Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-12

!" Do you know . place called the
Priory, at Leeford?"
Yes /; II is Sir James woolton's;
be wants TO let It,"
lie has let it, and we have taken
it," said Dalton.
was so completely astonishod at
this news that | could only stare At
Miss Dalton, who returned my glance
with interest.
The priory was one of the finest
places in the country, and most ex-
peusive one to keep up, as Sir James
had found. But the idea Of having
Ethel Dalton for neighbor filled inc
with delight, and expressed ny salts
fiction and hoped We might be good |
friends.
AS we are to lie neighbors," said |
Jim Dalton, "will you come in tonight |
ard have pipe and rubber wi;h
usg"
81 shall be very pleased" | replied
with alacrity - but | am net much of |
a hand at whist"
"Well, that doesn't matter; we'll |
play any thing you like" said jim, with
laugh.
was in the act Of lighting cigar
as be spoke, and as | blew out the
match | looked up suddenly and say
him turn toward his sister with an ex- !
preston so stern, so menacing, that l /
fairly started. The next moment 1t |
bad vanished.
"Miss Dalton, said, " will you let
me be your escort tonight? Suppose
we 20 round the lake and look at the
illuminations there is an hour before
the fireworks, and you must be tired |
of sitting here"
She assented readily, and We saun-
tered out Of the light Of the lamps into
the dim obscurity Of the side-paths.
1t was hot, sultry night, with scarce
ly leaf stirring; the fife.iiies flashed
like living gems in and out of the trees,
and the distant strains of the orchestra
sounded dreamily in our ears. The
darkness, the heavily scented atmo-
sphere, the close proximity OF my COM
panion, thrilled me with rapture. |
took the little soft unglOved hand rest
ing upon my arm, and pressed it to my /
lips, trembling at my boldness; but
Ethel did not resent it, If anything,
she drew a trlho closer to me, and to-
eeiher We leant over the iron ratings |
surrounding the illuminated lake, while
torrent Of hot, imprisoned words
ru3hed msdly TO my lips. Ia another
instant | should have told her that |
loved her, but her voice checked me.
Looking up, her graceful head on
level with my shoulder, she said softly: |
Mr.. Brooke, will you do me
favor "
81 will DO anything you ask me- l
replied eagerly.
"You must not think my request |
strange, either. ! should not dare to ask |
it Of any enc but you--6ut you are 50
kinG--st-"
SIZE paused, as if unable to proceed.
And what is this favor, fair
lady" asked lightly, though feeling
deeply fattered.
% want you to promise me that you
will rot play high tonight. You must
know that my brother has a propensity |
for eambling-in fact, it has on several |
occasions got him into dreadful trouble,
and wc are naturally very anxious 70
check it. OF course, one cannot put
stop TO it altogether, but you can easily |
leave off playing when you choose, or
when you think the stakes are too
high"
She spoke sadly, and with a degree
Of hesitation and unwillingness that /
excited my sympathy.
- Leave it to me-" said ; " ! pro- /
mise you not 70 let him get INFO trouble F,
through me-"
Miss Dalton thanked me gratefully,
ard for tho remainder Of the evening
was so fascinating that | quite lost
sight Of the fact that if her brothers. |
propensity for gambling was so eXces-
siye his father should have been the
last person to encourage 1t.
We saw the fireworks, which termi-
mated in wonderful representation Of
Blondin crossing the lake on bicycle
amid a shower Of rockets and many
colored fires, and then walked back TO
the hotel where was ushered into the
Daltons' apartments. Ethel mixed me
a brandy and soda with her own fair
hands, bid us goodnight with warn
ing glance at me, and then we sat dogn
to bsccarat.
We played on till the small hours
the elder Dalton seemingly as much in
terested as his sou-and with tluctus-
ating success. When we rose | h11
lost &" fvor."
So far, SO good no harm was done
at present.
But that night was the beginning Of
many others spent at cczrte or baccarat .
in The Daltons' rooms.
The first week | won, certainly only .
small sums, but so persistently that !
felt rather ashamed of myself than not. /
However, my luck did not last; one /
night retired from the contest minus .
elO0. Now, situated as was in those .
days, 800 more or less was of no 7.
especial consequence to me. | had .
plenty Of money-in fact, a great deal .
moro than knew what to do with, and /
was rather relieved than otherwise at .
being able to refund what | had al
ready won; but my feelings on the
subject underwent change at the end
of month, when made the discovery
that | was $1,000 poorer than had
been at the commencement Of my &C
quaintance with these worthy colonisls.
Then for the first time | bethought me
of Ethel's warning, which l'had clean
forgotten; and ] came to the rapid con-
clusion that both father and son we're
confirmed gamblers and up to all the
tricks Of the trade. Had it not been
for Ethel, and my love for her, should
have gone a bit further, aud put them
down as pair OF sharpers; but for her
sake / could not allow myself to look
upon them so unfsyorably.
To allay my uncomfortable suspi-
cions, l wrote to my bailiff in Down