
turn his head She appears to be occupied
in listening to some remarks the Countess
addresses to Doctor Jones from time to time
remarks about Christmas doles Of flannel
and beef and coal to be distributed among
the poorer tenants ca the estata. Lord
Heri0e draws HseswAEd into converla1ioA q
much - hs can, Mn Middleton listening
whsn II spsa1U with N in1bseak ~ onRhI
to hvs 1aetettd hm ~ AicA Npn11 1nts 1ak-
t:ssds ~ l'..l saAps = IA :! - = = y
sIflAs dfln1as Il Is Hti,s diaai1 90. ;a ap-
pesss4 lpe. dane tet 49, -.
.s-ss-f: = = -.