The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-04-14

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pale, refined face, which seemed 70 tell Of .
higher origin than that which her sur
r0undings would suggest; and, according
to her own account OF herself, she was quite
without friends in the place, and her only
word. 80 Brabazon took her under his
wing, made up his mind to considerable
outlay on hoT behalf, told the doctor to
order what he liked and send the bill in to
him, and made a sensible and generous ar
was young and he was in love. and who is
not inclined to generosity under such cir
cumstancesl
Naturally Miss Medlar was bound to hear
Of what Brabazon had done-and hear of II
she did, and, of course, she put the worst
construction possible on bis conduct.
Shocked, - she was, at the awful thought
of young officer taking a charitable In
terest in poor girl who was to all intents
and purposes friendless but for him. am
Of intense satisfaction, for here she had
weapon which she could use against that
contemptuous profigate, and with effect.
30 letter after letter was written to Learn
ington, describing in no measured language
Brabaxon, at which the whole town was
represented as standing aghast, and making
instnuatt0ns Of the very worst character,
suggesting falsehoods, and then accepting
her own suggestions as facts, until Mrs.
ask him what was the origin Of all these
stories. Then he, unwillingly and in few
words, for he was singularly averse to
blowing his own trumpet. gave the history
Of his meeting with the girl, Lucinda Cut
and we may be sure that Gwendolen at
least exalted him higher than ever in her
heart, and looked upon him as indeed .
very king among men. But her mother
was not In love with Brabazon, though she
| bod 10,
what weak woman, she allowed Miss Med
lars insinuations to take certain amount
of root in her heart, and did not utterly
weed them out. That worthy woman had
promised in her last letter that she would
''cOllect further evidence" and she fully
intended to keep her promise.
Meantime spring was coming on, and
BrabazOn's preparations for the expected
visit OF his flancee was already progressing
He was dressing. one afternoon. prepara-
Redfern. of the 099th, then stationed at
Portland, burst into the room.
II say. Brabazon," he said, $50 glad to
have caught you in! You promised the
other day to give me the name of the man
believe you did give it me, but / never
can remember names; just write 1t down
for me, and his address, like good fellow.
want him to fit out my little craft, and
think you said you could recommend him. :"
to-" said Brabazon. "He is very civil, and
his prices are not high. You can look for
yourself. You will find full particulars as
to his name and address on that bill lying
there. don't know il you are an expert
in matters nautical"
"Not l." laughed the young fellow II
don't know bowsprit from a bolster; but
I'll take your word for it. Here, give me a
sheet of paper, and I'll copy off his address,
or I'm sure to forget it."
Tear M q of the beading ef the bill, old I fel.
you to stay, but I'm going out riding. and
east wind"
"Don't mention it," said the other. 'Tm
in a hurry myself--rhany thanks-ta ia !"
Returning an hour or so later, Brabazon
was surprised to see the well-known figure
| Of Miss Medlar disappearing down the lit
| tlo lane which leads as short cut and from
the barracks. "Can she have been to see
me!' he thought, and he seemed to remem-
ber that this was one Of her seasons for levy
ing her blackmail. Sure enough, on arriv-
| ing at his rooms he learned from his serv-
ant that Miss Medlar had called. that she
had been evidently annoyed at his absence,
but that, unable to find a sheet Of paper,
she had left withoutd doing so, apparently in
| q great rage. 80 much the BETTER" said
BrabazOn to himself. Il should not wonder
but what that old mischief-maker is at the
bottom of these yarns that they've got hold
| he little imagined how terrific mine Miss
Medlar was preparing to explode beneath
him.
Only a few days elapsed, when he found
handwriting. She did not usually write,
but, no doubt, she had something to say AZ
to his getting them lodgings, in view Of
their promised visit. He opened it, glanced
down the first sheet, got very red, turned
that was not a blessing, flung the letter on
| the floor. "Confound meddling old harri-
I danl" he exclaimed. and then he picked up
the letter and read 1t once more. Mrs.
Bracebridge wrote to say that Miss Medlar
had informed her that she was in possession
Of perfectly irrefutable evidence proving
| that Captain Brabazon was utterly false to
Gwendolen; that he had become entangled
with the miserable young woman whom he
pretended to he charitably assisting, but
who was simply a designing adventures,
prompt him to secret marriage with
her, even IL such union had not already
taken place. These we're serious charges
she was unwilling to believe them; could
Captain Brabazon disprove theml OF
course, when his first anger was over, he sat
cOuched In eager and somewhat contempt
nous terms, and then, having written his
letter, he hurried of to demand full and
explicit statement from Miss Medlar, but,
alas for him that crafty lady had fed, and
had not even left her address. He could
| only wait and hope. In due course Mrs.
Bracebridge's reply arrived, but its Ian
guage was stiff and unsympathetic.
mo one," she said, ''would rejoice more
than herself il Captain Brabazon could
make good his assertions; but she must re-
mind him that assertion was not proof,
while Miss Medlar's Information was, she
must own, supported by evidence Of such
strong order that she must beg of him to
discontinue all correspondence with Gwen
dOlen until such time as he could satisfact-
| orily clear himself Of the charges laid
against him." And she added this, to him,
incOmprehensible remark, "YOu must be
aware, even IL given with the most inno-
| cent intention, the unsual and expensive
presents which have passed between you
and that unhappy young woman must COM
unprejudiced person." And thus he felt
the matter must rest until he could get
leave for day or two, to run up to Lea
mington and meet the enemy face to face
| for he gathered that Miss Medlar and her
| precious evidence had found an asylum in
his fiancee's. home. Turning over the en-
velope in his perplexity, his heart gave Q
great bound on noticing that the motto OF
the Bracebridge's had been neatly erased,
and tiny ''semper esdem'' inserted under
meath in the daintiest .penmanship. There
he might have known it-she was as true
as steel, and he felt load removed from
his mind.
Now, then; he could be more content ID
wait until his turn came. One more letter
however he wrote donvin1 with still great