Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-05
effect "tahing the shine out Of him" alto
gether. an theY say down here.

effect "taking tho shine out Of him" alto
gether, an they say down here.
Is she . spirit, or an IMP, or girl? Was
there ever so ight-footed creature, OF ono
10 sure of her stroke2 And was there ever
ono who at the end of set (won literally Off
her own bait could look SO cool, 30 lovely,
so little triumphantY
you're a swindlep' says Denis, who is
as hot as she is cool, as crimson as she is
pale. "You are," changing his tune "a
marvellous creaturer' He says this in q
painting tone, from where he has flung HIM
self exhausted ON the grass 1t is no joke,
you see, playing a single game on a hot day
in July. "Why don't you look surprised2''
he goes on. "You might if only for gen.
erosty's sake. Why don't you jeer at mel
Are you not proud Of YOURSELF"
"Well, no." says the Duchess mildly.
"fo tell you the trnth, generally beat
everybodyr'
Denis, as if amused by this naive remark,
which is rich in truth, gives way to sudden
laughter.
you'll bring them down a peg or two at
the Castle, he says, inadvertently. Then
Don't sit so far away from me over there;
you might as we'll be in the next county.
Come over here and enjoy with me the
shade Of this hospitable tree. I'd go to
You, only you have knocked me up SO COM
pletely."
Poor rhingp' says tho Duchess, with
deep compassion. She comes to him at
once and slips down on the grass beside
him, and generously pulls out corner of
her gown that he may rest his head up
ON it.
"Who thought you to play tennis in that
mastery style?' he asks, when he has set
tl,l oh
her as circumstances will permit. 81
thought you told me you had no neigh
borsS''
"What melancholy thoughts! We are
not quite so destitute as all that. I think
what / said to you was, that there were no
young men here; but there are plenty of
girls. That" with little laugh lis bad
enough, isn't it, without adding to it9''
81 don't think girls could teach you to
play as you do"
''Well, there are some old men, too. Dad
can take most balls, and the rector is no
mean foe. And Lord Kilgarrih when he
is at home, gives me lessons; but he is SO
often away"
"Lord KilgarrifF," turning lazily on his
elbow to look at her; ''who is her Another
old neghbor'"
''The oldest we have remember him
quite as long as / can remember anything"
C'Ol fogy evidently" thinks the young
man, with an unconscious pleasure in thus
thinking.) "Where is he now?" aloud.
"Abroad. Somewhere in Germany. I
forget the name of the town. There was a
professor OF something or other there whom
he wished to see.'
c'Nusty old pedant beyond doubt, " de-
cidcs ,aney, still carrying out that first
satisfactory train of thought) "Book-
worm, 1 suppose" he says civilly, if SUI
perciliously. "That sort is generally q
bore, don't you Think One can hardly
fancy an old fellow devoted to his 'Aldines.
Bodonis, Elzevirs, welding the frivolous
racket. By the by how old is he? OLD
enough to be your grandfather-eh9'
''Well-hardly, perhaps" with
treacherous uncertainty of tone. LET me
see. On mis- last birthday he was, am
almost sure"
"Ninety .nine?"
"N-o. Twenty-fiver'
"Whatp' says her cousin, sitting wright
and coloring warmly. Then, as thou sh the
absurdity of his extreme establishment
strikes him, he sinks back again into his
former position and alters the expression of
his face. 81 fancied him a modern Methu-
saleh. l scarcely know why" he says in
~ VI my .
rather than yours"
ellis father was dads greatest chvm
down here. They were at college together
and when he died a yea. ago dad fretted
after him very much. Ohio is now the
Earl"
0tho Somehow the word, so sweetly
uttered, 30 plainly familiar, CRATES upon his
ear.
'.He is abroad" he says abruptly. "For
long?"
"No, he returns next week "
"How do you know"
''He told me so in his last letter." replied
she, simply.
Silence follows this ordinary answer.
Denis, lying back with his hands clasped
behind his head is, to all appearance, gaz-
ing with rapt attention at the pale white
clouds floating in the dazzling blue of the
sky overhead; and yet-and yet-what is
this curious sense of dissatisfaction, this
contraction of the heart, that is almost
pain? 1t is sharp enough at all events to
rouse him to a clear understanding Of his
own position, and w.th the rush of memory
comes back the knowledge that he of all
men has no right to feel anything but I'M
concern about tho girls aifairs-this lovely
child, who, whilst he is working out the
right and wrong of it oil, is employing her
little idle brown fingers upon the adornment
Of his head.
Surrey it is true that
satan hnds some mischief still for idle hands
10 do"
Through and through the few short hairs
that his barber has left him She Is threading
pieces of grass, pulling them olt again and
re-arranging them as fancy dictates, care
lcssly, dreamily.
Denis, with this new strange fear in his
seart, lifts his own hand and, taking hers
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