The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
III.

JACK DAVENANT."
Mrs. Byrne neither came to lunch
nor answered the Mariners invita-
ton. Mrs. Mariner expressed sur.
prise at this want of courtesy, and
apologized to the Singletons for hav.
ing no one to meet them.
Are you sure. Ethel, you told her
the right day? Flo ence is in town, ]
know, and it is so unlike her to be
rude"
Il think it was all right. mamma, :"
Ethel replied, vaguely, and never
gave another thought to the matter.
But on the morning of the next day,
as she was practicing her singing in
the great holland-shrouded drawing
room, the door was flung open to ad-
nit a benign and comedy lady, who
advanced smilingly towards her.
MRS. Byrner' cried Ethel, in some
surprise, getting off the music-stoGl.
Mrs. Byrne established herself com.
fortably in a deep arm chair, Their
beckoned the young girl mysteriously
with a well-gloved finger: Come
over here, Ethel"
Ethel drew low stool to the Others
side and sat down, smiling, but mys.
tilted.
Mrs. Byrne played a little with the
clasp of the silver-mOunted handbag
which she carried, from which, hav.
ing at last succeeded in opening it,
she produced a stamped envelope ad.
dressed TO herself.
do you know that handwriting?''
she said. f1ourishing it before Ethels
astonished eyes.
1T is my own; wrote to ask you
to lunch" poor Ethel answered,
simply. while the thought flashed
across her mind that Mrs. Byrne had
probably gone mad.
''Read it, then" cried the lady,
with an air of suppressed amusement
which lent color to the notion.
Ethel unfolded it quickly, then sat
transfixed like one who receivesa sud.
den and fatal injury. For before her
horror-stricken eyes glared these
words, in her own handwriting:
yours very sincerely, JACK DAvEN-
ANT"
"What does it meanP" she cried al
last, in hoarse voice, for it seemed
that some fiendish magic had been al
work.
That's what l want to know
Mrs. Byrne answered more gently.
II received this note the day before
yesterday. There was no address,
and the handwriting was certainly not
Jacks. Nor is my cousin the least
likely to invite me to lunch at his
chambers. So wrote off TO him al
once, and told him to drop in to din
ner if he had any thing to say to me. .
Ethel had risen to her feet, and W as
standing with little frozen smile on
her face, but at this point she broke in
hurriedly:
ibid you show him-Mr. Davenaut,
the letterp'
Mrs. Byrne nodded. She was not a
person of delicate perceptions, and
had come here bent on little harm
less amusement; but somehow the
amusement was not forthcoming.
Ethel clasped her cold hands to-
gether in a frenzy of despair. She
knew that Jack was familiar with her
handwriting; sad hs not made littl.
criticisms, severe and tender, on the
occasional notes OF invitation which
she had addressed to him?
Jack said he knew nothing about
the note and hadn't the ghost of an
idea what 1t meant"
.Oh, Jack. jack" cried Ethel's
heart in parenthesis, "what must you
think of me?"
Mrs. Byrne went on: "Grace Allison
,ame in later, and the mystery was
cleared up. She swore to your hand
writing, and we concluded you had
done it in fit of absence of mind.
Poor old Jack, how she did chaff hint"
Ethel was trying to recover her
presence of mind.
s.How could I have made such q
stupid mistaken" she said. with a
short laugh. Il suppose was pursu-
ing some train of thought. | had met
your cousin at q party the night before
you know how it is. /"
Mrs. Byrne was sorry for the girls
distress
..It's mistake any one might have
made. though you must own it was
! rather funny. However. can assure