The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-11-27
THANKS TO The FOG.

i ''Come over TO- England to setu
down, old MANI" inquired Val Forres
ter, as he lit another cigarette, an,
lounging back in his comfortable arm
chair, looked contemplatively up at tn
ceiling. 49,. -.
A conscious smile lowered around tn
yellow tips of Captain Vivian's nous
taches. swell, I don't know" he sal,
slowly. ''Mean to take look roun,
and see what is going on"
"Whatever you do, eschew goot
looks. Pleasant enough, I'll allow, i
you could keep them for your own con
sumption; but an intolerable nuisance
as you can't blind your friends"
''Hump! A plain face opposite t,
you day after day would be deuced I'M
pleasant"
Eyes, but beauty is thedevil. Poo,
Cornwall never got over it, when hi
wife had once become the fashion. Sh,
took all the individuality out of him
and, as; Mrs CORVALLIS husband, he
provided carpet for other men to treae
on. Have yougot any one in your eye 2
Vivian blushed Ikea girl. "I-der'
know just yet It's five years since
saw her."
Cline for g. woman to be married
over and over again or, worse than that
she might have had the smallpox OF
lost an eye. What's her name and
where does she hang out?"
The other leaned forward and lowered
his voice. "Mind-strict confidence
Mabel Lorraine
"By jove" and Val Forester sat boil
upright, an expression Of dismay ovel
his pleasant face.
What are you looking like that for
You ore not hard hit. It's not case Of
Til have he-or deg"
"'No, no, nothing of the Sort" the
Wilderness of his cheeks belying his
words. :. II was at her wedding last
month 50
Frank Vivian stopped to pick up the
cigar he had dropped: "Her name?.'
His voice was calm, but hoarse.
Lady Wayerly. Her husbands Si1
Guy: He ran horse for the Derby, but
it fell dead lame before it reached thecor
ner. Have B. and S. ?" as Vivian rose
in Il hurry.
"Thanks. Can't stop. Forgotten al
appointment. Ia, ta." With his hal
drawn over his eyes lie hurried dow1
the steps Of the Army and Navy, up St.
James street into Piccadilly, not caring
in the least where he went, only anxiou:
to get away from the continual greet
ings of his friends.
Knowing that romance was thing tt
be sneered at, that true love was butt
for chaft and contempt, he had buried
his dream in the depths of his heart
and tlirted with the Calcutta bellies az
gay]y as the rest Of his brother officers
Now it was all over-the dream as
we'll as the hope of realization. He had
thought that even in this prosaic age
he had found one verse of poetry; but
the page was blank, and the verse;
if fever written by any other pen than
his own conceit, had been most care.
fully erased. Unless to pull WY face
! for other men to laugh .ats better tc
grin and bear it, telling himself that
matrimony was ever lottery and the
greatest prizes had a knack of turning
out far worse than blanks.
x X
It was the first night of the pearl oil
operasingers after lengthy absence,
and Covent Garden was crammed from
the stalls to the ceiling. The second
act was over, aud Vivian stood up in
the third row of stalls to let his
glasses wander round the house on a
voyage Of discovery. A friend tapped
him on the shoulder. ''Look at Waiver
Icy. He doesn't look much amiss, al
though he's just passed through that
grave of the affections, honey
moon. His wife's sumner, and not
bit stand-ohish, so they say. Could
MT see her on her wedding day
her veil had such a beastly pattern
but tonight, by George! she repays
you!1 A pause. "She's smiling at one
ofns," excitedly. "You d ont know her,
so it must be me. Let us go UP; I'll
introduce YOU"
A bitter smile lowered around Vivi-
ans mouth, but he said nothing She
chose to smile at him with the prettiest
of lips in the world, with just the same
blush as when they parted so miserably
under the trees, but his face was grave
and lmpassive. Looking over his
shoulder before he disappeared through
the doorway, he saw that an old
man with gray hair had taken . Sir
Guys place in the front of the box.
With Darlington on one side, this
stranger on the other, there would beno
opportunity for private conversation but
he felt it was worth the journey from
India only to stand within sound of her
voice, within reach of the glance of her
eye-worth large'sum in pounds, shil-
lings, and pence, although to hear her
was torture, to see her, madness. Love
must be very bad for us when it. turns
the wisest, of us into fools. :
On the way they met. the baronet
himself, slipping on his overcoat as he
came toward them.
"How do, Dorrington-pretty fit?'
"As fit as Yourself. was just going
to pay my respects to Lady Waverley.
Ny friend, Captain Vivian" (Sir Guy
raised his hat), sis dying to be intro
duced." .
$50 sorry you can't see her; but she's
laid up with headache. Come and
have a smoke"
With Blank faces they turned round,
thinking cigarette poor consolation
for their disappointment. ~
"The fellow can't be Jealous of me al
ready" ruminated Frank, !. unless she
told him what she issure tosmake a point
of forgetting. I thought she seemed to
want me; but women are queer crea-
tures-prone to beckon one minute, and
turn the cold shoulder if you venture to
come. / won't have anything to do
with them; I'll be hanged if I bother my
self about them again." he added ener-
geticn}}y, as he threw the end of his
cigar on the steps.
Nevertheless he was conscious OF
every movement in the Waverley's box,
and his indignation rose SIX y-high as he
saw man after man admitted during the
course of the evening. Patti sang her
sweetest, but he scarcely heard her. A
pretty girl, q great ally of his before he
started for India, looked over her shoul-
der with a,smile which would have in
duced any other man to take up only
too'gladly tile broken thread Of past
Irritation. but he remain. I'd as unresnOn-