The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-05-07
this au excellent idea they sauntered out

together.
The Templetons girls were not en-.
joying themselves this afternoon. Ia
the first it was rather hot and Aunt
Selma was tired. Then Owen was in
one of his sulky moods, and had not
offered to introduce any of his friends.
He had turned rusty from the moment
he had met them at the station and
found Nab was not with them.
"What shame, leaving that poor
little thingIalones at home," he had
blurted out. II call that confoundedly y
hard of you women"
"Hush !! Aunt Selma will hear you,"
demonstrated Violet.
81 don't care who hears me. That
is so like you girls. You are always
putting on Nab, just because you
know you cannot, either of you, hold a
candle to her " Which was rude, to
say the least of it, but then brothers
will be rude sometimes, in spite of Ok
ford training.
To add to their discontinue, Ned
Beauchamp had come up to them a
little eagerly, and had at once question
ed them about Nab.
II don't see your sister, but she is,
here OF course" trying 10 speak as if
the questions were of no moment to
him, but flushing over his own words
like a girl but Pauline, who was too
self absorbed to be observant returned,
quite carelessly
"Mab is at home there was no
thought of her coming. What cur.
ious orchid, Mr.. Beauchamp | have
never seen one like that before"
Ned Beauchamp looked at the orchid
and said civil word or two, and then
detached himself from the party with
a muttered excuse he had only Just
come to show himself it was awtully
hot he must go back and work.
"Helloa why is Ned Beauchamp
taking himself off 2" exclaimed Mr..
Templeton in surprise as he joined his
eldest daughter.
81 don't know, papa he seems to be
a little odd and bearish to-day. He
used to be pleasant enough when he
stayed at Portchester Terrace but
young men will give themselves airs
sometimes"
"And so will young ladies, my dear, "
returned her father, rather maliciously.
"Well, well, young people must man
age their own affairs. Anyhow Ned
Beauchamp is capital fellow, and
worth little trouble. Why, he has
fifteen hundred year of his own now,
and when his uncle dies he will have
as much again. So you and Violet
had better do your best" continued
Mr.. Templeton, with the heavy railery
with which certain men of coarse
calibre love TO indulge.
When Ned Beauchamp had made
that excuse about his work be had
lost himself at once among a crowd
near the entrance gate. Flowers were
all very WELL. but he had no longer
any heart for them. Nab had played
him false.
People looked after the tall, broad
shouldered young fellow, with his
handsome, moody face, and many
would have greeted him, but he looked
neither to the right nor left. A sweet,
girlish face had bewitched him. She
had promised to come-at least if sill
ence gives consent-and now she had
played him false his wishes were
nothing to her he had told her he
should know what TO think. Well, he
knew what to think now
lie had reached Magdalen Cloisters
by this time, but the thought of worS
odlous to him, so he turned into the
shadowy coolness of Addison's walk
1t had never looked so delciously in
viting as it did this afternoon. Every
where green leaves, bird music, spark
les OF sunlight, and the clear summer
blue of heaven above all.
The walk seemed strangely empty
this afternoon. Ned had only passed
one persona thick set, gray.haireG
man, who was poking his stick among
the periwinkles and took no notice o.
HIM. A little farther on there was &
bench, with girl sitting on it IN
gray dress and hat with daffodils
but Ned was in no mood for curiosity
so he never turned his head. Only al
he passed the girl started up and call
ed to him in an eager voice.
"Ob, please stop, Mr. Beauchamp
We want to know where Owen is
And-and-I beg pardon for startling
you 80, but you need not have passed
me-"
Nab was stammering sadly in hei
confusion, but it was the sudden lool
OF joy in Ned's eyes that made her tril
over her words. And why had he
caught hold of her hands in that quick
excited way
"Oh, NAB, is it really you? Ant
why did your sister say you had not
come ? l thought you had played IN,
false. thought-oh cannot tel
you how mad and unhappy l felt--and
you were here all the time, my darl
ing :!
Well, it was good of Uncle Powell
to stand with his back to them so long
feeling the periwinkles leaves, wher
they had so much to tell cash other
Nab cried again little az she poured
her story into Neds ear-her despair
when they had driven away and lef
her-her sorrow at having teased him
her terror lest he should have mis-
construed her absence-the beneficient
comforter in the person of Uncle Pow
ell.
"Never mino, my Faerie Queene,
Ned had said, comforting her. 81
should soon have learned the truth, foI
l had just made up my mind to ask fol-
leave and run up to Portchester Ter
race. | know it would not have beer
right in your fathers absence, but
could not have rested without hearing
from your own lips why you had moi
come. You would not have been lonl
unhappy, but now it is much better a.
II is. But here comes your uncle, anC
l must thank him for bringing you
and then we must go in search o
Owen"
There was weary and somewha
silent little party in Owens rooms
MIR. Temple was yawning visibly, anC