The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-05-19

sits smoking after the ladies have retired.
he reflects on the most approved method
Of asking a certain question.
| Up to this moment Clement Lascelles has
not seen any necessity for putting his fato
| to the touch because he had been absolute.
| ly certain Of winning; but now that for tho
| first time he has rival-a rival that Ia pro.
crossing by leaps and bounds in his lady's
favor--he sees that something must DO
done. He can not have been hefooled. Sho
loves him or--or he, the adept at reading
the secrets Of souls, must for once have been
dcludcd. Perish the thoughtt
| With gloomy brow and stately step he re-
tires from the smo'sing-room and seeks the
sc litude of his chamber but not his couch.
The dawn has long broken ere he courts re-.
| pose.
marian I" cries Dolly, n few hours later,
bursting into her friends room while that
lady--no early riser at the best of times
still nestlcs among her pillows, "read this !"
and she seats herself on She bed In state Of
great excitement, whilst Mrs. Dalton Ian.
guidly peruscs the letter thrust into her
hands.
~ call it great imoertincncc," she re.
marks returning it to Dolly.
| "1mpertnence!" with wide-opcn eyes.
"Certainlyr' and Mrs. Dalton, taking it
| Dack, quotes from II:
"'Though I can not pretend to ofter you the
| one great passion OF life-sad passages beyond
| the ken OF other mortals have furnished the
| pure luster which once surrounded my soul rs
| with hao--yct, IL you will take u heart weary
with the sorrows Of the ages dimmcd by the
| darliling doubts with which an intimate knowl-
| edge OF humanity clouds tho spirit take me to
your tender breast and let me find shelter there
from life's griefs and disappointments. What
| recompensc q heart blighted mine has been
can bestow will strive to mako to your angelic
sympathy and goodness y"
'1s it not beautiful" cries Dolly, in an
ecstasy. ~ wonder what he means. sup
pose some horrid woman threw him over
oncen
II think it is exceedingly impertncnt and
/ hope you will resent it."
"Rcseut itr' almost shriclls Dolly "Why,
it is a declaration!n
sect me my blotting-book off that table,
commands Mrs. Dalton, re solutcly. "Now,''
she says, beginning to write, 'you will an
swer it in this way, or / wash my hands Of
/, you, and tomorrow he will have reduced
you to abiect misery again"
She writes hurriedly for a few minutes,
and then, with heightened color, reads tho
| draft aloud:
"Dear Mr.. Lnscel'cs-I have received your
melancholy letter, and am truly sorry for all
! you seem to have suffered. But, for my part,
| i look upon the world as very pleasant place,
| and have made up my mind to enjoy myself as
| much us possible; so us 1 could not console
| you, and you, with the ideas you express, would
| make me miserable, think you had much bet
| ter look for somebody whose temperament
| is more like your own. I suppose you mean me
| to understand that you have been much more in
| love with some one else than you arc with me,
which. to suy the least, is not very fnttering
No must have an undivided heart, or none ut
all Your sincere friend, ID. s.
There is desperate fight between Mrs.
Dalton and Dolly before the latter can DO
persuaded to copy and forward what she
considers heartless and nippant missive.
In the end Marian triumphs, Mr. Lacelles
does not appear to breakfast, and Dolly,
though her soul qua,Ses within her, laughs
and talks to Dick.
Later in the morning, when they are play
ing lawn-tennis, Clement Lascelles, feeling
much smaller thanhe ha, ever done in his
life, seeks counsel from Mrs. Dalton. With
an angelic smile she alternately pricls him
with daggers and makes him gulp down
bowls of poison; but she does him an ex-
cellent turn by taking good deal of the
nonsense out Of him. He confesses that he
adorcs Dolly. How, oh how, is he to win her.
Has he the ghost of chance'
Mrs. Dalton, looking solemn. declares
her inability to reply to this. She
hints, too, at Dolly's youth and love
of amusement. She hints, too, at Dicks
unfagging good spirits and temper And
the upshot of it is that when Dick re-
turns crestfallen, from his afternoon ride
with Dolly, having spoken and received his
answer. Clement Lascelles carries Off the
young lady to her boudoir on pretence of
wanting to be shown something, and, re-
placing the melancholy of Hamlet by the
conquering airs of young Loveace, takes
her in her arms, swears he has been fool,
and has never really loved any one but her
sweet self, and that if she accepts him her
life shall be one round of pleasure.
Twenty minutes later, Dolly has passed on
all his embraces and more to Marian.
'Iow clever you are, darling!' she says,
admiringly
To which Mrs. Dalton replies: NOW you
know how to manage him, make good use of
| your knowledge. n-LOudOn World.