The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-06-11
CONISTON'S COURTSHIP.
A Brief in Three Sheets.

CONISTON'S COURTSHIP.
A Brief in Three Sheets.
BY FANNIE AYMAR MATTHEW'S.
John Gordon Anncsloy, Earl of Con-
iston, sat in the cabin of tho Brighton
boat, reading his evening paper. He
had just folded and put in his pocket a
long letter from his friend and partner,
Sir Campbell Frazier. in which that
gentleman announced that affairs at
the Ranch of San Rosalie were going
on perfectly. but that he must beg his
''dear old Jack" to put of his sailing
date a fortnight, as he now found that
he could not be in New York possibly
before the close of tho month (Octo.
bcr) or later.
Coniston was In the midst of frown
over the piece of intelligence as he
glanced over the paper. He hated
America and the Americans; he longed
to put the sea between himself and this
displeasing nation; he ycarned for
shooting" and the Highlands; he
scorned the gayeties of all the Amcri-
can watering places, and stopped ut
the Pavilion-solely, rs he openly avow-
cd. because Brighton was an English
name for place. and for the other
reason that here he was within an hour
! Of Pier 50. North River, and could step
| OH board q Guion boat ut almost q mo-
ment's warning.
Coniston, therefore. chafed under the
intlictiOn Of an additional fortnight in
the land of his loathing. Albeit the
Ranch of San Rosalie was adding con-
siderable number of thousands to his
income, hc still-just ut this particular
! momcnt-wishel il at the bottom of the
i Red Sea.
! Perhaps. too, he mingled with the
atllictions Of the exile some memories
Of Lady Ciccly Howard, and the strange
; lenchant he had had for her during the
/ last London season.
However this may be, Coniston's va
cant eyes at this juncture took in very
neat little figure as it advanced in the
cabin; it was followed by another
plump middlc-aged lady's figure, mucl,
burtlcncd with shawls and wraps, and
| S''Sney IA NSAoiy tcAil Vi q uEuuSHI,
for before seating itself, both the neat
little figure and the plump duenna ex-
amincd carefully the fastenings of all
adjacent windows.
'This one seems tightly closed,
Aunt Dorinda." the girl said, in hel
clear, light voice.
Horrible American tone, calculated
to lacerate fogl' mentally comment.
cd his lordship.
':NO, Polly. no; am sure"
':Polly! ye gods!" soliloquized the
earl. Suggestive solely of comic
opera, milkmaids and parrots. And
she has short hair!--he never coulG
abide short haired woman. And sht
was small. Small women had always
from youth up, constituted his pet aver
sion! Dressed in brown; brown rs
color was distressing, in fact it was nc
color at ALI" ConistOn had all his ma,
TONS prejudice in favor of brilliant
hucs.
She is alert, bright, vivacious; al
that Il woman should not DO; what F,
contrast TO Cicely, who was the pcrfec.
ton Of languor, drcaminess and re
pose!-and yet Ciccly was sometimes
falncr Oh u DOrO.
He wondered if this young person
was q bOrep Now that he Inspected
her. he observed, that she had certain
rcticence of face and manner that wal
wholly un-Amcrican. She had scer
him looking ut her, of course. BY
Jovc! where was his paperp on TIL,
floor! and yet for some inscrutable rea
son she did not return his gaze square
~ out of those large eyes of hers. /
was strange! 1t struck Coniston as .
remarkable fact, worth recording, thai
he had encountered one American cir
who declined to reciprocate the delicate
attentions of his eyes.
Why! there came Bradford such I,
capital fellow for an American.
bradford knew her.
She smiled at Bradford and allowed
him to sit beside her. and gave him hel
wrap to hold.
To be sure, Coniston remembered
that he had always thought Bradfort
very much of a cad. and not q nice fcl
low by any means.
And bradford held her wrap, ant
they all went oil the boat together il
the fricndliest sort of fashion, with til,
maid trotting after them with tn,
satchels and dogs.
No. he had always had special aver
sion for that Bradford! And as fol
small women, with short hair, dressed
i'll brown-well, his disgust for then
was not to be measured by any Ian
guage.
Nevertheless, as Coniston willy ar
gued with himself, 20 man must fill ur
his time;" SO, in an off.hand way hi
just intimated to Bradford that hi
didn't care-if the opportunity offered
If he did introduce him to Mrs, Wad
die and her niece Miss Grey.
Bradford was apparently magnani.
nous; besides. he had never presented
an Earl to Miss Grey beforehand he
did the deed with satisfaction to himself
at least.
Miss Grey bowed slowly to Coniston
and then she turned her attention to {
group of lady friends sitting near, lcav
ing Coniston to tho agreeable know
ledge that he was at liberty TO salute
her the next time he met her on tn,
piazza or the corridor.
1t didn't satisfy him.
He went off and smoked cigar. an(
conjured up Cicely in the fragrance o
the Havana.
Even Cicely did not seem to be a
complete boon as he had fancied sh,
ought to be.
For five days he wandered up an,
down, and round and round the hotel
'lounging," he called it; but tho NOR,
correct term to describe these pere
CARNATIONS would bc-politely chasin.
Polly Grey.
Finally he beheld her alone. Neithe
aunt nor Bradford nor friends-Heayel
! bc praised!-were anywhere about.
He drew near the big rocker, wher
,, she sat with book in her lap; and sud
denly Coniston remembered that b
should have to say something beyon,
''good-morning," and for the first tim
! tRt9EtY-one years he actually wonder
h1whSt 1t should be.