The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-01-22
"Forgive me, Hilton; but really l.

81 beg your pardon, colonel" said
Captain Hilton, stiflly; "but | object
equally to being throttled. Allow me
to wish you good morning"
stop, my FRIEND" said Colonel Hal
dane, confusedly; 81 don't know what
is the matter with me! I'm half asleep,
think. Sea and sentiment, as you
said just now. Come, my friend! DO
tell me what on earth Miss White
means?"
"Means? Something green," said
Hilton, viciously; "but whether sprout-
ing in tub, after the fashion of the
biossoming shrub. or done up in glass
case after the artificial mode, know
not. l wish you good morning, col
onel."
And with that he retreated 10 the
mess-room.
"Blossoming shrub" murmured
Colonel Haldane. "Bless his Hiber-
nian wit! Eureka Now / have itw
And with that he sat down at his
writing-table. and penned the follow
ing letter:
"Au MyosotiS No. 10. Aoenue Victor
Emmanuel a Menton AlpeS MaritimeS."
send the finest Towering myrtle
you possess to the following address:
Miss Florence White, The Grange,
POrterdown, Sussex. The myrtle must
arrive on the afternoon of September
the 9TH, one week from this date"
Then Colonel Haldane rang the bell
hastily, and told his man to post the
letter. This done, he placed the note
from Miss Florence White in the
pocket OF his frogged coat, and then
proceeded to read the rest of his CORE
spondence.
i Y x X x
The afternoon of the 9TH duly ar
rived, and with a strange palpltation
at his heart a sensation which ought
to have aroused his suspicious as to
the exact state of his susceptibilities), ,
Colonel Haldane drove up in his little
hooded carriage, with the tiger jump
ing up and down behind, to the gates
of The Grange.
Here comes the pig in the poke, "
said Felicity White, younger daugh-
ter who was given to using her brains
in off hand criticism. "If man will
drive a carriage with a hood, what is
one to call him, but a pig in poke,
you know? He is fidgeting at the gate
most awfnlly, Floronoo, do como and
look"
81 like that hooded carriage" said
Florence. And then she turned with
ready grace to meet Colonel Haldane,
who had Just entered the room. "Fe-
licity and | were drawn to the window
by the magnetical influence Of your
charming little carriage" she said
81 so admire your poke"
"Do you?" said Colonel Haldane
gratefully. at is very kind of;youp
who answered to the ubiquitous name
and then he looked steadfastly at Flor.
ence, absolutely blushing as he did So
Florence, catching the glance inter
rogativa, was arrested in her amiablt
intention Of transporting him to the
other end of the long, lone drawing
room, and introducing him to Mrs
Harrington, the rector's wife. Thi:
agitated gentleman did not look exact
ly in fit state to be discoursed t(
about winter blanket clubs and work
ingmen's clubs and friendly societies.
It's all very fine to talk about lead
ing an unpuzzled existence, like Jan,
Austen; but a0hy on earth did Colone
Haldane look at her with this un
fathomable glance from his undeniably
fine gray eyes? What did it mean
She fell away from him, musing, ant
turned the outward machinery of trit,
commonplaces on her greeting of tn,
numerous guests, who were now rapid
ly arriving.
The Whites had just started page
of Tommy" one of those specimens
much adapted by ambitious matrons a
an improvement on parlor maids;
creature raw off the fields, with the ex
preston of an animated turnip ant
brains to match. In the midst of /;
buzz of voices intermingling with tn,
frou-frou of rich dresses, Tommy sud
denly darted into the room, and mad,
straight for Miss Florence White, car
rying in his lobster-colored hand a bool
suggestive of the p d. Company.
Colonel Haldane, from his solitar,
seat in the deep recess of the bay win
dow facing the entrance to "Th
Grange" felt an awful sensation com
over him. Was this the myrtle arriv
ing, and had the Mention folk absolute
ly charged the carriage to Miss White
What should he do? He shrunk be
hind the deep amber of the curtains
then as suddenly emerged.
Bring MyrtleP' these were her owl
words, and he made violent rusl
across the room to her side.
: '1ts the myrtle" he said, breathless
ly. "Allow me! The stupid peopl
, have made mistake" he continued
, incoherently. "The idea of ehargin
the carriage to you." and he threw
sovereign into Tommy's bashful fnger'
Miss White looked at Colonel Ha
, dane with ever-eularging pupils. II