Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-29
blushed 70 The tips Of Der fingers.

"Er"--with his eyeglass up" such q
, very strange woman Do you not think
80, Miss Young? To be here, you
/ know I?
Mary murmured something which the
Major could not catch. for the woman in
question was speaking loudly. "Yes. it
is dreadful thing to DO estranged from
ones family" she was saying. 81
should know ii IL any one does"
81 did not know--er-that such peo-
pie had a family" was tho Majors NUT
tered commentary.
"But," the lady in black continued.
what never would have believed the
unkindDess l have received from my
family abroad. Ny /own brother"
"Er-she is quite character said
the Major. He turned to the Dean, but
found him inattentive. "Quite char
acter." be continued, "er-Miss
Young"
"Oh, quite" said Mary family.
Then the Major, who was not fool,
his manner notwithstanding, detected
something amiss in Msry's tone. Look
ing up quickly he found her coloring
and confused and saw something was
wrong. He wondered amazedly what it
was, but groped in vain, and gradually
forgot the incident and its cause in muir
muring matters more interesting to him
self if not TO her.
but it CHANGED that after dinner he
fingered behind the Dean a moment.
There we're only Angelo and Beppo in
the room when he rose.
"Who IA the lady in black who sat
er-there and talked SO loudly, Angelo ?"
he asked, moved only by lazy curiosity.
Angelo shrugged his shoulders and
spread out his hands, while his curly
, hair sped down to his eyebrows and back
again. DWELL, sare," she answered,
"she says-but there Pouf y And
again his scalp made forced march.
"Well. what does she say?"
"She says she is the sister Of the Eng
lish gentleman you dine with"
"Wbat7" incredulously, emphatically.
"what ?"
"she say so. He say no. with in
difference.
Impossible Major Macdonald
cried.
"She say 30. He say no" repeated
} Angelo with q superb shrus.
The Major paused a moment to take it
into take in even the idea of it, and
moved away in maze. OF course the
report was preposterous. absolutely so.
He had the Deans word for it that it was
not true. And yet-and yet the Deans
stiffness and Mary rs EN- barrassment when
their attention had been called to this
woman had not escaped him. He sent
some excuse to the Dean by one OF the
servants and hurried to his quarters. If
the truth must be told, he felt very I'M
comfortable, being the man he was.
For he had one weak spot in his
character, had Andy Macdonald. He
feared one thing to excess. and that was
scandal. That the breath OF it should
come near him or his ! Pah, the thought
sickened him. He was Scotch proud,
honest, not very dull. He had never
himself done anything OF which no was
ashamed, nor to the best of his belief
had his people. He was manly in his
way. He loved Mary Young much, but
he feared scandal more. Poor Mary
However she knew nothing yet, what
ever she may have thought of his sud-
don indisposition. Nor did she or her
father even hint at possibilities until the
next afternoon. Then, as they were
driving to the Gymkhana-the fortnight
" garrison sports-in one of those pony
chaiscs the hire OF which seems so ridl-
culously low, the Dean said, " L suppose
Macdonald will be here to give US tea ;"
ooh, yes, / think he said So" Mary
replied hurriedly But her face fell. The
Il 49,, J, IL, hnr ho1 lOef
its SAVIOR, or she her zest.
On reaching tho course they went at
once to the stand reserved for the Off
GERS friends. and she was quickly sur
rounded. But all the homage in the
world was nothing to her now unless
Andy Macdonald was OF the party. And
he had not come.
He appeared presently, but in COM
pany with the Druitts, and i'll at ease.
Even when he left them and came to her
there was stiffness in his manner which
she had no difficulty in interpreting.
Yesterday his passion had shown him
shy and awkward but to-day he was
silent and morose-a conscience stricken
man. And Mary knew, poor girl, that
something OF her mastery over him was
gone.
But she hid her painbravely. She sat
with the Druitts at one of dozen little,
tea-tables that were set out before the
stand, and made believe to be the gayest
of the gay. Her train of Subalterns
never dwindled, the hum about her 4.
never died away. her laugh never qua
vered. She looked into the Majors
troubled eyes and gave no sign. The
Dean stood on the outskirts of the group,
his teacup in one band, his saucer in the
other, his head delicately poised and
felt happy again in the full enjoyment of
the sunshine and laughter and prettiness
about him-felt himself lie was even
laying down the law to the Colonel,
when there broke in upon their chat a
third--a Naior RitserdoD, one of Mac
donuld's brother officers and a steward
OF the sports. dean, ho said warmly,
after word of greeting, "why did you
not write for another ticket y"
"Another ticket the Dean repeated.
"For what purpose? You were good
enough to send me two"
"for your SISTER," replied Ritherdon,
in perfect innocence.
Fer whom? Unfortunately the
Dean spoke so loudly that score of ears
in his nsighborhood were opened and
half as many tongues grew silent. "For
whom, Major kitherdon ?"
OF course Ritherdon saw that some
thing was wrong. We'll, she--I did
not learn her name" he stammered.
"Only that she was your sister, my dear
| Dean"
"And you have brought herin here ?"
the Dean cried roundly. He had thought |
that in this sacred enclosure at least he
would be safe. "Then let me tell you,
sir, that she is an impostor An impos-
tor =" be repeated in wrath ~ have
no sister living. / have never seen the
woman before, Colonel Watts"
"Oh, Fergus, laddiel" cried shrill
voice.
The Dean turned as if he had been
/ shot and fouud that terrible woman