The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24


day or so before to arrange one or two
things with Lord Bigwig's agent. I'll join
you at PERTH
Sir Robert was delighted to hear this,
though he managed to dissemble his joy.
Roland was going to leave him at least one
clear day with the heiress. Perhaps more
than one, for it was not after all absolutely
necessary he should be on the moors on
the morning of the 18th. 1t was rather
bad not to be there, certainly, but he
would beguided by events. He said moth
ing further, but when the time came he
saw Sir Roland off safe on board the
Southampton steamer, and even then gave
no sign of his delight. Then he bought
huge basket of roses and waited till the
Mermaid was on the station, when he took
a shore boat and went out to her. (The
Mermaid is Lord Tuftie's splendid yacht,
and Lord Tuftie and Lady Heavytop are
cousins, and so it came about that he had
had the privilege of having Alice as his
guest
Lord Tuftie nodded a greeting as the
young man arrived alongside with his
large basket of flowers.
Meant for the ladies, old fellow, sup
pOse," he said. But I've just landed
them at Southampton, to catch the train
for London en- route for Homburg, you
know. Your fdtts debates went up by the
same train.
Sir Rupert clambered on board, feeling
very disgusted 1t was quite evident now
why Sir Roland had gone away, and the
thought that he at that identical moment
was almost certainly sitting opposite to
her in the railway carriage, talking
while she smiled responsively, and Lady
Heavytop nodded and dozed in the
81
He found some consolation in char
acterizing his friends conduct as in
famous, and the expressions "mean ex-
cuse, shabby trick, repeated over and
over to himself, relieved him wonderfully
He had accepted Lord Tuftie's invitation
to dine aboard. but | am afraid his lord
ship did not find him an agreeable COM
panion. Throughout the dinner he was
tracking the train on its way to London,
more than ever eXasperated as he remem-
bered that the southwestern expresses are
very slow. And the huge basket of roses,
which had taxed ali the floral resources of
Cowes, seemed dreadfully silly on the table
round which there were only mus achiod
faces. But it was some comfort to
think that he would see Sir Roland-he
thought of him now with the title pre-
fixed to his name-in day or two, and be
able to tell him what he thought OF his
paltry subterfuge. This idea consoled
him out of the island and up to Euston
and into the Scotch express, which was
carrying men and guns on to Caledonia's
heatbery moors. But at Ruggy an idea
struck him, an idea which made the set
features of his face relax into something
like smile. He would not GO to Scot
land, but Immediately follow Miss Heth-
erington to Homburg. For his friends
treachery, he felt, had released him from
whatever obligation might attach TO his
promise-which was not really a promise
after all.
81 know Roland is-oleveFeF-thaa am,
much cleaverer, no doubt" he said to
himself, "but this time I'll trump his best
card. | am sure she likes me better than
him but he always comes in to spoil my
chance, though he hasn't any of his own.
This time he won't be in the way"
This idea had fully matured in his mind
and was ripe for execution before the train
stopped at Crewe. So he jumped out
then, leaving guns and everything, but his
dressing-case to 90 to Scotland, and took
the train southwark. He got back to
London in time enough to get the Flush
ing boat that evening, and the next night
he slept in the Hotel d 'Angleterre at HON.
burg.
As he took his coffee the next morning
he chuckled TO himself as he thought of
the stratagem by which he was to outdo
the rival baronet With the smile still on
his face he strOlled TO Lady HeavytOp's
hotel, and there, mirdbile dictu, he saw Sir
Roland. The astonishment was mutual,
and so was the disgust.
"You here, Sir Roland?" he said, with
an efnDhaSis on the Drefix
'The fact is, said the other, "Ive been
a little seedy lately, and / consulted
swell doctor He told me Homburg
would be Just the thing for me, and SO
here i am. | am going TO take the treat
ment. You got my telegram at Perth p
Sir Rupert did not reply for some time.
Then, with a stern voice, initiating as we'll
as ne could the tones of an Adelphi hero
confronting an Adelphi villain, ne said:
Sir Roland, our friendship is over. But
you shall answer TO me at some fitting
time and place for this deception"
And then he went off to his hotel and
sulked all the morning. till the hour of
mittagsessen gave another turn to his
idea. But though eating and drinking
consOled him for time he was still furi-
Gus with his former friend, and inly re-
volved all sorts of schemes for revenge.
Nothing practicable presented itself, and
he regretted his want of originality for the
first time in his life.
But deeper wrong was in store for
him. Next day he met Lady Heavytop
and her fair charge and Alice smiled
sweetly on him, for she had by no means
decided in favor of Roland, though his
star was in the ascendant, as she remarked
to Lady Heavytop, who smiled approba-
ton.
Rupert spoke of the theater-a company
was coming to Homburg to give a few
nights of comic opera, and Alice said she
would like to see GasparOne.
"Nlay l offer you box?" he said to
Lady Heavytop.
Her ladyship smiled assent, and Rupert
was happy-most of all in the thought
that Roland had heard the invitation given
and accepted. But when, some hours
later, he presented himself at the box
Office of the theater great disappoint
ment was in store for him. Every box in
the theater had been taken for the partic-
ular night on which "Gasparone" was to
be played. He could hardly understand
the feeble English of the man in the box
office, but as far as he could gather the
boxes had been taken by some one acting
on behalf OF the prince of Wales, who was
coming to Homburg. But he learned that
the places had been taken only an hour
before. He spent the afternoon in con-
cocting a suitable letter of regret and ex-
PLANTATION, the composition of which was