The news., 1885-06-30

OAANS3 SOuiu SSA bdAity Aop w iSoo tlieeA
sixteen years-and-aw-short of
breath, she failed, | presume, to reach
the landing, and lay down upon one of
the steps to await her mistress's re-
turn. While the animal was there
Mr.. Morecombe came from his-aw-
his bedroom, and, not observing the
dawg, stepped upon it, which, / regret
TO say, caused him to roll down at
least half dozen stairs; but providen-
TALLY he caught hold Of the banister
and saved himself from-aw-from
serious injury. As it was, he severely
sprained his ankle, which necessitated
his removal to his bedroom, where
he now lies"
"And in stepping upon Flora he trod
what remained of the poor beasts
breath out of her, Iauppose ?" said my
uncle, keeping his gravity nobly; for
upon my word, believe, had caught
the least shadow of a grin upon his
face, should have exploded.
"Yes," cried Miss Hawke, with the
tears standing in her beautiful eyes;
'papa thinks only of Mr.. Morecombe.
When poor Flora was looked at she
was stone dead; and will anybody be-
lieve that Mr.. Morecombe did not see
her, or that he did not tread with all
his weight out of spite?" she added,
making little passionate gesture with
her hand.
"Is he of "a naturally cruel DISPOSE
ton ?" asked my uncle of Mr.. Hawke,
with little drop in his right eyelid
which / took as meant for me.
Cruel certainly not" exclaimed
the old gentleman, in his amplest
manner, and expanding his bosom as
he spoke. "Had he seen the poor
dawg, he would, ofcourse, have avoid
ed her. Can you suppose, Florence,
that-aw-that he would deliberately
sprain his ankle? yet you are bound,
my love, to presume this, if you affirm
that he acted out of malice. Ree-dicu-
lous !"
A footman announced dinner. Mr..
Hawke gave his arm to my aunt, and
heard him tell my uncle to take Miss
Hawke in; but my uncle, instead of
offering his arm to Miss Florence, gave
it to Miss Emily, and left her sister to
me. He thrust his tongue in his cheek
as he glanced at me over his shoulder.
Heaven bless him there never was a
finer creature. With Miss Florence
on my arm followed the others, form
ing the tail of the procession. The ta-
BILE was so plentifully covered with
flowers and tall silver candlesticks
that Mr.. Hawke was, from his position
at the head of it, unable to see the or
der in which we had arrived until we
were all seated. But what could he
say when he saw me alongside Miss
Hawke and my uncle next to Miss
Emily? His business was to ask
blessing, which he did with his eyes
closed and his hands locked and
savssen- tlsak--was sass's sssIssfe i5sssssls
to talk 10 him. while one of the funk
eys served out soup at a side table
and the others handed it round
Il am very sorry, for your sake, said
l to Miss Florence, "to hear of the
death of poor old Flora. 1t would
have served your fathers friend right
had he broken his neck-that is, if he
stepped on the dog purposely because
she happened to be in his road"
"Flora was my mothers pet" she
replied. "She has been constant
companion of mine for years, and it
bitterly grieves me to think that the
poor animal should have been killed |
at the last, and cruelty killed, even ad- |
mitting that Mr.. Morecombe did tread |
upon her by accident. But we'll say
no more about it. Mr.. Seymour, l do
not want you to think me affected"
Here Mr.. Hawke began to speak |
about the dog in loud voice.
"The popularity, Mr.. Seymour, of
the old animal was-aw-was its ca
pacity of fondness. Some years ago it
brought a cat out of the water where
the thing was-aw-was drowning.
Florence nursed the cat and made it
well, and the dawg grew so attached
to the cat, and the cat to the dawg,
that they would-aw-I assure you,
take walks together. The cat was ul-
timately lost; believe-aw-its strayed.
Flora greatly missed it, and until age
rendered her imbecile, she could never
hear the noise which cats are in
the habit of making at night without
considerable agitation-a circumstance
that people who-aw-study dawgs
might think affecting"
Considering that l wanted to pre-
serve solemn face, that Miss Hawke
might believe my sympathy with her
loss sincere-which it certainly was-I
say that the old fellows story, or rather
the manner and tone with which he
delivered it, was a severe trial as ever
befell me. However, it did not take
me long to recover the having Miss
Hawke alongside of me soon rendered
me desperately serious and senti-
mental. knew old Hawke was look
ing j had not the least doubt that he
was extremely annoyed that his daugh-
should be sitting next to young fel-
low whose admiration for his lovely
companion he could not and would not
disguise; but did not care brass far
thing for his thoughts. 1t was a mag
niicent pleasure for me, an immense
delight, to be in her society again
after the separation of week, during
which had hung about like a turn
pike tramp, in the hope Of catching
sight of her. Besides, could | doubt
that she was pleased with me as a
companion She could not help talk
ing of Flora, and heartily did l bless
the ghost of the dead brute as a bond
of sympathy between its adorable mis-
tress and me; and Flora led her to
speak of Australia, and Australia set
me gabbling about my sea-experiences,
and told her one OF two thrilling tales
of salt-water-of ship on fire, of a
black man overheard in the doldrums
fighting with shark, and such things;
and either related them so well, orshe
WAS anxinns TO be interested that we