The Washington critic., 1886-11-06

~ MOuHl bDI Dt lUO fDNitn iVl
seeing him suddenly again like this.
SO, throwing himself on the bed in his
room at the Grand Hotel, he fell
asleep.
When Dick awoke It was Q in the
afternoon. Tubing and unpncking
took an hour, and then he had to go
out and buy tall hat After this he
directed the cabmen TO the house in
Park street.
The shady Mayfair street looked
bright and pleasant as his hanson rat
tied along, the houses smartened up
for the season with new blinds, and
window boxes full of daises and spirea.
A light breeze blew In his face, and q
couple Of fair haired girls in pink cot
ton made q bright patch against the
gray-toned d hou ies. BY Jovel how aw-
fully nice 1t all was, after India A
men might be very happy in London
with charming wife who would know
how TO give little dinners, and the club.
and the theatres, and the park.
Pulling up at the house Jacks jaw
fell. There was an awning from the
door to the curbstone with crowd Of
urchins and nursemaids gaping on
each side. The street was full of car
riagcs, too. What did IL mean? Then
Dick remembered that Mrs. Lennox
gave O great many afternoon parties.
Well, II was deuced disappointing, he
said to himself, when you had come
all the way from India to see a woman,
to find she was giving one OF those in
fernal kctlledruns the very day you
arrive.
Inside the house there was the usual
elbowing, well dressed crowd that you
see any afternoon In the season In My.
fair Boys In gray coats, with pink
carnations In their button holes, logged
old clubmen in brown coats and white
gardenias. In the dning.room, hook.
nosed dowagers were foraging for ices,
while on the landing frisky matrons
loitered with their temporary swains
On the stairs Dick met woman he
knew, an enthusiastic girl of forty
three, who was dressed in more iuvc.
nile garb than when he had last seen
her. Murmuring Charmed to see you
back-happy occasionl" she tripped
past him.
Happy occasion, was III" said Dick
to himself, wishing his gushing ac.
quaintance and the rest of the guests at
the bottom of the sea. 1t would have
been a happier occasion still IL he could
have found his Dorothy alone in her
amber tinted room.
When Captain Irtou reached the
door he could see Mrs. LenuoX stand
ing in the midst of small crowd Of
people, who all seemed to be talking
at once. BY Jove how fetching"
she looked in her silver gray gown,
with a huge bouquet of orchids, and
that gray tullo thing she had on her
head Was that new fashion, Dick
wondered, for women to wear bonnets
at their own "at honest? And there
was that ass Shorthorn close beside her,
with particularly fatuous expression
on his face 1t was high time he had
written, Dick thought; 1t was high
time he had come. Why, the fellow
was far gone-,over head and ears;
Dick could see that by the way he ap.
propriated Mrs. LcnnoX with his eyes.
Then one of the circle moved away,
and Dorothy turned and saw Captain
Irton at the door. She looked as If
she had seen ghost. Coming for.
ward, he took her hand, and then he
saw that something was wrong. With.
out a word, she motioned him into an
adjoining room, which for the mo-.
ment was empty.
Good God !" she whispered, "why
have you come now? wired that
you were not TO come, that it was toe
tate. i wrote, too, but you cannot
have got my letter..
"Ioo tate, Dorothy What do you
mean? Your telegram said de not
come too ldte.' Well, started the
next day"
Poor Dick" she said, at last, "what
q dreadful mistake you have madel
DO not come. 1oO late, was the mes
sage sent. Did you not remember
that there are no full stops in telegra-
ply? was married an hour ago to
Lord Shorthorn. Come in and let me
introduce you to my husband.
And this was Dick Irton's little mis-
take. There are no fullstops in tel
egraphy, but when, ten minutes later,
Dick saw Lord and Lady Shorthorn
drive Off amidst showers of rice and
slippers, he knew that he had had q
moral full.stop which he would re.
member all his life.-l London World.