The Washington critic., 1886-09-01

| was tnOugnttul enough TO provide
tickets for them, taking care to reserve
a seat near them for himself.
Gerald tried to laugh off my insinu-
ations as to his being in love with Miss
Maggie, but the fact was quite appar-
ent, and | knew the struggle bctwecn
| pride and affection which prevented
him from declaring his attachment
An event soon occurred which
brought matters to crisis. A tall, fine
looking man called at our studio one
morning and seemed particularly struck
with some of Gerald's pictures. In the
course OF conversation he informed
him that he was already the possessor
of his two best pictures, which, three
| years before, had made o sensation In
the exhibition at the academy. After
| purchasing little sketch my friend
had just completed he left us, and we
heard him stop and speak to Mrs. Rob
bins on his way down stairs. But [
was greatly surprised and Gerald horri.
bly, dismayed when we saw him ten
minutes afterward enter his carriage
with Maggie and drive away.
Gerald paced up and down the room
in a fury Of jealousy. My curiosity
was considerably aroustd as TO the
nature of Maggie's acquaintance with
the stranger.
81 am determined to ask her why she
went out with the fellow, and who he
aid.
Have you any right to be so in
quisitlveI | ventured to suggest.
Perhaps not, except that she knows
love her better than any one else, and
that intended to ask her to be my
wife,, he retorted, passionately.
What marry girl in her station?"
was the question which rose naturally
TO my lips.
"Ob, hang family pride in this easel
am now rich enough to fling 1t aside
for once and marry girl who will, /
know, make me happy. Besides, Mag.
gle is perfect lady. Yet / do not
understand why she drives out with
that stranger" retorted Gerald.
The lover sat anXiously at the win.
dow watching for her return. An hour
passed, and he grew gradually more
wrctched At length the carriage
drove up to the door. 1t contained no
Maggie, but the coachman handed a
note to Mrs. Robbins. Gerald rushed
eagerly down stairs and exclaimed, as
he met the housekeeper:
"Where is Maggie gone to?"
For answer she placed the note in
his hand. 1t was written in haste, and
was from Maggie. 1t ran as follows:
DEAR Mr.. DE VoIssY: Allow me to thank
you for your kind attention during my stay
In New York. | have been unexpectedly
obliged to return to Long Branch and can.
not, therefore, have the pleasure OF bidding
you good-by except by letter.
Yours truly, MAGGIE.
This was all the information poor
Gerald could CLEAN concerning the girl
he loved, for Mrs. Robbins would an
swer no questions, and when at length
he spoke OF his affection for her daugh
ter her face expanded into smiles, and
she told him not to lose hope, because
she believed all would be well, and
that Maggie returned his affection.
She advised him to write her few
lines, which she promised to post The
result was an effusion of mingled jeal-
ousy and love from Gerald, which Mrs.
Robbins forwarded that night. The
next afternoon the stranger who had
caused my companion such anxiety
again called, and we were barely civil
to him, until he handed Gerald note
from Maggie, inviting him and me
warmly to return with the bearer to
Long Branch, where she was staying.
We needed no time for reflection, but
started at once, full of anxious Gu
riosity. Our visitor was strangely
silent on the journey. Only a roguish
smile twinkled in his eye, as he evaded
our questions. We both were lost in
conjecture as to what would happen
next. AT last we arrived at II certain
well known, large hotel, and followed
the stranger" into a handsomely.
furnished private sitting room.
"lf you viii be seated, gentlemen, l
will tell Maggie you are here" !" he said
as he left the room
In few minutes he returned. They
had seemed hours of torture to Gerald.
He led Maggie up to him, and with
mock gravity said:
ALLOW me to introduce to you n
capricIos young lady in her real
character, This is my daughter, Mar
garet Livingston, known, | believe, to
you both as Maggie Robbins"
We were speechless with surprise,
and look of intense relief passed over
Gerald face. Maggie, laughing and
blushing, was very reticent in answer
ing our inquiries as to the meaning of
| the delusion practiced on us. Later
on, when she and Gerald were en-.
gagged, with her fathers consent, the
whole truth became known to us.
Mrs. Robbins was her foster mother,
and when she wanted to spend few
days in New York frequently stayed
with her. Mr.. Livingston was a
widower, and disliked the city, so he
seldom accompanied his daughter
there, Maggie confessed, to our sur.
prise, that she had known Gerald well
by sight and heard Il great deal of him
from one of her girl friends before he
| had met her,
For myself | privately coniectured
that Miss Maggie had fallen in love
with my handsome friend before even
! she spoke to him, and that her little
plan had been all arranged between
Mrs. Robbins and herself previous to
her visit to New York,
Maggie laughingly told us that she
had also heard Of Gerald's determine.
tion never to marry Il girl beneath him
In station, and that when she saw he
took her for Mrs Robbins daughter
she enjoyed the joke much, and deter.
mined to keep it up.
Well, he had to make no sacrifice OF
pride, for Margaret belonged to II good
old knickerbocker family equal to any
in the land.
! InVr1RsT,