Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-11-12
I.

There is another man, Della, that I am
sure you must acquit of fortune-hunt-
ing. He couldn't pay you less atten-
tion If you were as poor as church
mouse"
NO." agreed Della.
II couldn't imagine what brought him
down here, but it seems he has some
old aunt who lives in the village"
"Ohp
$50 that must be it," said Lady Oar
ley comfortably. "You know that little
old lady who goes about with all those
dogs9"
"Yes."
"Well, that is she-little Miss Mack
sey, you know. I believe she is getting
little childish, for she can't be less
than eighty. She must be MIR. Arnold's
great-aunt, I should think-shouldn't
you?"
"Really, I don't think 1 should think
about it," said Miss Churchill. She
moved away from the window as she
spoke, and the next moment the two
men passed it and came into the room.
Lord barley was short and dark and
stout, and his companion was tall and
slim and fair. Both were about thirty,
but Mr.. Arnold looked little younger.
He had clever face, with a dash of
sarcasm about the mouth, and gray
eyes that expressed just as much
or as little as their owner pleased.
They were pleased to express very little
just now. He did not see Miss Church
i'll, who had moved into the shadow of
the curtain, and Lady barley was not
favorite of his.
"I'll go and hunt up that book about
the German mines, Darley," he OBJ
served. "It's somewhere in the library,
1 dare say"
well, if you must have it, / think
you will find it on the third block on
the right, bottom row." said Lord Oar
ley; "but won't you come and make one
at pool?"
"Not this morning, thanks"
He went away, and barley burst into
a laugh almost before the door had
closed.
CHAPTER II.
you'll never guess what we've been
doing this morning." said Lord barley,
when Arnold had gone. '"We've been
to dogs funeral-we have, upon my
honorl You never saw such sight in
all your life. Miss Macksey has lost
one of those pugs of hers, and she took
it into her head to have it buried in the
park. OF course 1 said she might, for
she's as fond of the little brutes as if
they were children"
II know" said his wife; "and calls
them by such ridiculous names. That
is Sir Galahad, and all the pugs and
poodles are Sir This or Lady That
One is Lady Clara We're de We're, 1
know"
"Well, there they all were, and every
dog of 'em had got bit of Grape round
his left fore-paw. 1 declare could
have laughed my head of, except that
the poor little woman was in such
way. One of the keepers had dug q
hole down in the copse by the brook,
and Arnold put the poor little beggar
in, as grave as Judge, and then he
walked Miss Macksey off home, and
all those ridiculous dogs trotted at our
heels. was in fits, but Arnold never
as much as smiled. / dare say he
knew better-the old lady's got pretty
bit of money, and can leave it as she
likes"
Lord Darleyl" cried Della, in tone
of trenchant scorn. She came for
ward from her shadowed corner, and
the light fell on her face, and showed
it curiously disturbed; her mouth
trembled, her eyes flashed indignant
fire.
"Eh? what's all this about?" cried
the unconscious little peer, facing this
angry apparition with innocent won
der. "Lord barley, indeed What
next?"
"Darley," said Della, more gently,
"I think you ought to unsay that.
There are plenty of men who would
restrain their laughter or their tears,
who would perjure themselves in any
way you please for gold, but you know
you now!-that Maurice Arnold is
not one."
Lord barley did not answer, and
N his face made Dalia turn
sharply round. One glance sufficed.
In the doorway stood Maurice Arnold.
looking almost as confused as herself
He had come back to ask something
further about his book, and stood al
rested at the sound of his own name.
81 beg your pardon" he STAN
mered, but Della fled through the
window, scarlet and abashed, and OAR
ley exclaimed, with laugh:
"You didn't know you had such
doughty champion, did you? We shall
have you proposing to the heiress next.
old mani"
II am much indebted to Miss Church
ILL.,, said Arnold stifily; "but I think
that would hardly be the way to justify
her good opinion"
He went away with his question un-
asked, and indeed forgotten. The sight
of Della, flushed and moved in his de-
fense, had been sweeter to him than he
cared to own. Why, oh ! why was she
so rich, and he so poor, that to WOO her
would be to lose his self-respect? His
only defense against the passion that |
had so often nearly mastered him, had |
been the assumption of indifference,
that was all the easier because he be- |
lieved her equally indifferent to him |
self. But indifference does not plead |
for the absent as Della had pleaded for |
him, or fly shame-stricken at discovery |
na De1ia had inst fad Could IL no that |