Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-15


Miriam Creswick, l should scarce
ly have believed this Of your
Miriam colored scarlet, and tap.
ped her foot Indignantly on the
floor. "It was your own fault, Mr.
Wylde."
at was-and l accepted the con-
sequence oft" he answered calm
". ~ would rather be myself than
you, Miss Creswick. Adisappoint-
ed man may yet find some sweet
drops in the cup Oflife, but a heart
less flirt can never wholly respect
herself or be respected by Others "
Miriam bit her lip. 1t was not
such fun, after all, to be lectured
after this fashion by the man she
had befooled so delightfully."-. Nor
did she regret the soft sound of
Constance Dale's football on the
porch fiOor-a sign that her tete-a-
tete was at an end.
zone would really think had
been committing a state crime !"
said Miss Creswick to herself, her
cheeks still blazing and her eyes
sparkling in the moonlight. "Con-
nv may entertain him now if she
pleases-Tll have nothing more to
say to him." And altogether it
was a decided relief when Miss
Miriam Creswick and her trunks
departed for Cape May.
alas Mr.. Dalton come, aunty p
was her first eager question when
she arrived at the huge, swarmlng
hotel, aud began to unpack her
treasures of gauze, Grape and lus'
trous silk.
"This morning." Mrs. Creswick
answered, with an air of self-satis-
fed pride. $50 stylish and dis
tipgue he is, toO-the handsomest
man in town, l think" Miriam
smiled proudly-hOw long ago
those moonlight evenings at the
old Dale farm seemed to her now
Poor Wylde, but what else could
he have expected. Who can play
with edged tools without mourning
the risk of cut fingers Z"
ado you suppose he'll send up
his card, aunt ~ she asked "or
wait for a less formal introduce
ton y
But Mrs. Creswick could only
leave the answer to this question
for fate to develop. And it hap
pened that Miss Creswick and Mr.
Dalton met that very evening.
Miriam was standing in the door
way, a feecy cloud of white, with
roses in her hair and cOrsage, when
suddenly the color deepened some
what in her cheeks. AUNT she
whispered, she's here"
ale, child? Whom on earth do
you mean?"
"Don't you remember-the par
sons nephew, out at Edgedale, that
| told you about"
"Where ~ asked Mrs. Creswick,
putting her gold eyeglasses to her
eyes.
"There-by the door See, he's
coming this way. Why, auntie,
he's bowling to you"
But Mrs. Creswick, without hear
ing her neice's last words, rushed
forward allsmiles and graciousness.
$50 happy to meet you, Mr.. Dali
ton. Allow me the pleasure of
presenting you to my niece, Miss
Creswick.D And Miriam found
herself Involuntary cOurtesying
Percy Wylde!
Aunt Creswick, the only one who
was entirely unconscious, smiled
and simpered as only a well-sea-
soned dowager can.
"And when did you arrive from
Europe, Mr.. Dalton ~ she inquired.
81 did not come directly from Eu-
rope, Mrs. Creswick," the young
man answered with a slight smile.
81 have been spending the summer
with a relative at Edgedale."
Mrs. Creswick stared. "At
Why, Miriam has been
there. l wonder you didn't meet
her."
81 had that pleasure said Mr..
Dalton, with slight inclination OF
his head. "Miriam ~ cried Mrs.
Creswlck, "yOu never told me-"
because she herself did not
know said Mr.. Dalton, smiling.
"At Edgedale / 90 by the name of
Percy Wylde, in adherence to a
fancy of my uncle, who never loved
my fathers name or family, And
if Miss Creswick told you any
thing about me, she should have
merely mentioned me as one of
those country hearts it was her
'pastime' to break ere she should
return to town.
He bowed and turned calmly
away, while Mrs. Creswick was
still In a maeI-strom of perplexity ?
'Miriam l don't understand this at
Ill y she cried.
But Miss Creswick did. She
understood that her own folly had
Ost her a rich husband.
And when Constance Dale mar
led Mr. Dalton she was forced to
,e content with the very seconda-
., .,oasf.op &c fret hriIpQmai1