Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-01-18

ii'I'- Miss fs!fTlii.I'.
oh no. | have been singing; and all day
have been painting"
But dull, ! mean. without society, Iknow
that do and | have much lnur. society.
suspect, than You have Un.c$S 20 out, the
evenings. find. pass very SLOWLY cannot
get the excitement of work, for, of course.
one can't i'aint by artificial light; and if
try to read generally 90 to sleep over my
book"
Il think that You must be difficult to
please, Mr.. Freake. Yuu have a lovely studio,
and you ought always TO be able to ;..nllse
Yourself among such beautiful things as you
have III your housc."
No! don't think that am difficult to
please, Miss Lirripip. for | know exactly
what want. The fact is that a Bachelors
existence is not suited for Il man of my feel
inss and sympatles. live wrapped up in
my selii~hnes', and feel my heart growing
| colder and colder every day. l have baau,i-
full things in my hou,e, bit they don't satisfy
me. want Twin tcauty-something which
l may really care for and do for-sonething
which Sia.l make my life complete And
| 1t was to talk t. you about this, Miss Iir-
ripip, that came to see you this evening""
LyEa experienced curious sensation
WHHH S!'t il;lu never Ielt EpIUfe.
"Yuu know, suppose, Miss Lirripip," he
continued. what mean. You know that
| since first saw you. three or four years ago,
l have loved you" And Horace took Lv,lia's
unwilling hand. Can YOU" he went on,
LEARN TO love mes Will you he my
Observation-Disclosures! There was a knock
at the front door, and Lydia was greatly re-
lieved
''Is som holy coming up.' asked Horace
| anXlons'v. 'Uh, | SO much want to tell You
all. Say yoa are not in. Send them away
But let me stay Promise to let me stav.n
voice, evidently Mr.. Merton Murley's,
was now audible from below, the drawing
room Win lows being open AMI TIE voice
being loud
at is Mr.. Murley." said Lydia 81 expect
that he only wants me to give some message
for him to my father. He will not datain me-
But II let you stay, you must not talk any
more as you have been talking, Mr.. Freale ~
AT this moment there were footsteps on the
staircase, an Horace, without anoth word,
fled incontinently into the buck drawing
room and rapidly drew the curtains behind
| him 50 as to conceal himself from the new
| conner, who immediately afterward was an
nounced
Mr. Muriey was not so nervous as Mr.
Freake had been upon his first appearance
He shook hands with Lydia in an easy and
light-hearted manner, paid her an airy COM
pliment, seated himself comfortably opposite
her, and, without many preliminares,
| revealed the object of his visit. 81 know
that yonr father is out, Miss Lirripip," he
| said, ''and may as we'll confess at once that
have deliberately taken advantage of his
| absence to come AMI see you upon a subject
which nearly concerns my happiness. |
should have spoken about it last night but
| that coull not command your attention
| save for few minutes at time. Now, how
| ever, we are safe from interruption"
''But, Mr.. Murley,n said Lydia, ''it would
| be 50 much better if you would call when my
father is in"
"Oh, that is not important, my dear Miss
Lirripip. 1t is a subject that may be settled
by You alone"
PLEASE, Mr.. Murley, do not tell me about
it now" pleaded Lydia ''The windows are
open, you know, and there are servants about
| the house and"
Observation-Disclosures!
This time Horace, as well as Lydia, was
greatly relieved; but Mr.. Murley was furi-
GUS. LET me see you tomorrow" lie said,
hastily
eyes! no! nor returned Miss Lirripp.
thankful for any opportunity of getting rid
OF him 'Good-by, Mr.. Murley, gooi-by!n
And the same servant who showed up Sir
Pertinax Popinjay shovel down Mr.. Merton
Murley, who glared at the baronet with a
look which spoke voiumss
"My dear LYDIA said Sir Pertinax as he
| offered both his hands to Miss Lirrpip; "you
-
| such perfect sylph in my life, and many
people agreed with me- You were the belle
OF the room. There is no doubt about it'
"I'm sure it is very good of you, Sir Perti-
max, to say So" returned Lydia "But l
| thought that the countess herself"
"Ob, the countessi She and You cannot be
mentioned together, my dear. Every one
said SO. And beside, the countess of course
is married. She has met her fate Ha, ha!
But you-you are stll-my dear N IS lydia.
l may be a fool, but, upon my honor, have
come here this evening with the determined
| intention of asking you whether you will
have me. You know / worship the very
ground you stand on" Aud, to Lyia's great
CONSERVATION, the old gentleman. ere she
feet. and took her hand, with the evident in-
ton of pressing it to his lips.
"Do get up, please, Sir Pertinax," j" said Miss
Lirripip, forgetting for moment that Hor-
ace Freake was within hearing, but anxious
that the baronet sh)ull not make himself un-
necessarily ridiculous even to her You
can talk just as well il yol sit down; but
really you mustn't talk in that way don't
want to b, married; indeed, don't. You
know like You very much, but could not
possibly marry you"
Sir Pertinax rose with dignity AMI looked
rather disappointed. Il had hoped, Lydia,
| that you liked me well enough even for a
husband. What you say, however, may not
be final, because nothing can alter my regard
for you, and perhaps in the future you may
| think better of me-"
Il could not think better of you than do
returned Miss Lirripip feelingly, ''and you do
not know how sorry am that this has hap
pened. We can never again be the same to
each other. l am SO sorry"
Sir Pertinax began to feel sorry too, for,
| up to that evening, h. all Lyd'a had always
been like uncle and n;ece, aid in an uneasy
| way, he turned the conversation into another
| channel. Bat he cou!d not for Ion, carry it
| on, and in less than quarter of an hour he
| said gooi-bv, like sensible man as he was
in spite Of his weakness, and departed.
No sooner had he quilted the room than
Horace emerged from his hiding place.
Lydia blushed to remember all that he had
overheard ;but he did not allude to it. LYDIA
he continued, almost as if nothing had hap
pencd to disturb'him, Il love you truly, and
with all nay heart. Will you, can you, learn
to love me, for your love alone will make ME
completely happyf'
"Do not ask me-" replied lydia, who was
| once more seated. "You know what have
| just gone through. My head is in whirl N
But think how happy you can make me,
Lydia! You would be everything to me, as
indeed sou are already, and would spend all
my days in making you happy"
1t is unnecessary to chronicle the whole of
the further conversation that took place.
Suffice it to say that at last Miss Lirripip
discovered not only that she could, but that
she actually did, love Horace Freake little,
and on the strength OF that she promised to
marry him.
Horace was in the act of presuming upon
this promise by kissing Lydia for the first
time, and was enjoying one of the happiest
moments of his life, when another of those
| furious ratattntatS shook the ho,lsa