The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-24

Ruby Estcourt gave me her
name before long-was quite as pleas
ant to talk to as she was beautiful and
graceful to behold. Fortunately, her
aunt was not one of the race of talka-
tive old ladies, and she left the mass of
the conversation entirely to Ruby and
myself.
1t was all so fresh and delightful to
e-the palms, the Mediterranean. the
balmy evening air, the cleaning white
town, and pretty Ruby Estcourt-that
| walked up and down the terrace as
long IS they would let me; and l was
really sorry when good Mrs. Shackle-
ford at last suggested that it was sure
ly getting time for uncle's game of crib
bage. As they turned to 60. Ruby said
good evening, and then, hesitating for
a moment as to my name, said quite
simply and naturally, Why, you
haven't yet told us who YOU are, have
yOu?"
I colored little-happily invisible
by mOonlight-as | answered: That
was an omission on my part. certainly.
When you told me YOU were Miss Est
court, | ought to have mentioned in re-
turn that my own name was Akin
Payne, Theodore Aikin-Payne, if you
please: give you card?"
Aching Painr' Ruby said, with n
smile Ibid hear you right? Aching
Pain, is it? o. what a very funny
namei"
l drew myself up as stitfiy as l was
able. Not Aching Pain" | said, with
doleful misgiving in my heart-it was
clear everybody would put that odd
miainterpretation upon it for the rest of
my days. Not Aching Pain, but Akin
Payne, Miss Estcourt. Akin. Akin,
the Atkins of Staffordshire; Payne,
PAYNE, the PayneS of Surrey. My orig
inal surname was PAYNE, a surname
chat | venture to say I'm little proud
of; but my uncle, Mr.. Akin, from whom
inherit property" 1 thought that was
rather good way of putting it,
wished me to adopt his family name
in addition to my own-in fact, made it
condition, sine qua nm, of my receiv-
ing the property.
PAYNE Akin Ruby said, turning
the names over to herself slowly. "Ah,
yes, see. Excuse my misrepresentation,
Mr.. Aikin-Payne. 1t was very foolish
of me; but really, you know, it does
sound so very ludicrous, doesn't it
now?'
| bit my lip and tried to smile back
again. Absurd that a man should be
made miserable about such a tritle; and
vet | will freely confess that at that mo-
ment, in spite of my uncle's twelve
hundred a year, felt utterly wretched.
| bowed to pretty lutte Ruby as well as
| was able, and took couple more
turns by myself hurriedly around the
terrace.
III.
GOOD morning, Mr.-Mr. Akin
Payne" said Ruby Estcourt, stumbling
timidly over the name, as we met in the
saLJe-G-naa11ger at breakfast next day,
Il hope YOU don't feel any the worse
for the chilly air last evening"
L bowed slightlv. You seem
to have some difficulty in re-
Numbering my full name, Miss Est
court, l said, suggestively. Suppose
YOU call me simply Mr.. Payne. I've
been accustomed to it until quite lately,
and to tell YOU the truth. don't alto
gether relish the new addition"
Il should think not, indeed" Ruby
answered, frankly. Il never heard
such ridiculous combination in all my
life before. I'm sure your uncle must
have been a perfect old bear to impose
it upon you.
1T was certainly rather cruel of
him, replied, as carelessly as | could,
'sor at least rather thoughtless. | dare
say, though, the absurdity of the two
names put together never struck him.
What are you going to do with your
selves to-day, Mr.. Shackleford? Every
body at Cannes has nothing to do but
to amuse themselves, | suppose
Mr.. Shackleford answered that they
were going to drive over in the morning
to Vallauris, and that if cared to share a
carriage with them, he would be happy
to let me accompany his party. Moth
ing could have suited my book better.
| was alone, | wanted society and
amusement. and l had never seen a
prettier girl than Ruby Estcourt. Here
was the very thing l needed, ready cut
out to my hand by propitiOus fortune.
| found out as time went on that
Mr.. Shackelford. being per-
son of limited income, and bad
walker, had only one desire in life.
which was to get somebody else to pay
half his carriage fares for him by ar
rangement. We went to a great many
places together, and he always divided
the expenses equally between us, al
though l ought only to have paid a
quarter, as his party consisted of three
people, while was one solitary bach
elor. This apparent anomaly he got
over on the ingenious ground that if !
had taken a carriage by myself 1t would
have cost me Just twice as much. How
ever, as was already decidedly anxious
for pretty little Ruby Estcourt's socie-
ty, this question of financial detail did
not weigh heavily upon Inc. Besides,
a man who has just come into twelve
hundred year can afford to be gener-
Gus in the matter of hackney carr ages.
We had delightful drive along the
shore of that beautiful blue gulf to Val.
lauris. and another delightful drive
back again over the hills to the Para
dis. True, old Mr.. Shackleford proved
rather bore through his anxiety to in
struct me in the history and technical
nature of keramic ware in general,
and of the Vallauris pottery in particu-
lar, when | wanted rather to be admir-
ing the glimpses of BOrdighera and the
Cap St Martin, and the snow-clad
SUBMITS of the Maritime Alps with
Ruby Estcourt.
One afternoon, toward the close OF
nv second week at Cannes, Ruby and |
were sitting together on the retired seat
in the grounds beside the pond with the
rold fSh If was a delicious sunny af-