Wichita daily eagle., 1886-03-23

IA UAlL1 EAUAEs !"
first time. He is very anxious to know Il We
are quite comfortable here, and said that be
hoped very shortly to do himself the honor Of
paying us a visit
aHm! Perhaps the lady whom you so Sg-
nally favored will come with him." said Mrs.
Cornwall, with sarcastic emphasis.
we shall see" replied her husband. HE
didn't say anything about bringing lady
with him Shall ask him to.7
aOh, dear, yes, Of course replied Mrs.
| Cornwall You must be anxious to see one
TO whom you are ever true and affection
ate after all this time. Oh, yes, ask her by
all means. 1t would be such delicate act Of
courtesy toward me- What is x. Y. Us
name!'
.Fordyce - Richard Fordyce,n replied
Charlie
The mention Of this name produced a
strange effect upon Mrs. Cornwall, which
Charlie could not fail to note: the color
left her cheeks, her breathing came
hard and fast, and her fingers began to
twitch nervously.
swell, my dear, what's the matteri7 he
asked
sOh, nothing replied Lucy.s 81 don't
feel very well l think this Scotch air is
rather too strong for me. would like to go
south again"
| Such sudden indisposi.ion of one who had
been, I'D to few seconds previously, in
robust health made Charlie Cornwall ponder.
Why should the name Of Richard Fordyce
produce such a strange and immediate effect /!
Evidently there was something below the sur
face, and as he had during the past few days
undergone an intolerable persecution at the
hands Of his wife, he was in no mood to leave
any stone unturned by which he could turn
the tables on her. So he replied:
@Nonsense, Lucy, nonsense, You haven't
been there long enough to get accustomed TO
the air, so don't talk already Of going south
when we've yet two months to run Besides,
nv dear, I'm curious about this affair of the
photograph, and when Fordyce comes I'll
ask him if he knows anything about it.
On the very next morning Charley, as he
was smoking his after breakfast pipe, saw
Fordyce coming up the garden, but, for rea-
sons of his own, he did not allow himself to be
seen, and did not go out to greet his visitor.
He listened, however, attentively, and after
hearing his wife run hastily down stairs, he
heard Mr. Fordyce's CHEEKY voice sing out:
@Why, Lucy! who would have thought of
meeting you in this out-of the-way corner,
We haven't seen each other since
Here Mrs. Cornwall, interrupting, said,
Hush. Dick, hush, I'm Mrs. Cornwall now.
We must not be as We were TO each other, for
if my husband were to know that we were
acquainted, can't think what he would do.
As it is, I'm in dreadful fix, on account Of
a photograph of his which found upstairs,
and which
At that moment Charlie, who had intently
followed the little chat up to this point, and
who feared that further absence on his part
would prevent the truth about the photograph
becoming known to him, appeared.
-Glad to see you, Mr. Fordyce," he said, ex-
tending his hand Il don't think YOU know
Mrs Cornwall-but-r
It was difficult to say who looked the more
dncomi Jrtabis Lucy Cornwall or Richard
Eof,.yce, and Charlie who now saw a chance
Of being able to pay off long arrears of jeal
oiis persecution, enjoyed their embarrass
nent thoroughly, and continued:
"i;u: perhaps YOU have met before'
"Y-yss, Mr Cornwall, think once had
The pleasure" sheepishly murmured Fordyce
"Egad." thought Charlie, he must have
made Il jolly good use of that once
rather think there's something more TO come
out
But he only said:
That's all right. then: / needn't introduce
YOU And 10 his wife's relief he went or
talking generally about the house, and the
prospects of the season, and of one thing and
aaother, until she was almost lulled into O
sense OF security, and began to think that
after all he was not so very anxious TO solve
the mystery Of the photograph. She was moi
50 well pleased however, when Charlie i'll
s:5tei that Fordyce should come back to
dinner after the days shooting, for she knew
very well that men wax very mucl
a:0re eloquent upon certain subjects over
tl.air after4iinner claret than in the presenc,
OF their wives.
So when Fordyce had gone, she seized the
J opportunity, and said TO Charlie:
Il think it is very inconsiderate of you
Charlie, when tell YOU that don't feel well
10 ask a man in to dinner
Il can't put him off now" replied her hIIs
berd: and | think he would remark YOU
absence, especially as he seems to be an old
friend of yours
Il may he imagined that Mrs. Cornwall
:,asei a sufficiently miserable day. If she
could but get hold of Fordyce, she might b,
able to stavc OH what row seemed inevitable
exposure, but he was out on the moors- She
accordingly appeared at dinner, smothermc
her anxiety under mask Of affability: anC
nothing occurred during the progress of tht
meal to render her especially unhappy. But
when she rose to leave the two men to theil
wine, Charlie said:
"You don mind smoke, Lucy, and it vii
: be uncommonly dull for you all alone in tbs
; drawing room, SO stay with US. l am sur
Mr.. Fordyce will pardon the departure from
conventiopality in shooting box
OF course, both the visitor and Lucy
gladly acquiesced.
YES, Mr.. Fordyce," said Charlie, as if il
continuation of a broken-of conversation
I'VE are exceedingly comfortable here: bu
, we might be great deal more so if
"Now it's coming groaned poor Mrs
Cornwall to herself.
If" went on Charlie, you coule
help US TO clear up little mat
ter connected with photograph o
, myself which Mrs. Cornwall found few
days ago in drawer upstairs, and for tn
existence of which | cannot for the life o
ne account, and which, no: unnaturally
perhaps, makes her :; little uneasy
What viii Dick say, l wonder.- though
Mrs. Cornwall
A photograph of you found in drawe
upstairs exclaimed Fordyce, in astonish
: rnent
Yes" said Charlie. Lucy, my dear, jus
run upstairs, and bring the photograph 70
Mr.. Fordyce to see
: Mrs. Cornwell rose and left the room
, Charlie seized the opportunity, and said 4
his guest:
Look here, Fordycc. we are men Of th
+ world, and understand each other. OF course
; see how matters stand. although the pres
ence of that photograph here is still mys
: terry TO me When was spooning Lucy,
was not such a fool as 10 believe that
|, pretty girl like her would have no othe
admirer but me. and of course, Nv
never believed her when she has toll
me that she never loved any one bu
: me. But you see she's very jealous, now tha
T have a chance of giving her lesson, don
want to let it so. Understand, eh.'
! Foriyce nodded, and Mrs. Cornwall er
tered with the photograph, which she handle
to him.
Il want you TO look at it, said Charlie. il
calm, jniicial tone. because, To be quit
candid = ith vet, i iiss cagssSi good deal @
NM iI.fc--2'.--.es .-tFsgc1, us, and when tw
pei Z E-g.A for love. II, We dii, AMI each
the others ilrst loye, such calamity as ii
feeling ought to be impossible
, Then, turning to Mrs. Cornwall, whose e1
quisite misery during this expose of the sta,
of affairs 10 an old fame may be IMAGINED
he said. ~All | want To do, my dear, l. {
clear myself in your eyes by having Il flaiIll
, proved that tai. phctogrsrfl WIS never Give.