Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-05-17

sits smoking after the ladies' have retired,
he reflects on the most approved method
of asking certain question.
Up to this moment Clement Lascelles has
not seen any necessity for putting his fate
10 the touch. because he had been absolute
i certain OF winning: but now that for the
first time he has a riyal-a rival that is pro-
crossing By leaps and bounds in his lady's
! 1aTor-he sees that something must be
| done. He can not have been befooled. She
loves him or-or ne the adept at reading
the secrets of souls, EIu5t for once have been
deluded. Perish The thought,
With gloomy brow and stately step he re-
tires from the sInoking-roon and seeks the
solitude OF his chamber, but not his couch.
| The dawn has long broken ere he courts re-
| pose.
''Marianr' cries Dolly. few hours later,
! bursting into her friends room while that
iady-no early riser at the best of times
still nestles among her pillows, read this ~
and she seats herself on the bed in a state Of
great excitement, whilst Mrs. Dalton Ian
guidiy peruscs the letter thrust into her
| hands.
Il call It great inpartinence,'' she re-
marks, returning it to Dolly.
'Impertinencc' with wide-open eyes.
'Certainly.' and Mrs. Dalton, taking it
back, quotes from it:
Though can not pretend to offer you the
one great passion OF a life-sad passages beyond
the ken OF other mortals have tarnished the
pure luster which once surrounded my soul
with h3lo-yet. il you will take u heart weary
with the sor-ows OF the ages, dimmed by the
darkling doubts with which an intimate knowl-
edge OF humanity clouds the spirit, take me to
your tender breast and let me ind shelter there
rccompense heart blightei as mine has been
can bestow viii strive to make to your angelic
sympathy and goodness"
is it not Deautiful:'' cries Dolly, in an
ecstasy. II wonler what ne means! sup
pose some horrid woman threw him over
once?'
Il think it is exceedingly impertinent, and
hope you viii resent IL"
''Resent it!' almost shre!1s Dolly. "Why,
IL IS declaratiOn,r
Get me my blotting-book OF that table,"
commands Mrs. Dalton, resolutely. 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 abject misery again"
She writes hurriedly for few minutes,
and then, with heightened color reads the
draft aloud:
Dear Mr.. LaSceres-I have received your
melancholy letter, ali am truly sorry for all
you seem to have suffered. But, for my part,
look upon the world rs very pleasant place,
AMI have made up my mind TO enjoy myself as
much as possibie SO as | could not console
you, and you, with the ideas you express, would
make me miserable, 1 think you had much bet
ter look for somebody whose temperament
is more like your own. suppose you mean me
20 understand that you have been much more in
which. to say the least, is not very fiattering
No. must have an undivided heart, or none q;
all. Your sincere friend. D. S"
There is desperate fight between Mrs.
Dalton and Dolly before the latter can be
persuaded to copy and forward what she
considers heartless and hippant missive.
In the end Marian triumphs, Mr.. Lacelles
does not appear to breakfast, and Dolly,
though her soul quakes within her, laughs
and talks to Dick.
Later in the morning, when they are play
ing laHn-tennis, Clement LascelleS, feeling
much smaller thanh has ever done in his
life, seeks counsel from Mrs. Dalton. With
an angelic smile she alternately pricks him
with daggers and makes him gulp down |
bowls OF poison; but she does him an ex-
cellent turn by taking a good deal of the |
out of him. He confeSses that he |
adores 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 Dollys youth and love |
of amusement. She hints, too, at Dicks |
good spirits and temper. And |
the upshot of it is that wheE 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 |
airs Of young Lovelace, 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.
''How 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. ."-LoaloR World.