, 1884-09-11

&NAa - III ~ LIL lAulr HItD Drf
unaware IN q crowded ball room boforo she
had unic % collect herself sufficiently to give
him the -cut direct" Ho did not offer "a
shake hHuhs with her, possibly anticipating a
snuL. though her manner was AZ usually
calm. unreiturtcd and lnnguid.
How do, Miss VanstoneY he remarked
s~uollinS up with the most unooncerned ali
In the world"
4 nm very well Lord Barley" she replied,
turning away her head from him as shs
spoke.
Il want 10 have a chat with you." be said,
holding out his arm ownrd her, shall VS.
come outside into tho CONSERVATORY
Miss Vanstone was beginning to suspect
tina Lord barley declined TO be snubbed, and
at all events be showed DO symptoms OF uu-
easiness at her sold manner. Whom r man
Is th~ick-sEnned, plAinness OF speech is the
only eifectunl method Of conveying contempt
or dtspinasure. Miss Vanstone was deter
mined that Lord Dariey should NOV what
she thought Of his t~rcacherous conduct, and
sko therefore accepted his invitation, and ac-
c~ompanied him to the adjacent conservatory
Il wonder at your having the tenerity to
address me, Lord barley" she exclaimed,
hAughtly, as soon as they were alone. @Fiom
what Mr. Benson said to me, l imagine It was
you who spread this scnndalous story about"
NtAs lhoi II WAS ho Iepue1t C1lIul1. -
didn't mean 70, but It slipped out after din
ner one day. only told one fellow, and
begged him not to say r. word but, OF
] might as well have proclaimed it from the
bousetDp."
Have you admitted this TO Mr.. BensonF'
inquired Miss Vanstone. in%voluntarily.
YES. Obi we've had a deuce Of a row. |
/ oferod him every satisfaction"
The mischief was DONE" said Miss Van
stone, impatiently, irritated AZ his Iordship's
GOODNESS.
mo doubt That Is why l thought he
might like TO bave u shot at me. l would
have fired in tho air, " said Lord barley. IN ii
matfor-of -fact tone.
You know, OF course, what the result has
been, ~ said Miss Vnnstone, intent on extract
ing from Lord barley some expression of re-
morse for his conduct
Yes; that is why l came tonight said
his lordship, setting his glass in his eye and
assuming a buSiness-like air. II wish 70 make
a very urgent appeal to you.H
PRAY spare yourself and me- said Mss
Valstone, hastily, and in some confusion,
thinking he was about to intercede on Jacks
behalf; II would rather not refer to tho
past
Il ana not going to refer to the past, - said
Lord Dsflcy. Jack has had his chance, and
has made Il hash Of 1t. II may have been my
fault, but that was n pure accident. Accord
ing to the original agreement it Is my turn
now"
Lord Darleyir exclaimed Mis- Vanstone,
completely taken aback.
Il told vel l should t1y my luck. now he
has failed, and, OF course, he could raise no
objection" said his lordship.
Without further preface Lord barley pro
ceeied to make u formal offer OF marriage,
laying considerable stress upon his social pcSi-
ton and prospects, and speaking With the air
of Il mfn who felt assured of SUCCESS. Mis~
Vanstone sat specchless with mingled ind.r-
nation and amAzement. Her natural impul4,
was 10 decline to listen him, and to expness
her scoin and contempt at his behavior In
scathing terms. But she could not find sdc-
luate words In which to convey her senti-
ments, and while In her agitation shc Was
vainly seeking them Lord barley contrived
to achieve his proposal without interruption.
Finding that he was calmly whiting for her
answer, Miss Vanstone was seized with a sud
den misgiving that anything she might say
at this ~juncture would sound tame ard spirit
les. She realized now that It wns too late:
that she ought to have stopped him at tho
outset by q peremptory word or gesture. as
a matter Of fast, her furious Indignation had
deprived her Of her presence Of mind, and
though her spirit was raging within her, she
dared not trust herself 10 speak.
Lord barley replaced his glass, which he
had dropped from his eye In the fervor Of his
declaration, and glanced at her pale face
with evident perplsxity. Another moment
and Ehe would have been forced, from sheer
embarrassment, 10 break silence, but 70 her
heartfelt relief, their tete-a-tete was inter
rupted by the gentleman to whom she had
nrapufaal fha na-f danCn AZ. w.
rose immediately and left the conservatory
without deigning TO bestow a word T. a look
at Lord barley, who, however, contrlvod 20
whisper as she passed him;
UNLESS l hear from you In the meantime, /
will call on Monday for your reply
No doubt Lord barley had awakened 10 the
fact that the young lady was not prepared -
accept him of hand It may be that her ::
lence had led him TO anticipate a refusal, 70,
he did not attempt to approach her again dur
ing the evening. Probably he preferred that
she should a leisure for reflection lest. brirg
pressed, she should give an unfavorah.1 re-
sponse. At all events, when Miss Vanstone
was leaving the house an hour later, she
heard the linemen bawling for Lord Darley's
carriage, and caught sight OF him as he van
shed down the steps.
Miss Vanstone was no less furious with her
self than with Lord barley. Her project OF
numerically %snubbing him had ignomin-
lou ly failed through he- own weakness. She
was more than ever convinced of his mean
ness and treachery toward Jack, and yet she
bad suffered him TO maxi a propo al OF mar
riage unchecked. The worst OF the matter
was, his offer was stil undisposed OF, md she
had no alternative but to write 10 him.
She instictively guessed that a refusal con-
tanned In a letter, however severely worded,
would afford no vent for her outraged feel
ingS. On the other hand, after her last ex-
perience, she doubted whether she could do
justice to her indignant sentiment at an In
terview. II he had not expressed his inten-
ton Of calling upon her on Monday she
would probably have decided to treat his
offer with II ent contempt But she Re { that
this plan was out Of the question under tip
circumstances, and besides, II Lord barley
was persistent, she would be forced to give
him an answer sooner or later.
The truth was that Miss Vanstone was con
sumed by an intense desire 10 be rovengec
Al on Llnd Daily. She wished, II POI iJle
10 humiliate him, ana TO make him lei aos
she despised him fer hi, conduct
She was so CARED away by this tn
charitable impuI e that she never
rested until she had devised a mcan
Of e~ffecting her purpose. The idea with whivi
her indignation inspired her was 81 bold uipI
startling that Il lmostt took her br,Rf'taway.
BY degrees, however. she became ecu. 'r;ols
reconciled to her scheme, which she nnaliy re
solved to put into execution The initial stcl
was simplicity itself, for 1t consisted ri
nothing more than an urgent note 10 Iucl
Benson requesting him to cnll upon heI
Immediately.
Jack came. of course, with his heart IA. hi
mouth, scarcely daring to anticipate th'
good fortune which awaited him. Hut l..
was overwhelmed by the joyful surprise wit.
which be lsaru0d the condiilpn imposed hl
Misc vsasteue. She stipulated t1r a prsaf.
Little Joker is the best smoking to.