Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-12-01

nodded, 6 she finished the accompan-
lment.
Now, Mr.. Coplestono = she said IN
her most winning tones, come and
play for me. =
took my place at the piano. and
saw PloWitz ambllag across to whore
| had left Mary with tears Of emotion in
her eyes. ~
Miss Beaufoy sang two or three songs,
and at the end Of one PlOWitz offered
his congratulations to us both, stand
ing close by. I started, having imag-
ined him quite at the other end of the
room. Miss Beaufoy looked round.
why, where is Mary7'' she asked,
| with touch of malicious merriment in
her voice.
'Miss Fortescue did not seem to care
for the music he answered with Ger
tain significance, and the two looked
straight into each others eyes.
| A few days passed, unevendully
enough though they were full Of strange
interest to me, watching with growing
interest the relations between PIoWitz
and Mary Fortescue.
The professor spent much of his timo
with Mr.. Beaufoy, but we always met
at dinner. and spent some time togeth-
or afterwards. ..~
On these occasions, Plowitz made ev-
ident efforts to overcome Mary s reserve
and l noticed, after a little while, that
though. when left apart with the doc
tor, she was exceedingly quiet and dis
tant, and took an early opportunity of
joining Miss Beaufoy and myself, yet
when relieved from the burden of q
tete a :ete she was more spirited and
conversational than usual. Perplexed
as was by her demeanor, I was be-
coming more perplexed by my own in
terest in the affair. For all his civility
and. to do him justice. Plowitz was
not only civil, he was exceedingly
charming-I had no liking for the
man. He had come to the house, l
could have sworn, disguised. / had
grave and dangerous suspicious of the
reasons. Yet could not arrogate to
myself right to interfere in his love-
affairs, still less in Mary Fortescue's.
Putting it in that light had bracing
effect on my resolve. Twas determin-
ed at least to watch the opportunity to
do what I could for her interests.
There was very evidently some sort
of understanding between Miss Beau
toy and Plowitz, and about Mary For
tescue and no understanding about
about her, in which Miss Beaufoy had
part, could, felt sure, be for her
good.
Plowitz preserved his calm and pleas
ant demealor under all the pretty OBJ
vious checks to which he was subject
ed. To be sure he did not know that /
was cognizant of them andahe sYmpa-
thies of Miss Beaufoy were so obvious
ly with him that she seemed more of
an accomplish than friend. But af-
ter little while detected something of
pique and anxiety at times in his man
ner, and Mr.. Beaufoy also showed
signs of being annoyed and anxious.
As l sat one morning in the garden
chair, Plowitz, Mr.. Beaufoy, and his
daughter were walking on the lawn in
earnest colloquy. Presently Plowitz
left them, and the father and daughter
continued their conversation. They
walked toward the house talking ear
nestly, and passed close by nae without
taking the slightest notice of my pres
ence.
''You must talk to her, said Mr..
Beaufoy in his curtest tones. ''She
must consent. 1t is our only chance"
''She is very obstinate on some
points, replied the Basilisk, '.but I
think can manage her."
"You must manage her." said Beau
foy:- You know everything depends
on it,
II will talk to her." said Giulia.
This seemed to me to threaten q
God deal; and they went into the
i.Ouse.
Mary Fortescue did not appear at
luncheon that day. She had head
ache, Miss Beaufoy said.
Plowitz looked Significantly at her.
She answered his look by saying with
emphasis: ):
"she will Re well soon.~ It won't
last" ~
Her absence seemed to remove a
wholesome restraint from the visitor.
aud he appeared to much less advan-
age than had ever seen him before.
'Will YOU walk with us this aftor-
noon, Mr.. Coplestonep" asked Miss
Beaufoy towards the end of lunch.
with very great pleasure. y l said:
"But,' interposed Plowitz, ''Miss
Fortescue will not be we'll enough"
"Oh yes, she will. A walk will do
her head good
x In about an hours time we were in
the drawing room ready to start.
"Ah,'' said Plowitz anxiously, ''Miss
Fortescue will not come" But as
he spoke she entered the room.
She looked rather pale. and l
thought I saw some traces of
tears, but she seemed cheerful; but as
Miss 'Beaufoy kept me chiefly by her
side, was obliged to watch her cousin
from q distance. Miss BeaufOy evil
IDENTIFY separated us from the others on
purpose, and I could not alter the ar
rangemont, even if l had desired to-
But Mary Fortescue appeared to be
perfectly happy, and when we got
home again Plowitz looked like new
man, triumph was in his face, as we all
strolled~ together up to the door, and
his look was reflected in colder and
more cynical form by Miss Beaufoy as
she met his eye.
If nothing else resulted from this
walk, 1t at least showed me the state
of my own feelings. Strange and dis
NAL was the revelation at such a time
that n.y. interest in Mary Fortescue
was far deeper, far tenderer, than l
had allowed myself to imagine. BIT
the contradiction of my views, the
sight of her happiness, and, most of
all, the triumph in . rivals face,
showed me that had only been calm
while ga no chance of another be-
coming to her what I had not ventured
to- put into clear thought for myself.
In the pleasant before-dinner hour.
we were gathered in the twilight in the
drawing-room. Mary greeted me and
called me to her side as came in
with what sounded to me almost like
an appeal for help, and saw, though
she did not know it, look which was
more the look of a hunted animal, than
| Of a woman who WAS happV in her