Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-22

Ieeping ouiets Now ! sm cutting my
own throat in cold blood, that's Aide.
liberstely throwing away every hope OF
your good opinion forever" He look
ed ruefu.ly at NE, but gave no siga'
so be went on. - never expected my
people and you would meet" he began
rather shsmefaccdly sand when Eve.
line said she and Uncle Laurie had
heard your name and made a point OF
calling"
"Eveline . Do you mean Mrs. Ar
den?" ] broke in, suddenly enllght-
ened: "and the Dean, is he your
father? He isn't dead, then? Delay
was not fatal?"
mot bit Of it. OF course | must
begin by explaining all that" he went
on, quite briskly. "or you'll never
understand. That was Eveline's bit of
humbug to get me back at any price.
A nice state Of affairs it was at home.
Uncle Laurie back from India unex-
pectedly with all his millions, wanting
to make me his heir, and vowiDg, if |
were not produced forthwith, to cut the
v hole family, here and hereafter. Eve
line writing and telegraphing to every
commanding officer in the army list"
He broke off to laugh at the recollection.
Fortunately | appeared on the scene
in time, and my escapade hit the old
boys fancy exactly. lie swore was
a lad of spirit after his own pattern,
and came back with me to barracks
next day to see the Colonel and arrange
for my discharge. The Colonel was an
old chum of his. They squared every
thing, Darlington included, and brought
me home in triumph. I'm a very great
person there nowadays, can tell you.
I'm a golden idol, and Eveline the fore
most of my worshippers. fm to stick
to my profession, though, we are agreed
on that. We sail for Bermuda on Sat-
urdsy." | smiled approval, but he
looked the more downcast.
"Ah. am sinking the real point
Of it all-the awful calamity" he
sighed.
what is it?" | asked encour-
agingly.
Its she. Miss Flora MacBean. my
uncle's ward, the loveliest creature, a
real Highland chieftainess, with cas-
tie and moor and loch of her own,
and a piper and pibroch, and the
| deuce knows what-also fine High
land temper. Poor old Laurie She
is shortening his life by her vagaries !;
and the one hope left him is to get her
of bis hands into somebody else's.
At one time it occurred to him
that, in the eternal fitness Of
things, ought to be that somebody,
and so deliver him from both his re .
sponsibilities at one stroke. Please
don't laugh. 1t was very serious, ear
nest, assure you, and drove me to my
Wits end to gain time. heard that
orders for Bermuda were coming, and
thought if by any means could stave
off the introduction for a month or
So" Here he stopped short, and /
waited with an odd feeling of being con-
cerned in what was coming next.
"And-in short" he broke out despe-
rately, Il said was engaged to you :;
and now the murders out"
The whole place-the sea, the pier
with its black outline against the moon
lit water, the whispering couple in the
opposite COMMISSIONED to give great
heaye and grow suddenly dim before
my sight. When they righted them
selves he was gazing into my face with
dismayed eyes.
Are you awfully ansry?" he whis-
pered. Don't look like that. IfyOu
knew what bad time have had ever
since got here this afternoon and
heard | was to meet you, you would be
satisfied. Mayn't tell you how it
came about?"
Il should certainly like to hear
that" said, my voice sounding hard
and incorporating in my own ears.
Its all dear old Laurie's doing
after all. lie is no end good, but the
yeriest old maybe, always prying and
poking into other peoples secrets.
First of all, he got hold Of my note to
you and read the address (which, by
the way, saw on your trayelling-bag).
Then he came into my room one
day, and | found him chuckling over
your hat with the name in the
lining, you know. So he put this
and that together, and when | positive
ly and utterly refused to spoil my
chance of passing my exam by going
off to Scotland with him, and Flora
had exaspersted him by declining to
come to Fairmeadc, he broke out,
Tell me honestly, Jos, does Ermen-
garde stand in the way?' and jumped
at the chance and declared she did.
What is she like The brayeSt,
prettiest, cleyerest, most generous OF
her sex, and the only woman ever
loved in my life. "
How dare YOU" | gasped indig-
nantly.
We'll, it was true-every word |
said we were not engaged, didn't CORE
spond, and, to oblige him, promised |
wouldn't. was ready to wait till |
got my company if he liked and there
/ thought was the end Of the matter,
never dreaming that the dear, blunder-
ing old donkey would meet you on the
Ieas, find out all about you from the
Livesays, take mighty fancy to you,
and think he was doing us a great
thing by giving us this one chance
of meeting again. I'll do anything to
set things straight-anything that you
order me. What shall it be first? >
He folded his hands submissively and
looked up in my face. should like
to have boxed his ears to begin with,
| couldn't think Of anything to say hall
unpleasant enough.
1--WE must first undeceiye your I'M
cle,' | declared sternly, "as soon as
possible"
Won't you wait till the end Of the
week." pleaded the encroaching youth
There's time for the Chieftainess ia
come down, and / should be absolutely
unprotected then. Can't you give me
till Saturday and then break it OFF,"
what pretend to be in love with
. | -. ~, H. -, barap anCrily