Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-02-08
CHAPTER v.
AND OF SHANGHAI.

It must be owned that the news of Polly
Antrobus' engagement not only spread
like wildfre throughout her native city Of
Blankhampton. but it also created great
sensation wherever 1t penetrated.
She was so pretty, SO gentle and dreamy,
and she had been SO singularly unfortu-
nate in her previous love affairs. Men had
gone for her, ay, and had gone desperately
hard too-men of high degree. with every
thing to recommend them.
First. she had been engaged to the Hon.
orable Eliot Cardella; but she had given
him up that she might fly ut higher game
in the form of his elder brother. But
after all, Lord Cardella had not laid him
self and his title ut her feet, though he
had eventually bestowed them upon far
less worthy person.
Then there had been an unfortunate
affair with one, Darcy was his name, if
l mistake not. who did not happen to
mention, when his regiment marched into
Blankhampton. that his little wife had
gone abroad for the winter. OF course it
was very pleasant for a man deprived of
his wife for the time to be philandering
after one of the prettiest girls in the
town; but i. was little unfortunate
that Mrs. AntrObus announced the en-
gagement in q semi-official manner, when
there was all the time that insurmounta-
BILE obstacle in the background.
And then there was Lord Charterhouse
tho "Mr Winks" of the Black Horse
who had gone for Polly, too-gonc. ay,
| that was so; indeed. one over head and
ears, past and beyond all sense and honor.
| and yet he had taken himself away from
Blankhampton without word of warning,
and had married his cousin, Lady Nell
Temple, after all.
Assuredly the love affairs of the de-
lightful Polly had not SO far been taken
| at that food which leads to matrimonial
| fame and fortune, and from one cause or
another the good people of Blankhampton
took sort Of proprietary interest therein;
they wanted to see the end of Polly.
| Was this indeed to be the end of oil her
dreams and hopes and wishes? Was this
to be the end Of her great expectations?
| It was hard, very hard. Three times
she had deemed herself within an ace of
being my lady" for the REST of her life;
three times had gay and gallant men of
noble birth laid themselves down at her
feet and apparently worshiped her.
And this was to be the endl
She had borne with dignity and Ger
tain suspicion of contempt the airs of her
SlStcEp ~ ~, WIZ udu luaITlcQ u
well to do but briefess barrister of hum
BILE origin some time before. and she had
made up her mind that when she should
be Lady Charterhouse To-To's husband
| Mr.. Herrick Brentham, should have but
little intercourse with her or hers. But.
alas. alas! Lord Charterhouse had failed
| her, and had effectually cut off forever
| Mr.. Herrick Brentham's chance of being
on his visiting list-for the Lady Charter
house of today would as soon have
thought of asking her husbands troopers
| to dinner as of asking him.
There had been q certain -awkwardness
in the minds of both Lord Charterhousc
and the Antrobus family as to the best
| course to pursue when the noble bride and
| groom returned from their honeymoon to
take up their quarters at the Golden
Swan. More than once "Mr. Winks" had
limited to his wife that he was sick and
tired Of the service, and would be best
pleased if he turned his back upon it.
More than once he really thought he
should send in his papers.
But Lady Charterhouse was the same
breezy. strong willed girl that she had
been as Lady Nell Temple, and but little
heed did she give to her lord and masters
hints and deprecating efforts to get out
of going back to Blankhampton. She
had always had a strong fancy for trying
what life in the service was like, and she
had no idea of being. as she put it. com
pletely done ont of it because Charter
house chooses to have q fit Of laziness."
Thus she carried the day, and they went
to Blankhampton at the expiration of his
leave, and took up their quarters at the
Golden Swan.
1t was very awkward for "Mr. Winks. ="
He knew that he had behaved shame
fully bad to Polly from first to last. He
told himself-now that he was safely
married to some one else-that fond as he
was of Nell. and convenient as his mar
rage had been for family reasons, Polly
was the one woman in the world who
would have suited him personally down
to the ground. He told himself that hs
had been q scoundrel. for he had made