Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-13

| WA0e~ <Ahsy, AZ NC Acouy ouo Will lOOB
out for the white choker Your loving A."
In spite Of the ordeal which was before her,
the good old spinster was perfectly calm and
unfurried. At l o'clock she made very
hearty luncheon; at half-past 2 she took her
nieces for walk and talked to them with
extraordinary affability about tine emancipa-
ton Of women; and at half past she ap-
peared at the table d'hote, and, just as if the
occasion were An ordinary one, complained
Of the soup being too peppery, the
fish too cold and the mutton too
underdone. Her GOODNESS was admirable
Lucy and Amy, on the other hand, could
scarcely conceal their excitement, and
agitation. They each looked at least hum
dred times during dinner at the clock apon
the mantel-piece, and they each started and
turned red whenever the noise OF carriage
wheels was heard. After dinner Miss Maria
be went again to her room and began to
make her preparations.
@How sad it will be-" she thought to her.
self, "for poor young Jellicoe when discover
myself and overwhelm him with reproaches
Men are but poor creatures. Perhaps he will
faint Yes; will take my salts bottle. She
wrapped herself in an ulster belonging to
Amy, and having shrouded her face in thick
veil, took n seat at her window, which hap
! pened to be Immediately above the front door
of the hotel.
| Meanwhile, Edward GrifIiths, the billiard
marker, was i'll at ease. He knew Miss Mar.
rable by sight, and looked forward with ter
ror to the prospect Of an encounter with her
at close quarters. Nevertheless, he had Wv
ian Jellicoe's fve-pound note in his pocket,
and he was determined to see the affair
bravely through. He felt, however, that his
natural bravery would not be sufficient to
support him; and he, therefore, at about .
O'Clock, began to swallow a succession Of
potent doses Of whisky and water, with |
the object ot laying in stock of Dutch |
courage. Whether the whisky was bad or
the water was too powerful, cannot say; but |
at ten minutes to g. when Vivian Jellicoe ar
rived to give final directions and counsel to |
his substitute, lie found Edward Griffiths de- |
ciiedly the worse for liquor. Fortunately,
the young fellow was neither quarrelsome |
nor noisy in his cups His main ambition |
seemed to be to go to sleep in peace; and no |!
sooner had Vivian bundled him into one |
corner Of the carriage, which was in waiting |
| in the stable-yard, than Mr.. Griffiths incon.
tinently slumbered The carriage was then |
driven round to the front door of the hotel |
Miss Marrable from her post OF vantage |
saw 1t, and, renarking that the coachnan
wore Il white choker, descended ut once. and |
listened, she went, outside Amy's room, |
to satisfy herself that that that young lady |
had not forestalled her. TIE porter with |
slacrity opened the carriage door. In the |
dark shadows of the figure OF man, and, |
making sure that all was right, she entered |
ut once. An instant later she being |
whirlei northward along the lonely Harieci |
road.
Half an hour afterwarj, two carriages left |
the hotel, but in an opposite direction. In |
one Of them were Lucy and Mr.. Rhodes; and
in the other, Amy and Mr.. Jellicoe. 1t was
nearly midnight ere they arrived at the
were all up and waiting for them, and the
two runaway couples were warmly welcomed,
and Hospitality taken care Of
Miss Marrable was less fortunate. As soon
us the carriage in which she sat had been
driven beyond the lights of the town, she
threw aside her VEIL and gazed with magnifi-
cent scorn toward the dim form upon the
seat in front of her. The look eliclting no
response OF any. kind, Miss Mairable van-
trred to cough, a. first gently, ayd then with
considerable violence; but stiff the figure
took no notice.
@This is exceedingly strange" thought the
spinister lady. Il must a iopt more active
measures" IL
"Mr Jellicoew she exclaimed in her deep
est and most threatening tones.
One nal cOunlel upon tDls eAcI.ff1atlOn pro-
ducing an instantaneous and astonishing ef-
feet upon her companion; and she was wo-
fully disappointed when he merely groaned
again.
"Graciousi' she said to herself; "he is i'll.
He would never go on like that if he were
not i'll. The fright has been to much for
him. Oh, bow sorry l am! These men are
such weak creatures. | must stop the car
riage!p / And, throwing down the sash
Of the window, she put out her head and
cried to the driver to pull up the horses.
But the driver, like the billiard-marker, had
been literally feed, and lie was determined
that nothing should stop until he reached
Harlech; he therefore cracked his whip to
drown Miss Marrables voice, and drove down
the next hill at a pace which threatened to
shake the carriage to piecea
stop, stop! For goodness sake, stopT
But, finding that her words were not
listened TO, she drew in her head and strove
to revive the wretched man in front OF her.
She held her salts-boitle to his nose, she
chafed his hands, she famed his brow, and
she allowed his feverish head to rest upon
her shoulder; but she could not aw aiken
him.
~If he should die!" she thought Il ill.,
tended to frighten him, but not - much as
this. Oh! this is terrible!"
And once more she tried to prevail upon
the driver to stop, but in vain. The sight Of
|
some satisfaction. Thecalriage entered long
n7enue the gate Of which lay ready opened
for it; and about an hour and a quarter after
leaving Abermaw it drew up before the
Joneses' house near Harlech.
With sigh Of relief Miss Marrable threw
open the door and sprang out, to find herself
in the presence Ct half a dozen people who
were congregated upon the steps
Quick" She cried; don't ask questions.
He is i'll; he is dying! Take him outf'
The Joneses, who lad not been prepared
for the apparition of a middle-aged spinster,
and who were expecting MIR. Jelicoe AMI
Miss Allerton, were mewhat astonished. |
"Who is insidel" asked Mr.. Tom Jones, the
son and heir Of the family.
4Ohl Mr.. Jellicoe! Bequick! For mercy's
sake he quickf
iYou don't mean itl' cried Tom rushing to
the carriage to succor his friend. But an in.
slant later he burst into q violent tit Of
Laughter. ,r, M,
ats Griffiths, the billiard-marker from the
Cors-y -Geiol; and be is hopelessly drunk.
Nice companion, indeed"
Miss Marrabe is, as have already said.
woman without weaknesses On hearing
this announcement however, she faintel
away When, thanks to the kind atteptiOns |
of the female members of the Jones family, |
she revived, she Indignantly charged those
estimable people with having deliberately
plotted her dicomiiture; and she in.
sisted on ut once returning to Abermaw; but
the carriage land Griffiths) had gone; SO Mr..
Jones, ST. who grasped the situation, volun-
teered TO drive Miss Marrable back TO the
Cors-y -Gedol hotel; AMI by IL o'clock, ar
shortly afterward she was again in lIer own
room.
1t was then that she learned of the deser-
ton of Lucy and Amy. need not describe
how she received the news, and how she de
clared that her abandoned nieces should never
again behold her face; nor that, although
she is woman without weaknesses, sha
passed the greater part of the remainder Of
the night in violent Mysteries. She tele-
graphed next day to Mr.. Larkspur and Mr.
Allerton, and repairing TO the Red Cow, l.
denounced Sir Thomas Jeilicoe as
the hasest and most heartiess OF men.
Three weeks afterward. however, the edge
Of her anger had worn off Lucy and Am
were married. 1t was foolish, but, perhaIis
il was not wholly inexcusable; and {. Us rea-
soning, Miss Marrabe, in the goodness Of her
heart determined to gradually receive theni
uack into her favor. But she has never
wholly forgiven Lucy for suggesting the sub
stitution Of the billiard-marker fer Vivia,
Jelicoe.
"My dear she says, when she retells tl.7
story of her drive to Harlech, -the wretche.i
man WAS perfectly saturated with whisky.
and really don't know that he might not
have done il hadnt Arpt my eye steadily 4
upon him But beneath my gaze be ccwere'
my dear, positively covered l never saw
,avage brute SO comllst. , tanned
And to this day Miss Marrable believes that
but for her eye, the billiard marker might
horri<a thougkti-haye run away with her,
100. - ,