The Osceola times., 1885-02-28

This from Dempsey. whose father had
been successful bacon contractor.
"Something extremely plebeian about
him." piped Dyson.
I'VE congratulate you most sim
cerely," continued Clunie.
"Yes, we congratulate you most sin
cerely," echoed the chorus.
MY dear, kind friends. how heartily
thank you, none but myself can ever
tellp' responded Frobisher, with a
ring of unmistakable scorn in his voice
Clunie turned to her mother with a
pout. Mr.. Dempsey's purple face be.
came still more purple; he coughed be-
hind his hand and stalked away. Cap
tain Dyson let his cye-glass drop; then
he pulled up his collar and pulled down
his cuffs and tried to look fierce. He
was about to follow Dempsey; but
Clunie detained him. "After all that
has happened, do you still love your
little Clunie as much as before?" she
whispered. little Clunie. indeed! She
was head taller than the Captain.)
"As much as ever, my sweetest pet
And that reminds me that when was at
BurrumpOre---"
She put her hand within his arm,
giving it n little squeeze as she did 50.
'I.et us stroll down this alley" she
said. "where we shall be quite alone"
Frobisher was crossing toward Miss
Deene, when Mr.. Pebworth intercepted
him. That gentleman had TO some ex-
tent recovered his assurance by this
time. Perhaps, after all, he reflected.
things might not turn out quite so
desperately as he had at first believed
they would. In any case, his best plan
WAS TO put bold front on the affair.
You must permit me to congratu-
late you, my dear Frank" he said, with
a sickly smile, ION the really adinira-
BILE style in which you played your
character of the poor amanuensis. 1t
was a marvellous piece of acting, and
you must allow that | did my best to
second your efforts. OF course | saw
through the little deception from the
first-ha, ha!-from the very first.
Admirably acted! So true to lifen'
FroDisher made no effort to hide the
scorn and loathing which these words
excited in him. "Mr. Pehworth," he
said; ''if there is one man in the world
whom | hold in more utter contempt
than do another, you are that man."
For Heavens sake, not so loud!
MY wife and daughter are close by"
II changed places with my friend in
order to try you. You know the result.
! believe you to be an ingrained hyp-
ocrite from top TO toe. know you TO
be knave-seltish, cunning and utter
ly unscrupulous."
mot so loud, implore you"
"fou have spoken of your wife.
Were ii not for her, | would expose
you TO the world in your true colors.
My aunt is a good woman, whom | re-
spect and love-you, loathe. For her
sake, choose to remember the rela-
tionship between us, and to keep silence
with regard to the past. You know my
opinion of you; it is one which nothing
can alter; and the less you and see of
each other in time to come, the better
ii will be for both of u.s."
If my gratitude"
"Your gratitude, Mr.. Pebworth, The
word is profaned when it proceeds from
the lips of such as youn With these
words, Frobisher turned on his heel aud
crossed to where the three ladies were
standing, wondering and bewildered
spectators of all that had happened
during the last few minutes.
Never in his life had Mr.. Pebworth
felt so crestfallen and humiliated Yet
even in this hour of his extremity the
hv.a, har nf ha
quite desert him. Taking out his pock-
et-book and pencil, he said in voice
which was purposely loud enough for
all present to hear: II quite agree with
you, my dear Frank-quite. will
make a memorandum of the matter at
once, and consult you with reference to
it another day." With that he went
back TO his seat on the fallen tree, and
made a pretense of being busy with his
pocket-book and pencil.
Till now. Miss Deene had not spoken
n word l. she had. in fact, moved little
apart from the others. Frobisher now
went up to her and took her hand.
"Elmal" he said. and there was world
of tenderness in the way he spoke that
one little word.
'Well. sir?" and Withdrawing her
hand. she looked up into his eyes with a
sort of cold surprise.
"You will. trust, forgive my little
deception for the sake OF the valuable
lesson it has taught me"'
"And pray. Mr.. Dick, Tom or Harry,
or whatever your name may be. what is
the particularly valuable lesson it has
taught you?"
at has taught me that your love has
been given me for myself alone. 1t has
taught me that there is one true heart
in the world who, believing me poor,
would have given up everything for my
sake; but who, now that she knows
am rich will not love me one whit the
less for the test TO which | have put
her."
You make yourself far too sure on
that point. You have treated me shame
fully. sir-yes, shamefully!'
in what way have | treated you
shamefully, ElmaY' asked Frank with
wide-eyed wonder.
"You led me to expect that ! was 60
ing to marry dear, delightful, poor
young man, with whom | should lead
happy, struggling, Bohemian sort of
existence, in two or three rooms, on a
pound or two week, doing my own
marketing and mending my own
clothes. Instead of this, find myself
tied to a commonplace, vulgarly rich
individual just the kind Of person
that every girl is expected to marry. l
call il shameful 49, Shameful
Frobisher looked at her as il he scarce
ly knew whether to be amused or an
moved. At this moment Mrs. Pebworth