The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-11
Tle Deal's Sister.

The days on which the peninsular and oriental steamships touched at Malta are days of modification to the ordinary guests at Durnsford's. For few hours the white corner house with the green shutters is given up to Babel. A crowd of people, fussily important because they are bound to the east or from the east, pour into the hotel, talking loudly in the pass ages-about Shepheard's or Colombo and driving into corners the timid residents, to whom yesterday Duns- ford's was home. They engross, the newcomers, the jalousied windows, they monopolize the shady balconies, and standing on these turn up their noses even at the government house. AS for the luncheon table, they swoop down upon it like harpies, and drive the walters crazy. Beppo resigns himself to tears. Angelo, man of sterner stuff, locks himself into the china closet, and utters dainty oaths in Hngua -Frdnca.
 All this occurs on an average once week; and as often the hotel lions, with certain exceptions, become lions couchant and passant. On certain Friday in last February the storm ragged about the house with quite phe- nomenal fury; and there were two exceptions, and two only. They were the dean of Dromore and his daugh- ter. It was strange. No one took their places. No one opened the window behind them, or snatched away the dish while their hands hung fateful over the ripest mandarin, or did any of the things to them which drove common peOple-nay, even Lady Druitt and her niece-to beat an early retreat.
 But then the dean was one of a thousands a man of portly, handsome presence, tall, fresh colored, clean shaven. His manner smacked of Eton and command. Blue- jackets and ma rines looked after him in the street, and the former spoke of him as "that there king" At the Union club it was whispered that good judges had taken him for President Grevy, the Cardinal Legate Gin muffi6us), and the bishop of Gibraltar. It was cer- tain that he had condescended to the governor, and set the admiral right on a point of tactics.
 Even now, as he sat chatting with an old friend who had come in by the "Surat," he had an indulgent smile for the saturnalia that reigned about him. But he was otherwise unmoved by it. "And so you are going to India for another spell of duty2" he was saying.
 "Yes, it is better than being laid on the shelf" the colonel replied. "And you? You are taking life easily, I suppose? How long have you been here2" His eyes strayed as he spoke to some one sitting opposite him.
 "How long7" the dean said, noting the direction of the glance with cov- ert smile. "A month, more or less The place suits me. That is my daughter you are looking at, by the way"
 "She is, is she? Then you have al uncommonly pretty daughterl" the old soldier retortcd bluntly. "Mucl trouble with the subalterns, dean?"
 4hc OiOi HAL 1auS ucu sOitly. No no. Not much. Mary is good gir "a very good girl"
 "And that is your son talking tc herr"
 My sonr"-with surprise. "Oh dear, now
 "Ahw replied the colonel slowly and with peculiar intonation, "no yeti"
 The dean shook his head in gentl repudiation of the idea. But his eye twinkled.
 "Who Is he?" asked the other.
 He is brigade major here, majo Macdonald-Andrew Macdonald"
 "Ha! A son of Lord Macdonald O Glenmore, is he not2 Eldest son?"
 "Ye-es," the dean admitted grudg ingly. "I believe he is the eldest. And if his friend chose to pat him ol the shoulder, and to chuckle some what rudely, why, he could not hell it. For this was no common colonel but man with half the alphabet be fore his name or after it, a man no