Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-05-11
CHAPTER ".
THE pEANERY TENNIS PARTY,

About s o'clock on Saturday afternoou
the Deanery Tennis was In full swing. 4
The handsome dean. looking - good q
he was Highland he was not small man
stood chatting with q couple Of parsons,
and Lady Margaret, fresh and buxom. sat
under tree with Mrs Traford. who. by
the by. was thinking Of leaving Blank
hampton. and indeed had been thinking
of it for some time.
Who is that girl standing near your
daughterf" Mrs Trafford asked
.That Is Miss Earle an old friend Of
Aleen's," Lady MargaNet replied.
'Ah, yes Is she not very pretty?"
"Very pretty" said Lady Margaret;
land remarkably nice girl in every way
By the bye. her young brother. Stuart, is
just gazetted to the Blankshire regiment I"
From that they passed on to other top
les of conversation. the Blankshire regi
ment 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
fordf" Lady Margaret asked.
mot today. Lady Margaret. thanks.
will look on and make myself useful" he
answered.
"very we'll. Will you have some teaf
or there is some cup on that tablef'
MANY thanks. will help myself to
. 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 Earles chair.
GOOD afternoon, Miss Earle" he be-
gan. mot playing todayf"
II 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. 4"
Eyes; and during the time when you
can play tennis in town, there is always
such 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 less
prominent position.
Don't you think, Miss Earle. he said,
in . semi reflective tone, that we should
get much moro comprehensive view Of
the play from the terrace?'
Miss Earle looked round at the terrace
l
up there. So they abandoned the chairs
under the big tree and betook themselves
to the terrace, whence they could COM
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 the letter she had
sent him. and that the sooner he began
the sooner it would be over. After all,
this Beautiful Jim was q gentleman, and
had before shown himself to be 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, IS she settled
herself In the Hurlingham, 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. He talked . good
deal, far more than she did. but he did
not mention that subject, nor, in fact,
did he even seem to be thinking about it.
He told her good deal about the regi-
ment and 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 the subject of her letter or her
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 at all. Somehow.
the knowledge seemed to make her grow
hot and cold al IN an instant. and abe