Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-02-25
JUST TOO LATE.

and decided.
''She was very pretty"
"My dear Richard, you are really alb
surd! The girl is a hospital nurse, and
what woman with any refinement or del
icacy would take up any such profession
as thatP 1t shows she can't be nice"
Ladies' do such things nowadays
less deiiantly.
'Now, you know you are only saying
so because she is pretty. OF course Ia
dies do queer things, but that doesn't
excuse an ,unwomanly feeling. Beside,
she is only solicitors daughter.
shan't ask mamma to call.
''But don't YOU think common civil
ity-"
mo, | don't. She is only staying al
the Rectory, and we are not forced 10
call on every ones friend. Beside,
Capt. Hardwicke is expected home, and
it would make it awkward. What
would one of Lord Belmont's people say
if we asked them to meet Il girl like Miss
Traverse
''All the same, she's rs pretty and la
dy-like as anyone | ever met.
Every likely, but she is not in our
set. Now, Richard, if YOU say any
more, Shall begin to think that you
are falling in love with her, if the idea
is not too absurd. y
But Richard had closed the drawing
room door upon his six sisters languid
voices and was half way across the wide
lawn with its brilliant parterrcs of sum
mer flowers.
Poor Richard Allerdyce! only son of
the richest banker i'm Chelowdean. peo-
pie of good family, but with just that
uncertainty of social position which
made them afraid of overstepping any
boundaries, rather gratified at being on
intimate terms with Lord Belmont and
the Hardwckes, he was of divided
mind this summer afternoon.
He had been greatly taken by that
sweet face and slight figure in the Rec
tory pew last Sunday; was sensible of
thrill of more than civil interest when
be met their owner walking home with
the good old rector after service, and
was introduced to Miss Travers, while
the eyes like gray stars were suddenly
raised to his and he had ever since spent
larger portion of his time than was
strictly needful in walking past the Rec
tory's rose-covered garden gate. But
on the other side, his sisters words had
certainly struck home.
Brought up, rs all the Allerdyces
were, like dollhouse plants, sheltered
from every breath of frosty air. it was
not strange that Richard at five-and-
twenty. though big, burly enough
young Englishman to look at. was but
little of a man in heart or mind. Knowl-
edge of the world had been carefully
kept from him, as from his sisters, lest
they should learn evil but their very ig-
norance had cost them the loss of power
to choose between evil and good and had
given them weak preiudices and con-
ceited opinionativcncsS, instead of q
mind able to discern and prefer the
right.
Richards handsome face was over
cast as he swung out of the lodge gate
and down the road. Miss Travers ahos-
pital nurse! certainly it was n shock.
Not only did it seem to him unwomanly
for woman to work at all. but infinitely
more so to do mental work. And then
the awful thought of what his mother
and sisters would say, were they asked
to receive n hospital nurse rs his future
wife! For it had gone rs far rs that in
Richards susceptible mind. even in
these three short days All ut once his
thoughts broke off as Miss Travers her.
self, sweet and bright as ever, in her
black dress, came out from the RectOry
gate, the great Rcctory mastiff pacing
behind her.
Now Richard own collie was ut his
heels, and there was bitter feud of long
standing between these two faithful fol-
lowers. There was one angry growl, a
heavy rush. thud, and then brown
body and black rolled together i'm the
dust i'll Il manner suggestive of a dog
funeral on one side or the other.
Richard, who was actually staggered
by the suddcnness of it all. could not
for moment regain his senses; and
when he did it was to find Miss Travers
with both hands locked in the hair of
Rollo's shaggy neck, pulling him from
his foe with all her strength and calling
to Mr.. Allerdyce to take hold of his dog
and pull him off.
She was being whirlcd round in cloud
of dust by the frantic walters before
Richard could decide on where to take
hold, but the task was performed for
him by gentleman in tweed knicker-
bockers, who started out of the white
Hart" few yards away, and ran TO the
rescue. Between Miss Travers and him
self the combatants were separated,
each carrying off a few fragments of the
others person: and Miss Travcrs, flush
ed, painting, covered with dust, but look
inc loveier than Richard had ever seen
woman look before, sank back against
the Rectory wall and tried TO laugh. The
stranger lifted his hat, looking straight
at her, with a pair of piercing brown
eyes.
Excuse me, Miss Travers," he said,
in rather off hand manner, 'but that
was about as rash thing as any one
could possibly do. The dogs might
both have turned on YOU and bitten you. "
"Thank you, Capt Hardwicke, had
not the least fear, was her only re-
Spouse, given with little haughtiness
And then the gentleman, with a nod
to Richard, turned from them and STROBE
away as rapidly rs he had come.
"Mss Travers. are YOU hurtP You
never should have done thing like that;
Hardwicke was right; it was awfully
rash! BY the way, you know Hard
wicket"
mo. | am not hurt bit. Don't scold
me, please; know it was silly thing
10 do, but didn't stop to think. Pray
don't look so Mortified.
"But suppose you had been bitten!'
"Well, | wasn't" And her face
dimpled with a friendly smile at his
shocked look.
"But you know Hardwicke?' he per-
sisted, quite unable to get over his sur
prise in that quarter