Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-22
until he found a cozy and retired seat
under q wide spreading tree.
CHAPTER XII.


In snite of the pains and trouble at which
BEAUTIFUL Jim had teen In order TO secure
a Quiet half hour with Nancy Earle. they
were not long left undisturbed under the
shadow Of the wide spreading tree be
meath which they had taken refuge. FOR
hardly had they settled themselves there
in comfort before little Violet Leslie. fol.
lowed by the incorrigible Tommy, pushed
aside the branches and invaded their re
treat; and the incorrigible Tommy, II
must be understood, was quite too inIl
and overlooking with his own Importance
to dream for moment Of betaklng Kim
self out Of the way for the convenience
and pleasure Of his senior officer.
And that happened TO be the very last
chance he had of a quiet quarter OF an
hour with Nancy Earle before she left
BIankhampton. For no sooner did they
ernerre from the shelter Of the branches
than they were seized upon by two of the
Leslie girls. who demanded III their
friendliest tones what was the state of
business at Lady Margaret stall
Now, i'll Beautiful Jims opinion. as in
that of many another man, TIE Leslie
sisters were quite the most brilliant and
attractive girls in the town but. as a
truthful cLronicler OF Biankhampton life.
| must own that. Mt that moment he
found himself wondering what in the
wide world lie could ever have seen at
traetive about any one Of them. Poor
Jim, From that moment until they were
summoned into the Deanery for supper.
he did not get rid of them, and by that
time his last chance of II quiet talk with
Nancy was gone.
The Leslies did not go into the Deanery.
having a little iestivi'y of their own that
night. but as they parted from Nancy at
the door some suspicion of the truth
dawned upon Sarah.
"Norrie, she exclaimed, as soon AS
they were out of ear shot. did you no
tice anything unusual about Beautiful
Jim tonight
Il thought he seemed uncommonly
fat-for him, that is. returned Norah.
promptly.
Its that Miss Earle. exclaimed Sarah;
land he is as gone on her as possible
What a joke-and oh, poor old fellow,
what shame we couldn't leave them to-
gether; she's going away on Monday
''Oh, there's the parish morrow"
said Norah, easily.
'Oh, but he is on duty tomorrow"
Sarah cried Young Towers told me so.
because Jim wanted him to do it, and he
wouldn't He said old Jim was in AN
awful! way about it"
Then think he might have taken it.
nasty little wretch said Norah. who had
but little love for Towers Let us snub
him all we know to morrow"
But all the snubbing in the world didn't
alter the fact that Beautiful Jim had
found no one willing to do his duty, or
that he was eating his very heart out in
barracks on Nancy Earles last day in
Blankhampton.
As for Nancy, all the sweetness and
out. and out of her life too. so far us that
went She sat a long time beside the
open window of her bedroom that night
thinking - thinking - thinkingl First
how savage he had been when Violet Les
lie and Stuart came under the tree-as if
poor dear Stuart would ever dream that
they had gone there for more than five
minutes rest from the noise and turmoil
of the fair And how, when he had es
pied his servant in the crowd he had
given that Ldeous cushion to him. and
babe him take it back to barracks with
great care Then how he had sat beside
her at supper. and how tender and gentle
he had been. and how he had held her
hand at parting and looked at her-why
positively. her cheeks were burning as
she thought OF 1t. And then another
thought rose up in her mind, thought
of which. owing to her training and the
traditions of her house, She fel, more than
half ashamed
''If only Stuart had not chosen Just that
spot and just that moment to take little
Violet Leslie out of the crowd-ahl how
different all might have bertrand then
her eyes fell upon the child's little velvet
pelisse which Jim had won and left be
hind him.