The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-03
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
The Young man hurries forward-fOr-
getful Of Mrs. Brand, etiquette, common
pOliteness. cverything-tO where Mill
cent is standing. His face is pale, his
eyes brilliant. He is evidently suffering
from intense excitement
"Miss Grey what terrible thing is this
! have heard, But you are well-safeY'
He is holding her hand tightly clasped
in both his, and is gazing into her rather
pink face with an eager love and solicit
tude not TO be misunderstood. He is as
ObliviOus TO Capt. BOyle's sneering laugh
rs to Mrs. Brands glance Of surprised
displeasure, and is, indeed, deaf and
blind 20 everything but Millicent herself.
She has been in such sore danger; but
now she is here, before him, well, beau
iful az ever.
Quite safe, as You see" says Mill
cent, i'm a low, soft tOne-the sOftest she
has ever used TO him. She cannot but
contrast the tender vehemence Of his adj
dress with the cool. unmpassiOned greet
ing accorded to her by Grant an hour be-
fore. "YOu must not think Of me any
longer as deserving Of your pity. And
have Won forgotten auntie;'
is there the faintest pressure of her
cool little hand as she brings him thus
back TO a sense Of his duty?
.How dye do, Mr. Massarcene" says
Mrs. Brand, a slight touch of asperity in
her tone.
There is something about this big,
ugly young Irishman, with his musical
brogue. and his wonderful eyes, and his
impetuosity, that labels him dangerous.
Il beg your pardon he eXclaims now,
Siding across the room and clasping Mrs.
Brands jeweled hand in a grasp warm
MS though he considered himself her
prime favorite, rather than bette noir.
The grasp. however, as she does not fail
10 remark, though warm, is gentle III
the extreme. and does not force the rings
against the delicate skin. After all-yes
there are some csmmcndable points
abous this Young, ineligible man. Il
have been unpardonably rude, goes on
the ugly detrimental. But You VIII
forgive me, Mrs Brand, when | assure
YOU that | didn't know whether l was
standing on NY head or my heels when
entered the room. ! never got such
shock i'm my life rs Brandon gave me Ill
the Junior a quarter of an hour ago.
.You were on your heels That can
prove to YOU, " says Mrs. Brand, smiling;
She is too good natured not TO be half
amused. half touched by the young man
evident concern.
81 am witness puts in Grant,, show
ing.all his teeth again. you were quite
I'm proper trim, my dear fellow Not
suspicion Of intoxicatiOn about you.
This laugh is replete with insolence.
I'm fact. the remark just made has refer
cnce 20 a subject that has grown sore
from rough handling. 1t has reference
20 a little scene In the early town lie OF
Gerald Messareene, who one evening,
going little off his head after the ter
mination-of triumphant Derby day, took
perhaps o little more champagne IMAM
was good for him Some-his friends
said il was only his usual excellent
spirits raised TO en- excited pitch because
/ Of his having made good thing OIL the
winner. Others-his acquaintance The
/ had no enemies, good lad that he wasl--
s-id IL was the excellent spirits OF the
club cellar However il was, Massareene
went considerably beyond bounds, ana
I WAS i'm the morning thoroughly ashamed
If himself Then came his introduction
TO Millicent Grey-almost little girl al
that time. but old enough 10 inthrall ana
hold him with her budding beauty. And
with his growing love for heg grew his
fear that this one episode vulgar epi-
sodc he called ID should be made known
to her Il was an absurd fear, Of course,
and arose more from an apprehension
that she vould regard him with disgust
than from any very moral regret for his
misconduct: but. bc that as ii may, Grant
Boyle knew Of his nervous horror of its
being known-and. for the matter of that,
so did Nllicent. who had heard OF the
little affair a long time ago, and had
laughed good deal at several OF the
smaller details concerning it, Indeed, IL
had been a very innocent oifense from
first 10 last.
Al Grants words Massareene's face
flames. and a sudden fire brightens MS
ewes. At the moment il is easy to see
that there is little love los; between the
two men.
"You mean" SAYS Massareene, a little
sharply, taking a step forward.
Just what said. dear boy-that you
were eminently sober. Gould ! nave
borne higher testimony 10 your charac-
teri Miss Grey-as you seem TO have some
doubts about the accuracy OF my state
ment-will. am sure, corroborate what
have just said y
IL refuse to give my countenance 10
ANYTHING you may chance to say, re
turns Millicent, in a low tone, but Win
flashing eyes
She has understood the drift OF her
cousins remarks, and bitterly resents
them. She may not be overland always
10 Massareene, but she will permit no
one else 10 be uncivil TO him.
WHAT cries Boyle, gayly, arcning
his brows and lifting his shoulders IN
foreign fashion that either belongs TO nm
or has been cultivated 10 nicely, You
disagree with me, You really think
that our friends extremely-er-em-
presse manner, his hurried entrance, etc ,
meant - the -- er the other tning'
Really. dear Massareene, ! would not
stand that IL were you. You LOOK as II
you would like to murder somebody
with light laugh-''that Is the standing
condition OF your countrymen, chr why
not call Miss Grey outf'
"Dueling. Is out Of fashion. and one