Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-03-05

man or YOU would have seen me before this.
Nv only object in presenting myself here is
to make my excuses personally for having
written of you in terms which expressed a
dtnbt of your honor have done you an
in tice, and beg you to forgive me-"
hafdyman acknowledged this frank
apoIogy as unreservedly as it had been
offered to 28im. ''Say no more, Lady
Lydiard. Az. let me hope now you are
here, that you will honor my little party
with your presence"
Lady Lydiard gravely stated her reasons
for not accepting the invitation.
II disapprove So strongly of unequal mar
riages." she said. walking on slowly towards
che cottage, THAT I cannot in common con
sistency, becoms one Of your guests I shall
always feel interested In isabel Miller's wei
fare; and can honestly say shall be glad if
your married life proves that my old
fashioned prejudie are without justifica-
ton in your case. Accept my thanks for
your invitation, and let me hope that my
plain speaking has not offended you"
She bowed and looked about her for Tom
mic before she advanced to the carriage
waiting for her at the gate In the surprise
of seeing Moody she had forgotten to look
hack for the dog when she entered the
snrubbery. She now called to him, and blew
the whistle at her watch chain. Not sign
of Tommie was to be seen. Hardyman In
stantly directed the servants to search in the
cottage and out of tie cottage for the dog.
The order was obeyed with all needful ac-
tivity and intelligence, and entirely without
success. For the time being, at any rate,
Tommie was lost.
Hardyman promised to have the dog looked
for in every part of the farm, and to send
him back in the care of one Of his own men.
With these polite assurances Lady Lydiard
was obliged to be satisfied. She drove away
in very respondent frame of mind. First
Isabel and now Tommie," thought her lady
ship. II am losing the only companions who
made life tolerable to me-"
Returning from the garden gate, after TAX
ing leave Of his visitor, Hardyman received
from his servant handful of letters which
had just arrived for him. Walking slowly
over the lawn as he opened them, he found
nothing but excuses for the absence Of guests
who had already accepted his invitations.
He had just thrust the letters into his pocket
when he heard footsteps behind him, and,
looking round, found himself confronted by
Moody
"Halloo! have you come here to lunchg'
Hardyman asked, roughly.
~ have come here, sir, with a little gift
for Miss Isabel. in honor of her marriage"
Moody answered, quietly. "And ask your
permission to put it on the table, so that she
may see it when your guests sit down to
luncheon"
He opened jewelers. case as he spoke, con-
tanning plain gold bracelet with an lnscrlp-
ton engraved on the inner side: ITO Miss
Isabel Miller, with the sincere good wishes
of Robert Moody"
Plain as it was the design Of the bracelet
was unusually beautiful Hardyman had
noticed Moody's agitation on the day when
he had met Isabel near her aunt's house, and
had drawn his own conclusions from it. His
face darkened with a momentary Jealousy
as he looked at the bracelet IAN right, old
iarity. Don't be modest Wait and give
it to her with your own hand"
''No, sir" said Moody. II would rather
leave it, if you please, to speak for itself" =,
feeling which dictated those words, and,
without well knowing why, resented It: He
was on the point of speaking, under the in
fuence of this unworthy feeling, when
IsabePs voice reached his ears, calling to him
from the cottage.
Moody's face contracted with a sudden ex-
preston Of pain as he, too, recognized the
voice. "Don't let ma detain you, sir" he
said, sadly. "Good morningl"
Hardyman left him without ceremony
Moody, slowly following, entered the tent;
AL the preparations for the luncheon 6 had
been completed; nobody was there. The
places to be occupied by the guests were in
dictated by cards bearing. their names.
Moody found Isabel's card, and put his
bracelet inside the folded napkin on her
plate. For awhile he stood with his hand
on the table, thinking. The temptation to
communicate once more with Isabel before
he lost her forever was fast getting the bet
ter of his powers of resistance ''f 1 could
persuade her to write word to say she
fiked her bracelet he thought, lit would be
q comfort when go back to my solitary
nfe." He tore leaf out Of his pocketbook
and wrote on it: "One line to say you ac
cept my gift and my good wishes. Put it
find it when the company have left the tent"
He slipped the paper irto the case which
held the bracelet, and instead of leaving the
farm as he had intended, turned back to the
shelter of the shrubbery.