Smyrna times., 1888-07-11

and fears, the woman becomes more dear |
as she seems more distant, and, as q rule, /
when a man is literally crazy about one of |
our sex, it is because she has worried, |
and tormented, and kept him on O perpet- |
ual balance between hope and fear. Now
you, and others like you, have so hung
upon Clement Lascelles' looks and words,
have so positively shown him that he is a
great being, lofty intellect, rival to
Apollo, that it is not likely he is coming
off his pedestal to worship his worshipers.
Your only chance. my dear, is to abandon
your worship, to counterfeit indifference
as best you may, and to let a gradual and
startling conviction come over him that
you were not really in earnest, after all"
1T is very easy to talk, pouts Dolly.
1T is very easy to act too" returns
Marian, ''if you are positively certain that
your plan of campaign is going to be sue
cessful."
How do I know that it will be?'
Try it for twenty-four hours and see
how it works"
'But I don't know what I am to do"
you must be absolutely guided by me,
and not act for one moment on your own
responsibility"
u dare say it will turn out all wrong"
says Dolly ungraciously, "and then l shall
lose him altogether"
"All right, replies Mrs. Dalton, losing
! patience and rising from her seat. do
as you like. After all, what on earth does
it matter to me whether you are happy or
| miserable? Go your own way"
Dolly springs up and catches her by the
arm. No, no, Marian, don't go; don't be
angry. | will do whatever you tell me-"
Then hearken and obey. Dick Wynd-
ham is coming tonight. You know he is
rather fond of you. Talk to him, and to
him only, all the evening Do not glance
in Mr.. Lascelles direction. l will keep
my eye on him, and report to you how he
takes it. If he approaches you in the
evening, look bored and distrait, and re-
ply to him by monosyllables.
Il shall never be able to do it,, groans
Dolly.
"Not with such big stake to VIM" "a
httle sarcastically).
"Ah! you don't know what it is to love"
cries Dolly.
"Not as you do, certainly" retorts
Marian, with an infection of voice Dolly
is not acute enough to catch.
Dick Wyndham arrives in time for din
ner. He is rather fond of Dolly; he is ex-
ceedingly hard up and wants her money
even more than her sweet self. He is
bright and amusing, has a considerable
fund of small talk, is devoted to sport,
and has not Mr.. Lascelles' aesthetic taste
or lofty manner of showing superiority.
He has a genuine contempt for man who
talks art and plays classical music, as Mr..
Lascelles has for one who thinks of moth
ing but hunting lawn tennis and polo,
though he rides fairly straight, and is
an average shot himself.
Not little disgusted is Lascelles, there
fore, when Dolly, whose sorrowfulness and
its cause have greatly sOOthed his com
placency for the last twenty-four hours,
seems to have eyes and ears for no one but
this half witted soldier at dinner. She is
looking charming in dress of delicious
apricot tint, which he has not seen before
Che is a great cOnnoisseur of dress). If he
could only catch her eye he would bean
on her one Of those glances which would
have intoxicated her maiden soul. But
| whereas it has been his won't to meet hel
tender pleading glances every two minute!
heretofore, tonight he might be Banquos
ghost, and she one of Macbeth's guests
for all she seems to see him. His memor1
serves him up several sneering and savag
7 quotations on the theme of souvent femm
; varie. He is so little congenial to hi
neighbor at dinner that she expresses tn
; most unfavorable sentiments regarding
him in the drawing room later on, causing
; Dolly to halt between the desire to defen
him hotly, and sense of pleasure tha
some one else beside herself has suffere
. from his coldness. Mrs. Dalton makes
pretext for calling Dolly aside.
q Excellent, my lovel" she cries, in hig
+ good humOr, pressing the girls arm. "H
+ is enraged beyond measure. He scarcel
+ took his eyes off you. Go on and pros
Il per"
5 Thus stimulated, Dolly does go on an
Il prospers exceedingly. When Mr.. La
r celles and Dick approach simultaneous
. she devotes her whole attention to Il
latter, and has scarcely q word for IL
f former, who presently retires in trag
"a dudgeOn and leans against the wall, lool
4 ing like Hamlet, Lord Byron or any 9TH
If blighted being in the sulks.
d In reality Dick is the person most to
10 pitied, although his face is alight vii
smiles, and his heart aglow with anticip
h tiOns of possessing lovely woman, al
f. satisfying the debtors who, metaphorl
IL ally speaking, take him by the throa
.Q crying: "Pay me what thou owestp
" nocent creature that he is, he suspects
/ treachery, nor dreams that milk whi
=" bosom palpitates for the internal you
r. prig" over the way. Dolly will play bi
m morrow; in the afternoon they are to ri
III together; and as he sits smoking after
ladies have retired, he reflects on
?" most approved method of asking a certa
r. question.
10 Up to this moment Clement Lascell
u has not seen any necessity for putting
w fate to the touch, because he had been &
et solutely certain of winning; but now til
1T for the first time he has a rival, a riV
nd who is progressing by leaps and bounds
10 his lady's favor, he sees that somethi
nt must be DONE He cannot have been
O1 fooled. She loves him, or-or he,
u, adept at reading the secrets of sou
Msn M must for once have been deluded. Per-
" the thought
70 With gloomy brow and stately step
NO. retires from the smoking room and SEE
e the solitude of his chamber, but not
couch. The dawn has long broken ere
,b courts repose.
On on Marian, cries Dolly, few hours lat
~ bursting into her friends room whi
non that lady, no early riser at the best
~ ~ times, still nestles among her pillov
oh ''read thisy' and she seats herself on
bed in a state of great excitement, whi
od. Mrs. Dalton languidly peruses the let
~; thrust into her hands.
II call it great impertinence," she
IL, marks, returning it to DoHy
~ "Impertinence" with wide open eyes
b,,+ Certainly" And Mrs. Dalton, tax
coz it back, quotes from it;
Go- " Though I cannot pretend to o.
.ve you the one great passion Of life
= passages beyond the ken of other mort
NV have tarnished the pure luster which o
n surrounded my soul as with halo
if you will take heart weary with
a. doubts with which an intimate knowles
,gb of humanity clouds the spirit, take mt
1es your tender breast, and let me find 81
as, ter there frors life's griefs and dis
age pointments What recompense a he
1e2. blighted as mine has been can besto7
hin will strive to make to your angelic S.
pathy and goodness
-, els it not beautiful?" cries Dolly, in
Vlth ecstasy II wonder what he means
nall suppose some horrid woman threw
not over onceG"
lent II think it is exceedingly impertin,
n Is and hope you will resent it"
mas "Resent It'll" almost shrieks Dc
nan ''Why, it's declarationl"
take Get me my blotting book off that
ther ble," commands Mrs. Dalton resolut
and ''Now," she says, beginning to write, q
ms will answer it in this way, or I wash
lect. hands of you, and tomorrow he will /
due reduced you to abject misery again.
ent' She writes hurriedly for a few minu