Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-23

i
junction brings them speedily to The
church doors, whore divers spoken plans
for celebrating Christmas are making the
air loud.
Miss Englethorpe being OF an ener~
gelic turn Of mind, soon separates her
self from tho idle members of the Hook
aud gives herself up TO the working sec
ton thereof.
Holly ivy. end certain hot-houso
plants sent In from the conseryatories
around. are scattered prolusely about
+ the altar and all down the aisles. The
rector. clad in distinctly mundane gar
ments, is moving about briskly from
pillar TO post giving instructions 10 the
unleaIned--a largo class.
Quite towards the end OF The after
noon Miss Englcihorpe. finding herself
alone at the base OK the pulpit with an
ivy wreath IN her hands that cries aloud
F for some resting.place. looks round her
and sees az distance Du9dale. ne Is
coming towards her, and smiles as he
meets her eyes but what Is there about
him that kills the answering smile that
had risen TO her lips? Dusdale gives
hasty side glance az himself and hnds he
jsjn his shirt-sleeyes having flung oil
his coat awhile ago to 60 to work with a
greater zeal. Good heavens he was IN
his shirt.sleeyos that last, that .frs' time
she SOW him. COuld it DO possible that
d remembrance Of that unfortunate mo-
mcnt is slowly wakening within her z
What If she shonld ever 0rriye ut ccr-
fajnfy about that fatal mistake Of his
Making bastg snatch ut his coat he
filings that unofendng garment over tho
tell-ialo SHIRT with quite an angry mr..
and turns once moro to Miss Engle-
thorpe.
Now. what can 7 DO for you says
be. with az uncoDerned a manner as he
can assume al so short a notice, and
with LIs heart beating to such violent
degree.
"Nothinq, thank you, ' returns she
icilv. moving abruptly away. and then,
rs # ashamed OF her petnance, or not
knowing positively that she hes reason
for IL. she looks round at him. q" We'll,
there is this, she SAYS with hesitation,
gisncing at her wreath "whero shall /
putit?'
an show vou." says he briskly, a
WEIGHT lifted from bis heart. After ell
she does mt know. And what a lOeely
face II is that nov is looking into bis,
not however. without strange sup.
pressed anxiety, that might be called
ooubt, visible in it.
10 combat this doubt he makes the
object of his life for the next half hour
and has CONGRATULATED himself that BIO
has succeeded, when suddenly Miss En-
olethorpe puts hope on that subject to
flight
NWhat o'clock is it?" asks she 90
nervously that It - impossible not to
notice Der agitation. Dugdale makes a
audahle effort 10 conquer the situation,
and fumblcs IN the pocket where that
confounded watch ShOVid be os tho
roughly as though he honestly believes
it - there to be found
ooh, by Jove OF course, " says he,
"I forgot / hadn't wound it last night,
and thatit still lies on my table. Let me
tell Won a secret" speaking very care
fully. bat rather fast. 81 am one of
tGoso fellows, you know, who h7fT a
watch and never wear EN-, II they can
get out Of it, ~
$50. 1 don't know any of them, -
says Miss Enelethorpe slowly. he can
feel her eyes upon ha face, and after a
swift glance knows that theT are full OF
tears. frightened, Sh0mrd tears Her
whole sOGl is in these anxious eyes, and
he understands instnctiv that 1t is the
uncertainty of IL al that is so terribly
distressing her. lie feels like a muir
derer rs he sees Che tears, and he feels,
too. With greater justice, that he IS
developing into a most consummate bar.
"Wcu. now You know OU", says be
with what NE tells himself IS quite an
awful sprightlness, a watch to me is
bore. hardly to be endured. Just now
and again il IS usefu thing, J. daresay,
but as "A rule should not wonder,
for instance, if You never saw me with
mine the whole time | AN here. W
"What q pity Isis 1t "A nice
walch?" asks Miss Englethorpe with,
what he is pleased to see, somewhat re-
covered spirits.
Far from it, promptly. Beastly
old thing silver. My father gave it tC
me or sh0ulin't carry 1t with ne at all.
Alas for the generosity OF that good
/, father, whose gift had most assurelly
been golden.
But Lillian (he has already even at TIN:
> early stage of their acquaintance begun
TO 80 designate herr Is for the time salts
lied. and what is q father in comparison
. with O pretty girl For the rest of The
evening everything goes smoothly be
3 tween her and Dngdalc. and the neyt
+ day Christmas Day passes without q
, hitch, sud is indeed remembered by hotl
long afterwards as having been file hap
, piest they hal ever spent. If at time
Miss Fngleth0rpe feels liitle icy thrills
, of fear stealing over her as she thinks o.
that watch lying perdu beneath her lace
/ up stairs lshe had been afraid 20 put it'll
, her iewei-casc, the girls IN the house
! having quite r mania for Ovorhauhnl
. that charming receptaclel, she iesolutelN
3 puts such fears behind her, and with a.
! good courage rs she can enjoys Tax
present. Sooner or later she knows sh,
, viii have TO stand face to face will
. her midnight visitor. and Will have to re
turn that watch, and thereby bring lutte
o. confusion upon her head but until ther
3 let her be happy, Her one devon
prayer inccssanuy breathed, is-tha
/ Who yer 10 is that terrible appsritoI
may resolve itself into. it will mt b.
3 Duglale. Oh, no, not Captain Dug
dale. anu one but him and surely, i
couldn't be he. She has his own wore
8 for it. or nearly so. Ills watch-tha
S mvstelious one he ha'es 50 much, tina
seemingly no man has ever yet seen
Y silver whist hers that is-hiS--tha
. is-the wRErcH's-is gold No; he
c Captain Dugialc would not wlliull.
- deceive her, and vet Always an IN
welcome doubt remains behind.
Is Aid to this doubt is given from th
{ the most unexpected sources. Human
spite has nothing to do with it, rs no on
- can possibly know anything abont th
t fp>co save she aud that other. Som
t implpable imp must have taken it il
T. hand and found its pleasure in tormen;
ing her. The first shock had come a
, that memorable breakfast the secon'