The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-11

SA0AOh AA0us duu, Slau lO ItdTu ttlAt his daughter was out, sat at the table gazing on its cold polished surface with eyes wide and sightless.
 The dean sat thus probably for half an hour-a week. it seemed to him. looking back on it with loathing after wards. And then a nasty knock at the door recalled him to himself. He looked up.
 "Come in," he said, hoarsely. ''Well, what is it?" he continued, his face darkening as he saw who his visitor was, and rose to confront him. "What is it. Major Macdonald?"
 "Er-an apology. An abject and miserable apology" was the answer. The young man stood before him, turn- ing his hat in his hands, looking un- happy and much ashamed of himself, and not bit priggish now. al have hurried here to offer it for myself and for others-who should have been here in person, for they are more in fault" he added with touch ot vi- ciousness.
 "Perhaps you had better explain" said the dean with hdutear. But hope was springing up fast within him.
 "It was all a hoax, sir. Some of those young folks in the -th got it up," Andy replied impetuously. "They had fancy that you rather-- well, rather sat upon them, you know, and they wanted to take you do-er. to have return match, you see, and they put Mrs. Shell up to playing her part, finding that she had known bit about you years ago."
 "And was the acquisition of my hundred pounds part of the plot9" the dean asked wrathfully. But he knew in his heart that his anger was only pretense.
 "Oh, no! of course not It shall be repaid at once. The woman took ad- vantage of us all there. She is not too good lot, 1 suspect, and has given Shell trouble before But the fellows did not know that, or they would not have had anything to do with her. She had only been out here a few weeks, and, being known to few, suited their plans exactly"
 "Umphl l" the dean snorted. "And were you in this precious conspiracy, Major Macdonaldp"
 "Certainly notw Andy hastened to answer, with humility. "They did not say anything to me-er-because Miss Young is not at home, SUD- poser" with change of subject, sud- dau l,nt fa;r!v ;11tail:c;hlo
 "No,' said the dean, carelessly. I think she has gone as far as the Bar racca. We'll, I hope I shall hear no more of this foolish business"
 "You may depend on that, sir" said the major. And then be took himself off with commendable tact.
 Of course his legs-or his heart took him to the Barracca, that great dismantled building on the high est point of Valetta, from which. as from terrace, some of the noblest views in the south of Europe are to be enjoyed. There, gazing down on the life and color of the Grand harbor, all the stir and hustle of which came up softened by distance-the distance of depth only-even as the same dis tancc dwarfed the ships of war and the thousand tiny craft at her feet, he found Mary. She was standing in one of the embrasures, leaning on the iron railing, engaged in contrasting, it may be, this day and another. For when he spoke she started, and did something to her eyes before she turned.
 "Oh, Major Macdonald!" she ex- claimed, with suspicious quiver in her voice. "How you startled mew
 But there. Neither of them has ever confided to me exactly what passed between them. And though I guess-nay, I know, for the eternal fitness of things cannot be pushed aside even to accommodate Macdon- ald-that our friend, the major, had at first very sorry time, and was for some miserable minutes spread eagled, so to speak, in that lofty embrasure, a mark for his own scorn, yet all is well that ends well. Perhaps the lesson did him good. Perhaps it did not. Perhaps it only relieved young lady's feelings, and solaced her pride. At any rate it was given, and it was brought to an end. And this, at least, is beyond doubt, that three very happy people sat down to dinner that even- ing in certain private room at Durnsford's. The dean, indeed, had good reason to be satisfied. He never heard again of his pseudo sister or his indiscretion. The joke had been car ried too far even for its players. Mrs. She'll cluDg obstinately to her hun dred pounds. Her husband declined to interfere. It was out of the ques- tion that the dean should suffer. So the youngsters of the -th had to put their hands in their pockets and find about twenty five pounds apiece. And that was what their jest cost them.- COynhiU Magoztne.