Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10

her prettilv-shaped hands. Her grandiathel
was already in the stern-sheets, in possession
of the tiller-ropes. When they moved OF
into raid-stream it was very gently, for tn
river was already beginning to swarm, ant
be observed that she pulled as one accus
toned to pulling, and with ease; while
as he was responsible for keeping
ashamed OF as they slowly moved
up the course. Indeed, they were only
padding; sometimes they had to call q bal
altogether, when there was confusion, anc
this not unwelcome leisure they devoted tt
an observation OF the various crews-sir
in the lightest of summer costumes, young
men in violent blazers-or to a covert in
spection of the other households, with theil
parterres and festoons of flowers, their huge
Japanese sunshades and tinted awnings an6
the brilliant groups Of laughing and chat.
ting visitors.
"Oh, Mr.. Harris, do look-isn't that g
pretty onep' Maisrie exclaimed, in an
undertone.
He glanced in the direction indicated, and
there beheld q very handsome house-boat,
all of rich-hued mahogany. its chief decora-
tion being flower boxes in blue tiles filled
with marguerites. At the same instant he
| found that pair of ewes were fixed on him
eyes that were familiar-and the next mo-
meut he knew that Mrs. Ellison, from the
upper deck of that mahogany house-boat,
was regarding him and his companions with
an intense curiosity. But so swift was her
scrutiny, and so impassive her face, that ere
be could guess at the result of her investiga-
tion she had made him q formal little bow
and turned away to talk to her friends.
| OF course, with one hand on the oar
he raised his hat with the other; but the
| effect OF this sudden recognition was to leave
| him rather breathless and bevildered. 1t is
| true, he had half expected her to be there;
but all the same he was not quite prepared;
and-and he was wondering what she was
| thinking now. However, the officials were
beginning to clear the course for the first
race; so the gig was run in behind one Of the
tall white poles; and there the small party
Of three remained until the rival crews had
gone swi tly by, when it was permitted them
to return to the White Rose.
Alter luncheon he said he would leave his
guests to themselves for a little while, as he
wished to pay visit to friend he had seen
on one of the other house e-boats; then he
jumped into the gig, made his way along to
the Villeggiatura, got on board, went up
the steps, and found himself among a crowd
of people. Mrs Ellison, noticing him, dis
creetlv left the group she was with, and
came to him, taking him in q measure apart
"Wait a moment, Vin," she said, regard
ing the young man. "If you wish it-if
you prefer it'll have seen nothing"
"What do you mean, aunt?" he said,
with some inclination to anger. "Why
should seek any concealment? I want you
to come along that may introduce to you
two friends OF mine"
Instinctively she seemed to draw back q
little-almost as if she were afraid.
"Oh, no; thanks, Vim. No, thanks. Please
leave me cut"
"Why?" he demanded.
The pretty young widow was embarrassed
and troubled; for she knew the fiery nature
Of young men; and did not want to provoke
any quarrel by an unguarded expression.
"Well-it is simply this, you know-they
are strangers-I mean-I suppose that
neither your father nor any of the family
have met them-they seemed somehow like
strangers-unusual looking-and-and
shouldn't like to be the first Leave me
out, there's q good boy"
"Why?" he demanded again.
So she was driven to confession.
"Well, look here, Vim; I may be wrong,
but aren't these new friends somehow con-
nected with your being SO much away from
home of late-with your being in those
lodgings? Was it there you made their ac-
qusintance?"
"If you want to know, I saw them first at
Lord Musseiburgh's," said he with an
amazing audacity; for although the state
ment was literally true, it was entirely mis-
leading.
And apparently it staggered the pleasant
eyed young widow.
''Oh, at Lord Musselburgh's?" said she.
with a distinct (but cautious) change of
manner "Oh, really, Lord Musselburgh's.
But why should you want to introduce me
to them, VIM
Because" said he, "they have never met
any member of our family; and, as you are
the most good-natured aud the prettiest, I
want to produce a favorable impression at
the outset"
She laughed, and was not dispIeased.
There are some other qualities that seem
to characterize our neutrality-suspicious. for
one," she observed. Well, come along,
then, Vim; where are your friends?"
"In a house-boat down there-the White
Rose"
1.-THE White Rose? noticed it yesterday
very prettv-whose is it,"
"Mine for the present; rented it for the
week." he replied.
"Who are the other members Of your
party?"
"None-only those two."
But here she paused at the top OF the
steps; and said in an undertone-
"Really, Vim, this is too muchi You, a
young man entertaining those two-and no
lady chaperon-"
He turned and looked at her with straight
eyes.
"Oh, it's quite right" she said. hastily.
TITS quite right, of course-but-but SO
much en- evidence-so prominent-people
might talk"
81 never try to hinder people from talk
ing, said he, with certain scorn. "And
itthey busy themselves with my small affairs,
they are welcome to ring their discoveries
from the tops of the steeples. did not ask
anybody's permission when invited two
friends of mine, who had never been to
Henley before, to be my guests during the
regatta week"
"Of course not, of course not" she said,
gently: "but you are doing it in such a
marked way"
"Come, come, aunt" said he, ''it isn't like
you to uiggle about nothing. You are not a
prude; you have too much good nature
and too much common sense And 1 don't
want you to go on board the White Rose
with any kind of prejudice in your mind"
They could not get away just then, how
ever, for the course was being cleared for
the race; SO they fingered there until they
saw, far away on the open river, two small
objects like water insects, with slender
quick-moving legs, coming rapidly along.
The dull murmur of the crowd became y
roar as the boats drew nearer. Then the
needle-like craft shot by, almost neck and
neck; and loud were the shouts that eheered
this one or that; while straining eyes fol-
lowed them along the goal. The sudden
wave of enthusiasm almost Immediately
subsided; the surface of the river was again
l. .l-l ~