Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-03-04
could YOU not guessp" murmurod .

L had, rs Miss George stated, few;
but YOU saw them this morning."
"Was there none this afternoon"
"Onc," said Mike, shortly; "a most
bold and unladylikc affair. However.
l wasn't surprised when l saw who IL
came from"
Oh, Michael! Michael! / think had
You know that poor little valentine
came from Georgia you would have
thought il the most charming idea In
the world.
AS this point Of the conversation
Mary Croft dropped her spoon with o
loud clattcr. and in the laugh that fol.
lowed her crimson cheeks were un.
noticed. Poor George, on the contrary,
turned pale and neither moved nor
spoke.
Mary Croft was in agony. Every
moment she expected TO see her fall
with crash to the ground; yet she
dared not say anything.
Very soon the guests rose from the
table and George escaped from the
room where Mike followed her.
"You will have this waltz with mei'
he asked.
"No." she answered hoarsely. al
couldn't My head
"You arc not woll," he said eagerly;
"lct me get YOU some wine"
Don't" she gaspcd; 'go away"
"But YOU are ill.," he pleaded.
Come iuto the cool conservatory. But,
no. YOU are shivering. Go and lie
down"
Il am not ill.," answered George,
with m effort. III am only
But thc words died away on her lips
and her eyes filled with tears.
A sudden thought flashed across st.
Michacls mini
"Why, you never" he stammered,
"you never sent
"lcN did, cried George, her voice
quivciing. "but ann bold and unlady-
like, aud YOU were, Of course, not SUR
prised when you saw where 1t came
from"
"But l thought"--he began, but
George had vanished.
Not one word would she say TO him
when she returned to the drawing
room. She was flushed and excited.
and Mike saw when she was standing
alone that there was weary look in
her hazel eyes.
He went up to her.
"Nliss George, wont yod say good
night?" but she turned away her head
without n word. aud when the last
adicu had bc,n said she dragged her.
self YEARLY to her bed with heavy
heart.
81. Michael Delaney went home to
THE ROYAL Inn" in most unenviable
state of mind. What fool he was, he
thought. Why couldn't he have seen
that the innocent joke was too piquant
to have cmanated from that Bingham
girl.
Now he hal MORALLY offended the
only woman he hail ever loved. What
was To be doncp He would write her
q letter. Yes. that was best.
He began his letter and tore IT up;
three other drafts followed, but none
gave him satisfaction. So at last, hay.
inc scribblcd until almost daylight, he
gave mp in despair and went to bed. re-
solving he would call in the morning.
At nine o'clock he rose and dressed
with more elaboration than usual and
started on his visit. He found Mrs.
Croft in the drawing-room and she
greeted him with a smile of welcome.
"Gcorgic'S in the morning.room,"
she said in reply to his question.
INLAY 20 to hcr?" he asked. IL
dare say you know what about3"
Mr.. Croft nodded and laughed.
"Wcll. YOU shall have ten minutes.
She is really too tired TO do much talk
ing"
lie crossed the entrance hall, passed
up the staircase and knocked at the
door Of a room ON the right. Georges
voice cried Come in," aud very
weary. listleSs voice it was.
lie entered. She. thinking 1t was n
servant. did not turn around. Mary
Croft was sitting by table writing,
but rose and left the room when shp
had shaken hands with Mr.. Delaney.
George started and colorcd violcC:'y
when She saw who the visitor was.
Miss Georgia" he began, abruptly,
"woh't YOU forgive me3"
No answer.
"Will you not believe that l had no
idea that it came from you9 That II l
had known
~ would not make matters worse II
were YOU" she said. her face flaming
with Indignation. "of course. II you
had known it came from mo YOU would
have thought me bold and nnlady-like
all the same. only You would not have
said so. But you did know-and to
say that when YOU saw where it came
from that you were not surprised. Oh,
that was the most cruel cut Of ALL"
But" he cried. not knowing wha,
argument TO adopt. - did not know
I had not the slightest idea"
III you thought it bold and unlady-
like in any one else, why should you
think il different in me3"
"Georgic." he exclaimed. passion
a,cly. "can you not sec that l think
you perfection in all you do3"
But her pride had raised a barrier
between them that was not easy to de-
molish. Poor st. Michael Numbered
on;
"Will you not forgive few hasty
words? When l found that little
pacLe, on my mantcl-piecc l thought
it might be from you, but the writing
was so like Miss Bingham's and so un-
like yours that | thought 1t must be
from her. You know, George, i