The Princeton union., 1889-08-15
VERY HARD Cash.
A Matter of Fact Romance,
By CHARLES READE.

By CHARLES READE.
acaims demure complacency. Her mother;
finding this strange remedial virtue in youth
ipl y society, gave young parties, inviting
ane and Alfred in their turn Jane hesitat-
ed, but, as she could no longer keep Julia
from knowing her worldly brother, and
hoped way might be opened for her to res
cue Edward, she relaxed her general rule,
Whlch was, to 60 into no company unless
some religious service formed part of the en-
tertalnment Yet her conscience was i'll at
ease; ana, to set them an example, she took
care, when she asked the Dodds in return, to
have q clergyman there OF her own party,
who could pray and expound with unction.
Mrs. Dodd, not to throw cold water seemed
to crafty her children, accepted Miss Har-
dies invitations; but she never intended to
go, and at the last moment wrote to saysshe
was slightly indisposed. The nature OF the
lndlsposition she revealed to Julia alone.
Ihat young lady keeps me on thorns.
never feel secure she will not say or do some
thing extravagant or unusual; she seems o
suspect sobriety and good taste of being in
league with impiety. Here succeed in brid-
ling her a little; but encounter a fem ole enthu-
slast IN her own house2 Merci After all,
there must be something good in her since
she IS your friend, and you are hers; let her.
pass; i, have something more serious to say
to you before you go there. ] 1t is about her
brother, He is a firt; in fact, notorious
one. more than one lady tells me- ~
Julia was silent, but began to be very un-
easy they were sitting and talking after
sunset, yet without candles she profted, for
once by that amazing gap in the intelligence
of "the sex.'
hear he pays you compliments; and I
have seen q disposition to single you out.
Now, my love, you have the good sense to
Know that, whatever young man OF that
age says to you, he says to many other
ladies; but your experience is not equal to
your sense; SO profit by mine; girl Of your
age must never be talked of with person of
the other sex; it is fatal; fatal! but if you per-
NIT yourself TO be singled out, you will be
talked Of inevitably, and distress
judicious duets in society; oblige me by doing
50 tonight"
10 show how much she was in earnest,
Mrs. Dodd limited that, were her admonition
neglected, she should regret, for once, having
kept clear of an enthusiast
julia had no alternative; she assented in a
faint voice. After a pause she faltered out
And suppose he should esteem me seriously?"
Mrs. Dodd replied quickly, "Then that
would be much worse. But, said she, 81
have no apprehensions on that score: you
are child, and he is q precocious boy, and
rather fiirt. But forewarned is forearmed.
So now run away and dress, sweet one: my
lecture is quite ended"
q heavy heart. All the fears she had lulled
oflate revived. She saw plainly now that
Mrs. Dodd only accepted Alfred as apleasant
acquaintance: as O son in-law he was out of
the question. "Oh, what will she say when
she knows ALL" thought Julia.
Next day, sitting near the window, she
saw him coming up the road. After the first
movement Of pleasure at the bare sight Of
him, she was sorry he had come. Mammals
suspicious awake at last. and here he was
again; the third coll in one fortnight! She
dared not risk an interview with him, ardent
andunguarded, under that penetrating eye,
which she felt would now be on the watch.
She rose hurriedly, said as carelessly as
she could, .:I am going to the school," and,
at the back door with her shawl in her hand
just as Sarah opened the front door to Al
fred, She then shuff1ed on her shawl, and
whisked through the shubbery into the open
field, and reached q path that led to the
school, and SO gratified was she at her dex-
terity in evading her favorite, that she hung
her head, and went murmuring, "Cruel, cruel
cruel!''
Alfred entered the drawing-room gayly,
with good-sized card and prepared sp eech
This was not the visit of friend but q func-
tionary; the treasurer Of the cricket-ground
come to book two of his eighteen to play
against the All England Eleyen next month
!, ,.As for you, my worthy sir (turnin,g to
Edward), shall just put you down without
ceremony. But must ask leave to book
Captain Dodd. Mrs. Dodd, come at the
universal desire of the club they say it is
sure to be a null match without Captain
Dodd. Besides, he is capital player
Mamma, don't you be caught by his
chaff," said Edward, quietly. "Papa is no
player at OIL Anything more unlike cricket
than his way of making runs
But he makes them, old fellow; now you
and |, at Lords the other day, played in
frst-rate form. left shoulder we'll up, and
achieved-with neatness. precision, dexterity,
and dispatch-the British duck's-egg.'
.Misericorde! What is that?" inquired
Mrs. Dodd.
Why, a round o." said the other Oxonian,
coming to his friends aid
And what is that, pray?'
Alfred told her "the round O."
which had yielded to tn. ducks
egg" and, was becoming obsolete, meant the
cipher set by the scorer against players
name, who is out without making a run.
II see,'' sighed Mrs. Dodd sit penetrates
to your very sports and games. And why
British"
ooh, British is redundant: thrown in by
the universities"
But what does it mean?"
1t means nothing. This is the beauty of
it. British is inserted in imitation of our
idols. the Greeks; they adored Redundancy,
In short poor Alfred, though not an NJ. p.
was talking to put off time, till Julia should
come in: so he now favored Mrs Dodd, of all
people, with flowery description of her
husband g play, which I, who have not his
motive for volubility, suppress. However, he
wound up with the captains moral inau-
ence." Last match,' said he, Darlington
did not do itself justice Several, that
could have madc stand, were frightened out,
ratherthan bowled, by the London profession
ais. Then Captain Dodd went in, and treated
those artists with the same good -humored
contempt he would parish bowler, and, in
particular, sent Mynne's over-tossed balls
flying over his head for six, or to square leg
for four, and, on his retiring with twenty
five, scored in eight minutes, the remaining
Barking gtonians were less funky, and made
some fair scores"
Mrs. Dodd smiled a little ironically at this
tirade, but said she thought she might ven
ture to promise Mr.. Dodd's cooperation,
should he reach home in time. Then, to get
rid Of Alfred before Julia's return, the amia-
BILE wording turned to Edward, "Your sis
ter will not be back; 50 you may as well ring
the bell for luncheon at once. Perhaps Mr..
Hardie will Join us. !" 81