The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-23

And sure enough, who should drive by, al
rapid rate, but Anna Maria, in a four
wheeled cab and without her bonnet, anG
with flower in her hair! This blow
coming so closely upon the attack of the
widow lady, was almost more than could
bear.
'Where can she be goinga" gasped l, hall
| unconsciously. Its the most extraordi
nary thing ever heard Off
81 have heard of similar things" returned
Peabody: quietly, although | never ex
| perienced any thing of the sort myself OF
course don't know where She is going TO-
but the direction she has taken is towards
st. Johns Wood"
FASTENED back to my own house, and
with the air of man who has forgotten
something, began to search in the pockets of
agreatcoat hanging up in the hall: Blythe
| by, said l. as the servant who let me in
was disappearing, 81 think your mistress
must have got it, after all. Just run up
and tell her that l want to see her for O
minute"
Emily Jane, who had been in our service
ever since we were married, turned as scar
let as her cap-ribbons.
Sir" said she, holder than brass, ''mis-
sis has just stepped out. She has taken two
OF the little girls for a morning walk
(which two!" inquired l, looking this
abandoned young person full in the face.
| Her subtle spirit was cowed by this
|
did not know-she didn't recollect-she
hadn't paid particular attention, but she
rather thought that it was the two
youngest-all in one breath.
| In that case" rejoined l, pointing
with whitening scorn to the perambu-
lator, how comes this herel No, Emily
Jane; your mistress must have taken
out with her to-day the same two chill
dren that she took on Monday and
| on Thursday, when her sore throat
was SO bad that she could not go out with
| me.n SsssV,
| twon
Emily Jane" saidI, solemnly railways
tell the truth. l know all. Where is your
mistress gone to all by herself to-day with
her hair SO neatly arranged, and dover
stuck in the left-hand side of her bead!-
and that after telling me she was too busy
| to move out. Concealment is worse than
useless. Where is shea"
| lid horses shouldn't do it," returned
| the domestic, resolutely. Il told her l
would keep it dark. and won't betray no
confidence as has been reposed in me. You
must find it all out of your own head, sir.
| o dear, oh dearm
Here, to my confusion, Emily Jane cast
her apron, by a sudden and dexterous
| movement, over her features and in that
| blinded condition rushed down the kitchen
| stairs. AT that moment the front door
bell rang with a violence such as none of
our visitors, except the Captain, ever
dare to use. Ny wretched heart seemed
to experience little throb of joy. He,
at least, then-and | confess my
| suspicious had been turned in his direction,
| for 1t was not his profession to
| guard us from foreign foes and to destroy
our domestic peace?-he, at least, l say,
unless there was more than one l dared
| not trust myself to finish the reflection,
| but opened the front door with my own
hands.
1t was somebody in uniform, but not the
| Captain.
Telegraph for Mrs R." squeaked
the boy, in his shrill, thin voice. ''Please
to sign on the right 'and side.''
| Then dancing double shuttle upon the
doorstep ia order to keep himself warm,
| he broke forth into a ballad:
| There's somebody in the house with Dinah,
There's somebody in the house, know,
There's somebody in the house with
| didn't like his impudence, and 1 didn't
like his song; but there was nothing for it
but to submit What could Anna Maria
be doing with telegraphs'
| From Rupert Merrington, Cupidon
| Villas, st. Johns Wood.
PRAY be punctual this time. / am engaged
| after twelve. | trust you will be looking
your best; not pale, as on Monday and
There's somebody in the house with Dinah
| There's somebody in the house, L
| brushed out with the receipt in my hand
and the boy snatched it and took to flight
| for he saw that | was dangerous. What
could this dreadful message mean9 Or
rather, what meaning could it have but
one! Rupert Merringtonl Not at all a
| steady sounding name, to begin with; the
! sender, too, was evidently no business
| man, or he would not have exceeded his
twenty words so foolishly. 1t had mill
tary smack all over land didn't like that
| notion-a military smackD Warrington
was, of course, an assumed name. The
handwriting was good and so far unlike
the Captains. But then people don't
| write their own telegraph messages | felt
| that some immediate action was necessary,
| or that | should be suffocated. In a coupe
of minutes L was in a hanson bound for
Cupidon Villas, in state of mind easier
| imagined than described; and yet had
often read descriptions of it in novels
which professed to describe aristocratic
life, and often had seen upon the stage
(although principally in farces) the hus-
band racked by jealous pangs.
what had there been to laugh at in that
l wondered nowl Why should the tender,
est emotions of the human heart be made
the subject of buffoonery! But what
wicked-looking set of houses were these
which | was now passing If bricks and
mortar-and especially stucco-can look
vicious, certainly st. Johns Wood possesses
patent for -
What number sr2" shouted my driver,
through the little hold in the roof. This
is Cupidon Villas"
81 am sorry to hear it," groaued |, pass
ing my handkerchief over my brow Don't
mind me, my good man" (for his coun-
tenance evinced much dismay at my voice
and manner); Il know it is not your fault
that am miserable. Please to pull up at
number six"
OF all the wicked-looking houses in Gu
pidon Villas, number six was it seemed to
me, the wickedest. The round eve which
formed its staircase window, winked vic
iously in the sunlight, and in the garden
was a little grating, as though for the pur.
pose of reconnaissance before admittance.
which was not little grating to me. The
drawing-roo shutters were closed This
latter circumstance gaveme some satisfac-
ton, since it might signify that Mr. Mer-
rington was dead; but glance at the gay
attire of the servant-girl who answered my
lation.
SIS Mrs. R withinr" inquired I,
with tone of assumed indifference.
"Well-yes, sir; but you can't see her
just at present Mr.. Merrington has a
great objection to-
"Confound Mr.. Merrington!' cried |,
pushing my way in. ~ want to see my
wife"
son your wife is it, sirl" replied the
maid, with a giggle. Then, of course,
you can go up, if you please, although it's
as much as my place is worth. You will
find than in tha Il ro N