The Portland daily press., 1889-11-09
"ToDDLES."
[Belgrayia.l
CHAPTER /.
BY JESSIE CHALMERS,

ing the doorway. Excuse me, for one
moment Nan, and will fetch him"
The girls eyes wandered after her cousin
as he dashed across the polished floor of the
ballroom, to where tall, handsome man
is standing That tall, handsome man" is
-Toddles He starts when Capt. Hardness
touches his arm, as though his thoughts
hadbeen of an absorbing nature. "You see,
Nan, have robbed the doorway of its novel
aInamentationw exclaims the latter airily
as he reaches his cousins side. "Toddles-
Miss Hardness" introducing them snow,
Toddles, will leave you in charge of my
cousin while sacrifice myself on the altar
of stern duty, and take some of these
hungry dowagers to taste of the supper their
souls love-"
Toddles steals glance at his new charge,
and during that glance his heart passes out
of his keeping. Toddles falls in love at first
sight.
Cool of my cousin, is 1t n0t?" inquiries
Nan, smiling gently at the burly young
giant.
Toddle smiled, too. "Just like Hardness"
Then after short pause, he adds: HE is
always doing me some good turn or another"
SIS that your notion of it! / call 1t shift
ing his responsibilities onto another PERSONS
shoulders" Nancy declares, with frankness
peculiar to herself
"Ah! guess my shoulders would be broad
enough to carry such feathers weight of
responsibility the rest of the Journey"
Miss Hardness looks obviously at him, as
though not quite assured of his meaning.
ToddleS began to fear he may have put his
foot into it," ''There. don't mind anything
that say nobody ever does Just say to
yourself when you feel inclined to be shocked
or vexed, It's only Toddles, so / won't
mind Promise"
Miss Hardness is much amused by him. 81
promise, then, Mr.. Toddles."
Toddle goes off into a shout Of laughter:
the girl half turns away from him, then
hesitatng, says aloud, st is only 'roddles,'
SO l won't mind"
TAKEN me at my word? That's right.
Tell you what i-was~ laughing about, shall
~"
II should like Ia know" she admits.
at sounded SO funny to have you affix
Mr. before Toddles, you know" and once
more his face grows mirthful scarlet
81 do not understand. You could hardly
expect me to call you by your surname
only"
THAT is just it. My surname is Chesney,
but everybody call me Toddles."
An hour latter Capt. Hardness, having
inundated himself on the altar Of duty, goes
in search Of his cousin and Chesney. Ae
finds them at length in remote corner of
the conservatory. seated on a crimson velvet
settee, with heads bent near together, the
girls fair, touzled curls touching Chesney's
close, military crop.
'JackW cried Nan, springing from her
seat to her cousins side, what an age you
have beehl i finished my supper long ago."
Toddles feels conscious of keen sense of
disappointment at her words. For him the
hour had flown.
"You little coquettel" laughs Hardness
II can see you have been far too happy to
miss me-"
has taken great care of me and has kept
me amused" admits Miss Hardness.
Nov must take you back to Mrs. VIM
pole, Nan; she is dying to get away from
this festive scene" declares Jack.
Goodnight" Nan says, turning to
Toddles with outstretched hand. 81 am 60
ing to remain in this neighborhood for a
week, SO, dare say, we shall meet again."
$40 be sure you WILL" put in her cousin,
warmly. Come up to my quarters to-mor-
row, old fellow. l am going to have what
Corney Grains calls quiet tea party. ;"
A party of four, two ladies and two men,
are crossing the barrack-yard square, where
Sergeant-Major Jeffs Is experimenting the
drilling of some raw recruits. poor fell
lows! they look hot and tagged" exclaims
the younger lady to her escort, who is no
other than-Toddles.
Here we are, Toddles," called Hardness.
"There are great many stairs for you to
mount, Mrs. Wimpole"
81 shall maEage." that lady says some
what rashly. "You all go on and leave me
TO take my time"
Remember, it is the first door to the left"
calls Capt Hardness over the ballustrade.
Considerable taste has been displayed in
the arrangement of Capt. Hardress's sitting
room. There if plenitude of easy chairs and
lounges, covered with pretty blue cretonne;
silk scarfs of sage green, serving in lieu of
anti-maccassars curtains Of the same shade,
Topped with blue. a piano in one corner
draped in blue and sage green; exquisite
dollhouse flowers, blooming their short,
sweet lives away in the vases, which are
placed on little three-cornered Chippendale
tables. Photographs framed in ivory, plush
and gold are strewn about A few water
color sketches and regimental caricatures
furnish the walls.
What a sweet room" exclaims Nan. 81
had an idea that quarters were the barest,
most comfortless places, while here you have
every luxury"
/ Toddles smiles. Every luxury" he re-
peats after her. Hairless is the luckiest
man in the service; didn't you know that?"
81 am glad you are pleased, Man," Jack
6. hined in. 81 think had better go cut and
10, ok after Mrs. Wimpole. She is almost GER
ia in to take the wrong turning unless do.
q, lcuse me for Que moment" And Nancy
a, nd Toddes are alone.
She looked at him with soft SMILE which
set the foolish fellows heart beating madly.
Il hope yon are lucky, too" she says.
An expression half sad, half expectaut,
creeps into Toddle,' blue eyes. 81 hope So
that remains to be shown"
Nancy turns away to examine the orna-
frames "What lovely faces! Does Jack
know them ALP"
Il suppose SOL indfferently, for he is
thinking how infinitely more lovely is her
liy ing face with its delicate coloring of cheek
and lip, and the deep gentian blue of her
eyes, than are any of those pictured faces
sfie admires.
At this critical iuncture Capt Hardness
with Mrs. Wimpole and three other ladies
arrive. Then tea is commenced, and more
people drop in, between them all Nan is
made mnch of, Toddles always towering in
her vicinity like gigantic guardian angel.
During the next two months it became
obvious to everybody that Gilbert Chesney
generally known as ''Toddles," is strangely
altered; the old, merry, irrepressible Toddles
has vanished, leaving a restless, perturbed,
irritable Toddles. Capt. Hardness alone
possesses the clue to this extraordinary
metamorphosis of the sunniest and most
genial spirit in the world. "Poor old chap!
he has got the fever badly this time. / be-
leve he is eating his heart out for the sake
of girl who seldom thinks of him Judging