The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-03-02

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minutes when we simultaneously
recognized Digby's noticeable face
only o few yards away from Us. j
went up to him and tapped him on the
shoulder, and be remembered rs both
In an instant . said to myself, after
little scrutiny Of his features, that he
must have been living his life pretty
fast out there in Melbourne. The last
three years had set their mark upon
him, but he was still strikingly hand.
some. and his manner was just @
bright and gay and genial as ever.
We spent the rest Of the evening to
gether, and In the course Of our talk
Il came out that Digby had met Uncle
Bert in Australia
"And do you know my cousin. Fan
ME Dasher. who is to be married on
Saturday." inquired.
81 have met her." he answered. and
then began rather hurriedly to speak OF
something else.
We, separated soon after midnight
Bob reminding me, IS we said G 1od-
night, of an engagement / bad made
with him for the following week. tie
was the owner of small yacht, and we
were TO take q cruise in her, weather
permitting, after his return from Q few
days shooting in Essex. The yacht
was then undergoing some repairs, but
by that time she would be ready for Us
at Firth.
"Now, don't throw me over old man,"
Bob eDtreated plaintively, with tale
about important business, ETC., etc. j
L~n y - 90,
days, and shall depend upon you"
"Ali right, Wilkins, / answered,
giving him the nickname which, for
certain reasons connected with then
popular song, we had fastened upon
him in our schooldays, 81 shall be in
town again, too, before then, and you
will find me as usual at the Lang
ham,"
This arrangement having been salts
factory concluded, we departed our
several ways.
The above is brief account of my &C
quaintance with Lancelot Digby; the
story of my uncle's connection with him
has yet to be told.
1t was on the following morning that
I received the telegram: that was on
Thursday, and the wedding was to take
place in two days. / wrote q note TO
Digby, at the address he had given me,
intimating my uncle's desire that he
should grace Miss Fannie Dasher's nup-
tials, and then sailed into the
street to look up friend.
At the very first corner,
came suddenly face to face with
Digby again. and repeated the sub
stance of my now superfiuous note.
THAT is q very funny joke" he said,
looking at me with an odd expression;
land if you knew all knew you would
think it q good deal funnIer." SRI
ats no joke at all" said. Here's
the telegram" / happened to have
thrust it into my pocket in tit OF abb
sent-mindedness, instead of tearing it
up, the most natural proceeding. and
now drew it out and showed it to him.
We stood in the doorway of tobacco
nist's shop, and he stared at the four
words of the message and at the send
er's name for some moments. in appa-
rent bewilderment; then his eyes
flashed with sudden comprehension,
and he broke out into loud fit Of
laughter.
'What is there to laugh at in thisa"
/ exclaimed. ~ s. ..3
81 beg your pardon, ~ he said, quickly
SOLDERING down. There is really moth
ing to laugh At I am fool. II
don't know whether j shall be able to
go; bnt I'm much obliged TO him for
the compliment all the same" And
then he hastily left me, saying that he
had an appointment to keep. a.3 .sl.
returned to my home in Liverpool
on Friday evening, without having
seen or heard anything more of Digby,
Uncle Bert lived at Southport; and the
next morning / took train which
would give me time to reach his
house about half-past ten. had
Just entered an unoccupied frst-class
carriage, when saw Digby on the
platform, arrayed in q wedding gar
ment of faultless cut and fit. I beck
oned to him from the window, and he
came in and took his seat beside me.
One glance at the man showed me
something unusual in his look and
manner. He talked i'm distract, IN
connected fashion, and once or twice
broke out into snatches Of colonial
songs He was paier too, than ordi-
nary, and. while lighting cigar. his
, hand trembled so that he could hardly
hold the match. ] did not like these
signs at ALL and began to. feel vaguely
uncomfortable and spprehensive. -,,s,
> I We took cab from the station 70 Bal
moral Lodge, one Of the largest and most
imposing looking houses in Southport,
representing the accumulated gains
of three generations of Liverpool ship
brokers. For years, there had only
been one thing wanting o to complete
my unole's earthly happiness-the af-
fliation by marriage Of our family to
the titled, class. This dream OF his
life was now about to be realized; and
/ pictured to myself the way IN which
he would come forward to receive Us,
his normal pomposity aggravated ten
fold. in order to do credit TO this occs-
J sicyp and To his ssfriend Sir Marmaduke