The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-02-07
A COMEDY OF ERRORS.


ga tele9ram-a telegram from Tom,
grannie, l am certain n' | exclaimed,
jumping out Of my low chair at the
window as l saw telegraph-boy COM
ing quickly up the pretty shady garden
at Elmside and, before Pitchers, gran
MES demur old maid, could reach the
hall, l had flung open the door, taken
the envelope from the lad, and hurried
back into the morning room, opening
the telegram as went.
"From +. Hetton to May Hetton-
Meet me at Charlng Cross Hotel, Tues
day, eight A. NJ. Cannot leave Mrs.
Elliot"
eyes, grannie, DEAR" l cried, having
read the contents, cit is from Tom,
dear old fellow | am to meet him in
town. l wonder what he will be like !;
and however can l get to Charing Cross
Hotel by eight O'Clock tomorrow NOM
| ing. YOU"
only dearest child, interrupted gran
MES soft sweet voice, Gust one mo-
ment, please. Have you closed the
door, and did you tell the boy whether
there would be any message back? ?"
Good gracious, no! p | exclaimed
inelegantly. 81 forgot all about the
boy" and once more l made a hasty
journey into the hall.
To dismiss the lad was the work Of
a moment, and then l again returned
to grannie, eager to make plans for my
journey in the morning.
These plans, owing to certain unto
ward circumstances, were not easily
arranged. In the first place, Elmside
WAS pretty suburban detached cot
tage, a long drive from Charing Cross.
As matter of course, no trains were
available; and, lastly, grannie did not
like the idea of letting me go alone.
Betty, Pitchers subordinate, was at
home for holiday, and old Andrew,
the gardner and general factotum, had
that very afternoon declared himself
wholly incapacitated by an attack of
"rheumatics - so it was very evident
l must 60 unescorted, or not at all.
Cabs were unknown in our pretty
but inconvenient suburb, but certain
respectable serious-minded individual,
named Tomkins, had a vehicle, city,"
much patronized by the old ladies Of
the locality, and to Tomkins we ap-
pealed for help. Accordingly, early
next morning, fortified by tea and toast,
l started for town not little nervous,
if the truth must be told, at the pros
pect of meeting my long absent brother.
was still in deep mourning for our
dear father, and l had tied a little en-
broidered Grape veil over my face,
through which | could hardly see, and
thus, as | argued, could not been seen.
The city, was clearly a misnomer, for
Tomkins crawled on stolidly at a snails
pace, and, as l sat, my thoughts re-
verted sadly to the country home, and
to my dear fathers last loving words,to
the oft-repeated-
tom will take cure Of my little maid.
You must look to Tom, darling, when
l am gone"
was just eighteen, an orphan, and
Tom was my only brother, or rather
half brother, my fathers son by his first
wife. He was nearly twenty years older
than I, and had been in India since |
was eight years old so naturally | did
not remember much about him. But |
had grown up with the deepest admi-
ration for Tom and Toms sayings and
doings and, now that he was really
coming home, and we were to live to-
gether, was greatly pleased and eN-
cited.
Mrs. Elliot was the invalid widow of
a general officer who had been killed
in the recent outbreak, and l under
stood why Tom would not leave her
alone at the hotel, but would after a
few hours rest, take her down to her
fathers place in Norfolk.
At last we drove into the courtyard
of the hotel, and |, shy country girl,
| felt rather awed and nervous but |
managed to inquire whether Mr.. Het-
ton had arrived, and was told that he
had, and that he had desired the lady
might be shown to room where break.
fast was prepared.
| followed the man upstairs, and
down a long corridor, and then he
opened a door, announced "Miss Het-
ton," and closed lit quickly after me
| A tall fair mani could see thai
through my veil and the tears tina
swellcd up in my eyes-was in the
room.
"Oh, dear, dear Tom - And ther
l found myself with both arms arounc
a manly neck, and my fearful face up
lifted to a soft, golden moustache, yer,
much higher than my head. Il am Sc
glad! Of course grannie could no
come, but she sent all kinds of mes
sages; and you will never leave M
again and, oh, it is delicious y l con
| a..