The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-06
INAPLACE OF SECURITY.
CHATTER L

Nllulu tue usually quiet pItCluCl VI Dtu-
ford square. Carriages and cabs drove up
in quick succession and deposited their
inmates upon the strip OF carpet that led
the way up the broad steps of No. IS.
Striped awnings fiuttered overhead, and
he solid old house vibrated to the foot
steps of dancers and rang with the tuneful
trains of fiddles and clarionets. II was
rot exactly fashionable gathering, per-
laps, although rank and fashion were
July represented; but there were literary
ions in plenty learned professors brought
heir wives and daughters; dark-skinned
)rientals were there in flowing robes and
dorned with glittering jewels.
But, of all of the yong women present,
lere was none to compare-at all events
the opinion of Herbert Shepstone, the
ldest son of the house-with pretty
o1ise Cornely, with her dark, wavy hair,
lassic profile, and deep-violet eyes, that
hone upon the observer with a soft, mys-
srious radiance when she raised her dark
inged eyelids and turned toward him.
Louise was a friend OF the house, and,
she had chaperone at all it was Mrs
hepstone herself, who, in her capacity of
Ostess, was much too busy to look after
er, Hence there was nobody to tell her
pa she was dancing too much with Mr..
Ierbert But then he was much to blame
IT insisting on filling up her program,
nd, after all, she liked him best. and it
as a real pleasure to dance with him. AS
or Col. Shepstone, who might have given
is son a hint upon the matter, he was
ute out OF his element in a ballroom,
nd had retired to a quiet corner with two
three learned friends, where they were
iscussing some interesting point con-
ected with Buddhist inscriptions in In
ia Col Shepstone was noted as an
rientalist, and also as a rich virtuoso col
,ctor.
But the talk between the colonel and his
lends was not altogether of a rigidly
,ientifc character. There was an ele-
lent of personal gossip in it.
81 see you have got Cornely's daughter
ere," said Prof. Higgins, man with
cry ugly but kindly and humorous face,
and a sweet looking young thing she is,
)ntinued the professor. IL hope she has
card nothing"
about what?" asked the colonel
aarply.
"Oh, there is nothing definite; but
tere are rumOrs that COrnelys expedi-
On has come to grief, and there are fears
to his safety"
ooh. Cornely is all right" said the COL
oel Dramatically. "a man like that
hows how to take care of himself"
From Col. Shepstone's manner it was
Cident that Mr.. Cornely was no great ia
Drite of his. Cornely, indeed, might be
Gled professional explorer. He hunted
own buried cities and ancient burial
faces. He dug, he excavated, he brought
bme all kinds of objects, and sold them
Dmetimes to public museums, both home
nd foreign, sometimes to private collect
as like Col. ShepstOne, Some hard bar
aims he had driven with the latter
had irritated the colonel against him.
md then Cornely, who was a great lin
elist, had severely criticised some of the
olonePs transactions. Still, Shepstone
vas too Just a man TO visit the misdOinCs
{ the father upon the daughter.
louise was the bosom friend OF
lis daughter Bessie, and he had
never objected to that friendship But
when, in the course Of the evening q
pood-aatured female friend inquired eff
Il were really the case, as everybody said,
that Herbert was engaged TO Miss Cornely
his attentions were so marked" the
colone, while dismissing the notion with
a laugh inwardly resolved that he would
give Master Herbert n good talking to on
the morrow.
But the evils OF procrastination were
once more exemplifed. Before the even
ing WIS over Herbert had plainly told his
love 70 Louise, and had made the delight
ful discovery that his affection was warmly
recipr)cated. All this had been settled
during the progress OF n dance which the
lovers had sat out together in a sheltered
nook Of the conservatory. The girls chief
misgiving was, "What will Bessie say 10
me = for certainly their friendship had
not been designed for any such re-
suit The two girls had drawn
from the same cast at the museum il
was Antinous, and certainly, now
that Louise came 10 think of il, the head
was Just like Bertie's They had studied
the same books, practiced the same music,
and had agreed that one day they would
share the same studio, and devote them
selves to art and tokindred subjects in the
spirit OF free and unfettered womanhood.
But all this time BERTHE was an unknown
quantity. He was with his regiment in
the East, and il was only within the last
louI Monlnh, Wnen the young man nad
been duartered at Aldershot, that Louise
had come TO know him; and there was
something so fresh and new about him
that when he began 10 make love 10 her
she found him quite irresistible.
And Bessie was indeed angry and indig-
naut when in the course OF the evening
Berthe whispered 10 her the secret. Grub
bish, she said. Father will never per-
init H. And Louise is a regular little ser
pent. Why, only a little while ago, /
know she thought OF nothing but her
fathers handsome secretary, George
AIeiitus, and l am sure she wears his por-
trait next her heart. / have noticed il
ever since he left, and she will not show
II to me or 10 anybody"
BERTHE told his sister she was little
traitress, which did not mend matters.
But Bessie had landed the shaft of jeal-
ousy fairly and truly in his manly breast.
For he had noticed this locket. or what
ever 10 was that Louise thus cherished,
neslled snugly within her corsage, lust
IAA 3ghy except when partially re-
kerIA the exertion Of the dance. In
me next waltz that he danced with Louise.
Herbert artfully introduced the subject:
dearest" he whispered, as they rested
for a moment after a long spin, you must
wear my portrait now instead of that
locket you treasure so carefully"
Louise looked up with shade of alarm
in her violet eyes.