Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-06-12
C0NISTON'S COURTSHIP.

ii.'u JueI Aol' 'ci SHl put IN his pocket
long letter from hi friend and pa tnar,
Sir Campbell Frazer, in which that gen
tleman announced that affairs at the
Ranch of San Eosa lie we've going on per-
fcctly, bat that lie must beg his "dear
old ia k to tut off his sailing date lst
fortnight, as he now found that he
could not be in New York possibly be-
fore the clcs; of the month (Octobcr) or
later.
ConIston was in the midst of frown
over this piece of Intelligence as he
glanced over the paper. lie hated
America and the Americans; he longel
to put the sea between himself and this
displeasing nation; he yearncd for
''shoo.ing' and the Highlands; lie
scorred the gayctics of all the American
watering places and stopped at the Pa
vilion-sJlely, as he openly avowcd, be-
cause Brighton was al English name for
place, AMI for the other reason that
here he was within an hour Of Pier SO
North River, and could step on board
Gulon boat at almost moments warn
ing. Coli ton, therefore, chafcd under
the intliction of an add tional fortnight
in the land of his lcah NC. Albeit the
Ranch of San Resale wa, adding q con-
siderable number OF thousands to his in
come, he stil-just at this particular mo-
mcnt--wishcd it at the bottom of the
Rcd Sea.
Perhaps, too, he mingled with the af-
flictions of the exile some memories of
Lady Cicely Howard, AID the strange
penchant he had Lad for her during the
last London season.
Howeverthis may be, Coniston's vacant
eyes at this juncture took in very neat
little fieue as it advapccd in the cabin;
it was followed hy another-a plump,
midd.e-aged lady's figure, much bur-
dcned with shawls and wraps, and evil
IDENTIFY in deadly peril of asdraught, for
before seating itself, both the neat little
figure and the plump duenna examined
carefully the fasten ngs of all ad AGENT
windows.
This one seems tightly closed, Aunt
Doriada,' the girl said, in her clear,
light voice.
Horrible American tone, calculated to
lacerate fog" mentally commented his
lordship.
"No, Polly, no; I am sure"
Polly. ye gods" sollloquized the
earl. ".,uggestive only of comic opera,
milkmaids and par! OTIS. And she has
SHIRT har.-he never coald abide short
haired woman. And she was small.
Small women had always, from youth
up, constitu. cd his pet aversion Dress
in brown; brown as color was dis
trcssing, in fact it was no color at alln'
Coaiston had all his nations prejudice in
favor of brilliant hucs.
She is alert, bright, vivacious; all that
woman should not be; what contrast
to Cicely, who was the perfection of
languor, dreamincss and rcposc!-and
yet Cicely was sometimes rather of
bore.
He wond red if this young person was
a bore2 Now that he inspected her, he
observed that she had certain retcence
of face aud manner that was wholly I'm
American. She had see lin looking at
her, of course. BY Jovc. whe was his
paper? on the floor! and yet for some in
scrutablc reason she did MT return his
gaze sqlia:cly out of those large eyes of
hers. 1t was strange! 1t struck Conis-
ton as remarkable fact, worth record
ing, Tat h. had encountered one Ameri-
can gill who declined to recprocate the
debate attentions of his eyes.
Why! there came Bradford! such a
capital fellow for an American.
Bradford knew her
She smi,el at Bradford, and allowed
him to sit beside her, and gave him her
wrap to hold.
TO he sure, Coniston remembered that
he had always thought bradford very
much of cad, and not nice fellow by
any means.
And Bradford held her wrap, and they
oil went off the boat together in the
fricndlest sort of fashion with the maid
trotting after them with the satche!s and
dogs.
No, he had always had special aver
sion for that Bradford. And as for small
women, with Short hair, dressed in brown
well, lis di gust for them was not to
be measured b. any language.
Nevertheless, as Con;ston willy argued
with himself, "a man must fill up Ii s
time;" so, in an olf-hand way he lust in
timatcd 10 Bradford that he didn't care
If the opportunity oifercd-i' he did in
troduce him to Mrs. Waddlc and her
niece, Miss Grey.
bradford wasapparently magnan mo is
besides, he hal never presented an carl
to Mss Grey before he did the
decd with satisfaction to himself ut
least
Miss Grey bowed slowly to Coniston,
and then she turned her attention TO a
group of lady friends sitting near, leav-
ing Conf ton to the agreeable knowledge
that he was at liberty to salute her the
next time he met her on the piazza o. the
torri or.
1t Didn't satisfy him.
lie went off and smoked cigar, and
coninred up Ciccly in the fragrance OF
the Havana.
Even Cicely did not seem to be rs COM
plcte a boon as he had fanc!cd she ought
to be.
For five days he wandered up and
down, and round and round the hotel
"loung,n g," he called it; but the more
correct term t. describe these pcrcgrina-
tion would be-politely chasing Polly
Grey.
Finally he bchcld her alone Neither
aunt nor Bradford nor friends-heaven
he pralScd-were anywhe;e about.
lie drew near the big rocker, where she
sat with book in her lap, and suddenly
Coniston remembered that he should
have TO say something beyond "good-
uorning," and for the first time in forty,
one years he actually wondered what il
should be-
She srarcd him the attemnt however