Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-11
HALF A SHEET.
Just look the strife hcganc
Jealousy the flame did fan,
Ttu1 loves gpufs.g up',r s,upDf nj 4

llat IL Is IN n great measure uuo 10 MS own
abilities ana hard work that his present posi-
tion has been so quickly won. As regards
appearance he Is tall aud good-lOOking that
is To say, his profile is a handsome one, hut
his full iacc is spoiled 10y his ewes, which are
too small. His hair is light aud curly. he
shaVes his moustachc and only wears a pair
of hushy whiskers. Not one man in hun
dred would acknowledge him to I've 'iOlly-
looking fellow and vet II is face that takes
with ladies. Ask any of them what 1t is they
admire, and hear what they will sly: ole
has such a glorious profile, and then his
eyes "Why, his eyes are the very worst
part of him." Well, perhaps they are not
what You call good, but there is a something
i don't know exactly what-ahout them
that like, and then they look So nice when
he screws them up and this is all Nou will
be able to learn. There was one young lady
who, above all others, admired him. and who
some three months before the time We make
his acquaintance, had given her promise to
be the future Mrs Fletcher. Her name was
Mabel Linton, only child of old Linton,
late of Lark Lane, now Derby
villa, Harrow, whose pride and prctcn-
siuns were unhOunded. lie worshiped DE
brett" and the "Peerage," and his great am
hition was to marry Mabel to a title. Ii can
therefore be understood what a blow her en-
gagemcnt To Percy was. The intimacy, court
ship, and proposal had all taken place while
Mabel was on visit To her rich, childlcSs
aunt in Bayswator, and old Linton knew
nothing about il until it was fIR Iccnmpl.
The erich, childish aunt" had good deal To-
do with wringing reluctant consent from
Linton pcre, for next to q title he loved
money. Thus matters stood when two days
before the April morning on which we make
Percys acquaintance Mahels aunt had given
a dance. Mabel and her father were 10 stay
in the house for it, and Percy, Of course. re
ceived an invitation. In due course he ap-
peared in the ballroom. and was somewhat
astonlshed to find his Young lady whirlng
round the room in the arms of stranger
more especially rs he had told her he would
come early, and asked her tn keep the waltZeS
for him. As soon as the dance was over he
went up to her and asked Ia look at her card
"Why, Mabel, what's the meaning Of
this 90 he inquired, rs he saw the initials g.
|. against four of the best waltzcS. d"
thought you had promised them to me ?"
so had it's all right-dont bc angry,
dear-take No. 9; it's only the lanccrs, but
we shall have time to talk"
"Well that will do to begin with, and
then but Mabel was borne away on her
partners arms before he had time to finish.
Percy's pride was hurt, and, in no very ami
| able frame of mind, he walked round the
| room, until he discovered a cousin of his
| whom he had not met for some years. He
| sat down beside her, and then the thought
| struck him tina: he could payMahel ont in her
| own coin, and he put his name down on his
| cousins card for a good many dances When
| No. arrived and he and Mabel had taken
| their places in the set, matters did not mend
| much, for, though Mabel appeared rcpentant
| and sorry, Percy was cold and naughty. and
| would not give her much chance of an eN-
| PLANTATION. q
| Z" You seem to have found a very agrrca-
| BILE acquaintance-I should say frend-this
| evening, Mabel. | don't think | have seen
| him before, have | ? All, | see he's coming
| next to you i'll this set, 50 YOU will he able to
continue your conversation. Don't mind
| me; you know we can talk any time
"Oh, Percy, please don't say that; it isn't
like YOU. Something has vexed you,
know It's only a friend of papa's. Lord
| Gerland lvor he brought him with us this
| evening, and insisted ON my dancing with
him whenever he asked me- thought You
| wouldn't mind, Percy, when you know it
was papa's doing not mine"
:" Mind Not bit of it. Why should &?
| You Of course are at liberty To dance with
| any one, Just the same as | am"
| Percy, you are unjust and cruel
have saved all the other waltzes for YOU"
" am sorry to hear it, for | shan't be able
| TO have them with you, rs | am engaged for
| them all to that lady in blue YOU saw NE
dancing with just now"
Mabel only said, Very well, dear as you
like but | am 50 sorry
| Percy pretended not to hear, and directed
his conversation to the lazy on his left dur.
ing the remainder of the set On its cUnclu-
sion he left Mabel in the conservatory on the
plea of having to look Tor his next partner.
As he walked away he congratulated himself
that he had been as firm aS rock, and had
lduElll .hdItl Il ltASbn llldl ne WIS not 10 De
treated in that manner, and yet all the time
| feeling very uncomfortable. and wishing he
had made it up with her. For the remainder
of the evening he danced with his cousin,
| until people began to notice the fact.
He did not see Mabel again till she was
| leaving the room on Lord Ivor's arm with
| her father on the other side. She gave him
one pleading, loving look just as she was
| going through the doorway, which he pre-
| tended not To see. He did not stiy long
after her departure, and rs he drove home to
| the Temple he began to have doubts whether
| he hadn't made great fool of himself and
| whether he hadn't behaved badly toward her
| after all. The following morning he half
| made up his mind to run down to Harrow
| and make peace with her, but then the devil
| within him whispered that it would be show
| ing great want of iirnneSs in so doing, and
| that 1t was her place, as the wrongdocr, to
plead for forgiveness, and his, as the injured
| party to grant it. And so he allowed the dav
| TO go by, hating himself and all the world,
thoroughly wretched and ill at ease. He ex-
pected she would write, admitting her fault
But no letter came. And now, when we see
MN the second morning after the dance, he
has been again disappointed. When he came
from his bedroom he found three or four
letters beside his plate, but none from Mabel
lie Is III fix, and does not know what to
do
ITS her place to write not mine" he tells
himself, and yet I'll be hanged if | 90
through such another day as yesterday for
all the pride in the world perhaps / was
wrong alter all, and II was her fathers doing
POOT little darling, | was wrong, and its no
good saying wasn't I behaved like a brute;
she didn't care for that fellow, I'll bet my
life on it, I'll go down to Harrow today
by JoYe! won't 1t be grand making up
again, dmdnttum trG dHOris, dc. Those old
Latin dogs knew what spOoning meant But
l won't stand any more of the old mans
humbug. OF he'll be making some real mis-
chief I'll run home soon as | get a chance
talk 1t over with the governor, aId ste if we
cannot arrange matters so that ] can be mar
ried this 'L0ng'-HullO | hope that's not
summons for chambers" As there was a
knock heard at his door. Well, Rogers,
what is it ?'' TO his clerk, who entered.
"a parcel and a note, sir"
" Put the parcel on the table, and give me
the note thank you, that will do"
"FrOm Mabel, at last" he exclaimed, As
he reads the direction in the hand that he
twas ust a. well 1 didn't go down yester-
day, after all.
What's this ~ as he opens the sheet and
reads as follows:
SIR-After your conduct toward me at
MIS- Lanehams dance it il evident | have
been mistaken in your affection for me your
STUDIED rudeneSs was remarked by nIany
ana, aiter what has occurred, il is clear that
you wish our engagement to cease. Indeed
,here is no other course left open, and the
bearer oi this will deliver parcel containing
the presents you have given me at various
Tunes. may mention that my father quite
approves of the course am taking. and has
seen this letter. Ofcourse, we shall not ex-
pect 10 see you again AT Harrow.
remain, yours, &c.
MABEL lINTnN