Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-19

scope. When he saw / had turned he
wheeled quickly round and feigned an inter-
est in the sea, knocking the hat Off a bath
chairman just passing him with an carly fare
who had lost the use of his legs.
Well, there is an end OF the intruder,
thought, and could have wished--yes, did
actually wish-that I had been more OF q
young lady and less Of vixen in my re.
proaches to him. l had been put out by his
appearance at Margate, by his venturing to
address me, and had lost my self composure,
but then more obtuse and aggravating per.
son had never encountered before.
Not so very obtuse either, but very quick
to take hint and to guess when he was dis
liked and his company objected to. We
passed each other twice or thrice day after
that, but he never ventured to speak to me
again. He bowed with great gravity and
exhibited extraordinary formality in taking
of his.hat, seizing it in the middle of the
crown and raising it like the lid Off q sauce.
pan, and there was no further occasion 10
object to his expansive smile He was q
stolid, even @ woebegone young man, with
something on his mind. Had it not been for
that everlasting telescope under lis arm one
could have imagined him prey to tao deep
est rooted sorrow.
think he was tho most sad when passed
him i'll company with the captain who some
times condescended to promenade with me,
and the most angry when was out with Mr.
Goode, TO whom l was a relief from the wear
and tear of two boys wonderfully full of ami
NAL spirits on unreasonable occasions. When
was with Lily Brian, he seemed to brighten
up little, and Lily was curious concerning
him, and asked me many questions.
WHO is that good looking young man,
Jane, who is always taking his hat offP she
asked one morning.
'He is a-carver and glider; don't know
him-that is, hardly know him." said
"He called once about something he had
dropped down our area, and he has claimed
IN acquaintaneaever since"
"Then why doesn't he speakf asked the
practical Lily.
He's much too quick with his speech; and
it's very good thing he's trifle quieter
just now" said, sharply, and Lily looked at
INC and said, eagerly,
"Tell me all about Ill Is he"-
''No, he is not.n
"Oh, beg your pardon, Jane; thought
he was.n
An enigmatic dialogue, but we perfectly
understood each other. And hoped that
had made Lily understand had no interest
in Mr.. Bird, for young girls jump so rapidly
ct conclusions where young men are con-
cerned. Not that Lily was in the habit Of
jumping after young men in any way-l do
not mean to convey that impression. Lily
was full of spirits, but good girl IN every
respect, with not an atoms worth OF the
ordinary Margate jetty girl in her eonstitu-
ton; not she. Still, curiously enough, was
deceived in and by Lily Brian. had no idea
she could have been SO cunning or SO easily
deceived. One morning when l walked
down tho jetty found to my intense aston
ishnent Mr.. and Mrs. Brian, Lily, George, the
eldest Master Brian and Mr. Goode, all talk
ing and laughing with Mr. Bird, and taking
it in turns to peer through his telescope at
some object on the far horizon. walked up
slowly, and with bushes on my cheeks, l am
sure, in my surprise.
I Jane, my dear, here's a gunboat," said
Mr.. Brian, as / approached; ''this gentleman
has been kind enough to allow us to inspect
it through his very powerful telescope. Look
here, child
/ Mr.. Bird did smile little, in sheep faced
and embarrassed kind Of manner, as he
glanced toward me, but he did not say q
word when Mr.. Brian handed me the instru-
Il.
strument for me without interfering in any
way, although fancied I heard him grind
ing his teeth.
Its capital glass; sir" said Mr.. Brian to
him. Mr.. Brian, being of genial turn, wa.
always disposed to b, friendly with the first
stranger whom he encountered out of town
Eyes, it's good glass"
"Had it long, sirl Would you like to dis
4x.<,x .sv~~v
ut belonged to my father" was the reply,
therefore it has not q money value to me.
It was his present when / was one-and.
twenty, and / shouldn't like to part with it. '
Another birthday present, l thought.
Heavens, if he were to lose this tool
Certainly not, certainly mott said Mr..
Brian, II admire your good feeling, sir.
George, you hear that" he said to his son,
who was lacking in fial sentiment, and was
at that identical moment sucking the bare
knob of his stick as if it were an egg.
George nodded and then winked at me. A
most Objectionable lout was George, and Mr.;
E.rd scowled ferociously at him, and from
him to me.
I inspected the gunboat, or tried to inspect
it, for the object glass was very misty with
little transparent worms that seemed to bt
wriggling and dancing all over it; returned
the telescope to its owner, who said: "Thani
you, ma'am," very quietly, and with his looi
of sadness highly developed again.
Still he remained remarkably non-obtru
sive: he did not attempt to force his CONVEX
sation upon me in any way, and presently ht
was walking down the jetty with Mr.. Brian
and talking and laughing as if he had known
him all his life
thought all this was new and deep laiC
scheme OF his, but it was really Lily Brian
who was at the bottom of 1t oil, or who al
least induced her parents and brother to say
from that day Good morning" to Mr.. Bird
and even to shake hands with him. Hence
was obliged to say 'Good morning. alst
when he directly addressed me, and tn be
come by degrees on speaking terms with hin
again, and almost TO forget that umbrella
question which had been bone of conten
tion-a whalebone of Observation-Disclosures
us Not that the umbrella was off his mine
!. in any way, for he had been introduced Il
Capt. Choppers on one occasionally Capt
Choppers express request, as that gentleman
wanted to borrow his telescope-and to m,
establishment | heard Mr.. Bird say, fiv,
minutes after the introduction,
''You see, it was not for the value of th
umbrella but because of the associations con
nected with it. hope you understand, cap
5 tain"
81 understand perfectly" was the reply
shut that was no reason why you SHOULD
. have kicked up such an abominable uproar
SIR"
) Capt. Choppers had borrowed the telescope
and was now dominant and rude
The time was drawing toward the end o
the holiday when Mr. Bird and wore friends
may remark, actually friends, although
will say very firmly, and despite Lily Brian
opinion, nothing more than friends. MI
Birds holiday would expire few days befor
our own, l learned. and, though would nc
: have owned it for untold wealth, was sorr
he was going back to London. He had in
formed me of his position by that time, an
of his prospects for the future, or of some c
them He had given up the business, and hi
:, fathers business before him, of carver an
! glider in the Goswell road; he was very cleve
at his trade, / felt sure, for he had been Of
: fered the post of superintendent of work b