Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-02-08
atasAlllo1on StanaaT
BEAUTIFUL JIM.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
CHAPTER ".

THE DEANERY TENNIS PARTY.
About s o'clock on Saturday afternoon
the Deanery Tennis was in full swing
The handsome dean. looking as good as
he was highland he was not small man
stood chatting with a couple of parsons,
and Lady Margaret. fresh and buxom, sat
under tree with Mrs Trafford. who. by
the by. was thinking of leaving Blank
of il for some time.
Who is that girl standing near your
daughter" Mrs Trafford asked
That is Miss Earle, an old friend of
Aliens" Lady Margaret replied.
All, yes Is she not very pretty
Very pretty" said Lady Margaret;
Ev the bye. her young brother, Stuart. is
From that they passed on to other top
les of conversation, the Blankshire regi
rlent among others, and presently two Of
its officers came from the house toward
them Beautiful Jim was one.
Are you not going to play. Mr.. Beres-
ford.' Lady Margaret asked.
Not today. Lady Margaret, thanks. ]
viii look on and make myself useful" he
answered
Very well Will you have some tea!
or there is some cup on that tableI"
Many thanks. will help myself to
a cup presently" he said. and then some
fresh arrivals came to take Lady Marga-
ret's attention and he was able to stroll
away toward Nancy Earle's chair.
Good afternoon, Miss Earle" he be-
gan. Not playing today
Il do not often play" she answered.
turning fine scarlet from chin to brow.
There seems no time for tennis in town
or. at least, do not find that there is. d"
"Yes: and during the time when you
can play tennis in town. there is always
such u rush of other things do do"
"Yes. Just SO; and however much they
bore YOU, you have to do them all the
same replied Miss Earle. keeping her
attention well fixed On the tennis players.
For few minutes this highly uncom-
Portable and unsatisfactory state of stilted
stiffness continued Then Beautiful Jim
played bold stroke that they might get
out of it. and at the same time into a less
prominent position.
Don't you think, Miss Earle" he said
in a semi ineffective tone. THAT we should
get q much moro comprehensive view OF
the play from the terracey'
Miss carlo looked round at the terrace
and admitted that it wouldn't be half bad
up there. So they abandoned the chairs
under the big tree and betook themselves
to the terrace, whence they could com.
mand good view of the tennis courts and
consequently Of players and play.
There were some basket work Hurting
ham chairs on the terrace. and Miss Earle
settled herself into one of them with q
desperate kind of feeling that she would
have to hear what Beautiful Jim should
choose to say about tho letter she had
sent him. and that the sooner he began
the sooner it would be over After all,
this Beautiful Jim was gentleman, and
had before shown himself to be a man OF
very delicate care for the feelings OF
others. So there was really but little to
be afraid of; certainly he would say moth
ing disagreeable. and yet. as she settled
herself in the birmingham, she could not
help wishing devoutly that it was at that
moment big enough to bury her.
But Beautiful Jim seemed in no hurry
to begin discussing the mistake of the
previous Tuesday. lie talked q good
deal, far more than she did, but no die
not mention that subject. nor, in fact.
did he even seem to be thinking about it.
He told her o good deal about the regi
ment and q good deal about his cousins
and his five days in town. and he con
trived. too. to tell her good deal about
himself; but he never in any way ap
preached tho subject of her letter or hel
unfortunate slip. At last, it would be
difficult to say exactly how. Miss Earle
gathered that beautiful Jim had not the
very smallest intention of mentioning the
letter or her mistake ct oil. Somehow
tho knowledge seemed to make her grow
hot and cold ell in On instant, and she
shrunk into herself In something like
horror that she had not sooner realizct
the dclicacy and generosity of this mani
nature
Jim Beresford himself seemed happy
enough.
by that same token," lie was saying
Il once did On all night deck passage my
self. Faith, it was the most awful nigh
lever passed! Nothing l ever saw in thu
Soudan was . patch upon it. Itwas whel
was lad at Woolwich. and home TO
long leave. that my young brother and
and another fellow went. OF to SCOTLAND
for trip. We hadn't much money. TO
my governor hadn't come into his prop
erty then. So Neil and had to do /
R4CbAy 0uCA OAA tn0 OAI08Rs uOlt yVt
known Well. It did not much matter, TO
healthy appetites, and roughing 1t Q bi
didn't hurt US But, Of course, We spen
moro money than We ought, and says I.
Neil one morning"-at once dropping int
tho true lrishman's way Of telling . yarl
-"says l. We must just pack up on
traps aud be of. for we have but enough
to get ourselves q third class passag'
home by way Of Glasgow and Belfast
so homo we started from Glasgow b,
the steamer LAma-a fine big boat sh
was. But the CROW on board Of her
well remember there were about . hun
drcd and City harvestmen-an Irish
camc on board at Greenock, most Of then
rather drunk. and the row they made
well. It was just something too awful
got very late and it got very cold. So vi
.went down and tried the cabini first on
and then the other; but we couldn't stan,
them, couldn't at any price; SO we lef
the ghastly crush Of fighting men nm,
crying sea sick women in tho full enjoy
ment Of them. and went upon deck again
where the cold was the worst and the ai
was pure enough not to insult our lungs
Ali Wolf renember Il. that Il wasn't a
~ smooth g honey up on dsck For Their
were two Irish. Americans. awful fellows
ON board. A big one and . little one. boil
very drunk. and both very quarrelsome
The big one was Dragging about his bowl
knife, and threatening to six-shoot an,
ono who presumed to interfere with him
and after good deal Of this kind Of swae
ger. up stepped . strapping young 1risl
harvester. Just drunk enough to be vail
ant, and challenged him to fight at once
And . right down good drubbing be CAV
him-l never saw fellow better handle,
in my life. Pom my word. twas so nea
that the little Irish-American stepped on
of the ring and set himself to hamper tn
young harvester by the two-to-onc pro
cess However. another harvester step
ped out Of the ring TO settle with him
and the fight went gayly with two couple
instead Of one
And 1t last the big Irish American eoi
good deal the worst Of it, and the young
harvester took the opportunity Of slipping
out Of the ring altogether. and took up
his place just behind us. where he stood
quietly peeEing over my shoulder. laugh
ing 1t the rage Of Eis adversary, who was
too drunk to know him again"
''And did he find hims" asked Miss
Earle. with breathless interest.
''Not he. he was as drunk q lord.
But by and BY he started on again at an.
other harvester, bowie knife. six shooter,
and all: and just . he was making fol-
t,m there stepped up little American.
who just caught him . scientific crack ON
his head. which knocked him over q
sensele:s as log: and that was an end
~u4;p