The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-28


Manor for nearly two months He had explored
all the countryside within thirty miles, looking
for that ideal estate-a small but perfect house.
with perfect stables good old-fashioned garden,
and about forty acres of fertile pasture-which
he had dreamed of for many year under the
tropic stars, and which he found almost as diff
cult of attainment as if he had wanted an estate
in one of those very stars. The Colonel and his
host drove many mile in Sir Allan's dog-cart.
with the housekeeping horse, to see places
which were described in auctioneers' advertise
ments as earthly paradises, and which generally
proved the kind Of habitation that man buys
in an interval of lunacy, with insane ideas of
improvements or reconstruction, and which he
tries to shuttle off upon new VICTIM directly he
RECEIVERS his senses.
The Colonel made shorter pilgrimages in his
god-daughters pony carriage Oracle very proud
of driving her warrior about the country. But
as yet nothing beyond the pleasure of exploring
charming landscape in the golden harvest time
had resulted from their excursions.
Yes. there had been one result, and an impor-
tant one so far as Grace Darnel was concerned.
During one of these rustic jaunts the girl took
courage, and opened her heart to her godfather,
the most faithful and the most indugent friend
she had ever known from the days of her child
hood.
They went a little further than usual on this
occasion, to place which had been described as
gem of picturesque beauty, and which turned
out to be dilapidated farm house, situated on
the edge of a swamp, and surrounded by meadow
land that would have cost small fortune to
drain The Colonel was amused rather than in
dignant at the discrepancy between the place
itself and the auctoneer's advertisement, and
laughed heartily at his own disappointment
ITO think that we should have driven eleven
miles through some Of the vilest roads in Willis
TO look at such a god-forsaken hole as this" be
exclaimed, after he and Grace had perambulated
the neglected old garden, and had emerged upon
the road in front of the gates
There was long wooden bridge few PAGES
further on, spanning an expanse of watery pas
ture, full of reed and bulrush, and ON this bridge
the Colonel stood, with his arms folded on the
handrail, looking lazily at the cows, up to their
launches in the rank verdure.
He turned round smiling at his goddaughter,
expecting her to be amused this latest example
of house agents inventive faculties; but to his
surprise and discontinue he found her in tears.
''Why Gracie," he cried, tenderly, what is
amiss with my little grip
Everything Grace answered vehemently.
II must tell some one. l cannot bear it any
longer To be SO base, so secret, so false to
those love. 1 hate and despise myself. l really
think I am the wckedest meanest girl in Eng
lad III &box, ole
because you are always indulgent. and You won't
preach as papa would He would forgive me in
the end. daresay, but he would begin by
preaching-and l am SO unhappy that don't
think / could bear a word"
my dearest Oracle, you mean! You deceitful
would not hear your enemy say so, and leave
him unlocked. Nonsense, child" said the
Colonel cheerily, laying his friendly hand upon
Grace's shoulder. Her head was bent so that he
could not see her face, and her tears were drop
ping into the rank grass and making the meadow
little more watery for the cows. ''Stuff and
nonsense, my dear. Some little grlish folly
which you have concealed from Sir Allan, and
which your own fancy has exaggerated into a
matter of Importance"
1T is not little folly, Colonel. 1t is big
folly. / am engaged to be married-to person
whom my father has never seen-of whose ex-
istence he is ignorant
"Humph, exclaimed Stukely, ''that sounds
rather serious. But people get out of such en-
gagements-occasionally.
II shall never get out of mine," answered
Grace with heroic air. Il would die rather
than break my word"
" ~n.I -
soothingly.
more especially as the person to whom I am
engaged is very badly off, and not able to"
ITO maintain YOU" interjected the Colonel
Naturally my DEAR naturally. That is an ex-
cellent reason for sticking to him. And now tell
me all about it. When and where did you meet
this gentleman?"
I'm Paris, at the Louvre"
1.-THE big shop for gowns, and bonnets and
things7"
mo; the picture gallery"
who introduced him to you"
Nobody. A mahl stick"
IA mahl stick introduced himF
'Oh, godfather please don't be shocked I
know how horrid it all was-how unladyike-
how improper. have thought about it, and
cried over it many time since / came home.
Nobody introduced him to me. You know how
fond am of painting. I worked very hard
when l was in Paris; and got permission from
Madame Sartori to go and paint three times a
week at the Louvre. Horrid old thing; believe
she was glad to get rid of me. She toled off one
Of the governesses--a domestic drudge. a lady
help sort of person--to go with me, for which
father paid five guineas q term extra 1t was
all very correct and proper so far In fine
weather We used to walk from Passy to the
Louvre. In wet weather we had fiacre, which
used to pay for out of my pocket-money. Lady
Darnel and father, between them, kept me very
handsomely supplied"
mo doubt, said the Colonel, "and have OBJ
served that Satan finds some mischief STILL, as
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