The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-08-23

comments on my bits of news
 "Iuttesly decline to be interested in your new Eiends,r it ended. ai mis- trust that wandeTing widow, without lugEaRe oe escort, and skculd not be sur psised to hear that Colonel WdoehesIey knew no more about his charming cousin than do. must decidedly exer- cise my godmothexiy prixileee, and come down to look aflex you as soua>as can get free. The meeting at tke s&as;on reads = g veIy Ike 2 pul-up thi,g. IF. ever bloomed but buds arc noe such harmless playthinss q roses, remembsE. Good-bye, my dear boy. Take good care of youEseh tili the axlival of
 @Your loving godmother, "M. DORoTHEA CHAMPNEYS."
 laid the letter down, langhing to my self. ThGe was n awkwardness, . soFt of forced Eveliness, in the whole of the last paragraph, very unlike the ret q the letter. It read as if 9odmothex had felt obliged to say something when she had nothing good to say, and faAcied l detected flash of mild spite in tho re<es- ence .c Miss Leyland that bore sut the supposition- Poor dear godmosher If she only knew how indifferent 1 was to the charms of that dangerous little bud, except from an artistic point of view. AS for Mrs Pierpoin,, she had only to be seen and known 10 dispose of all criti- cism. As soon doubt that the stars are hre, in fact much sooner, than suspect her to be of Brummagem origin. She was thoroughbred to the finger tips and forthwith opened my lefter-oase and told Lady Dolly so indignantly three posts before my letter was due.
 Then, with parcel of new music for excuse, 1 sallied forth to call attTamarisk lodge, and obtain material tn which to form my opinion. devised a few neat diplomatic little questions that should extract sufficient particulars of the birth, percentage, and social position of my new friends to set godmothers doubts and must it be confessed my own likewise at rest for ever.
 All sorts of ungracious little doubts, each light and harmless in itself as single midge, buzzed through my mind in distracting swarm. Chance obse~va- tions of Mays, nipped of unfinished Jy her aunt; small discrepancies of state ment even a crt-of. corner of a piece of music where the name should have been all joined in the ungracious murmur of suspicion that seemed to vex my ears.
 After all when go, there, May was alone and defeneeless. "Auntie has a headache and is not up to music today" she explained. expressed due regret.
 ~Where do you go when you leave Roeksedge?' 1 asked casually, dusting my Amati tenderiy with his silk handker- chief before reclosing his case. She hes itated.
 Home with auntie, I think-l don't quite know
 Home? Where is that?' demanded inquisitonaliy.
 aIn London. Won't you play this for me before you put Amati by?" she asked, huniedly huttering the leaves of the music.
 With pleasure" replied, with small satire. "lt is an arrangement for voice and piano. Which part shall take ?- My dear Miss Leyland," l" 1 went on, look ing straight into her embarrassed face" "did do wrong in asking that question It was only in the hope that some day we might meet again"
 She blushed deeper and deeper. "I did not know whether auntie would like my telling you" she murmured.
 Then consider 1t unasked ; only, like good little girl, don't burden your soul with lib by way of answer. Your aunt has assured me that she has not stayed in London for many day"
 May tossed her head and then looked saucily pertinent.
 "l'm not out yet, you see, and don't know what ough, to say when a gentle man asks my address with a view to future acquaintance. I'm sure shall be happy enough to see you. It has made great difference to our stay here, meeting yeu and Amat.r
 We parted friends. Only, as took my way homeward, did not feel exactly as if had prospered greatly in my first steps toward the conversion of Lady Dorothy.
 met Mrs. Pierpont that evening as was smoking lonely cigar on the Es- planade. As rule she avoided the town, and don. know what brought her there, though l won't swear that a distant glimpse of yellow Japanese parasol had not brought me It was a still. warm | tinted evening, and the 6shins-boats rocked on glassy sea, the line of the net l marking one long curve of nipples in the | water. All the population of Rocksedge 1 were congTegased on the Esplanade, | to see the net drawn in. The | little brown, bare-legged children scrim- maged about on the vet pebbles below, and Scrap barked excitedly at them from l the edge of the sea wall above.
 Mrs. Rerpoint had chosen a seat apart, and welcomed me with faint smile. She ! had come to town to uy and ges rid of her headache, but 1 might stay, if 1 did not mind dull companioh. So we sat and talked softly together in the still, clear evening, and when she rose to go home went with her.
 May tells me she made foolish mys- tey of our plans when she saw you this morning. was very angry with her, silly girl. The fact is, we don't quite know ourselves where we shall stay in town. It is an odd time in he theve hrt Mav