Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-12-27


Miss Blythe stood by the roaring crate:
her hood had fallen back upon her slop-
ing shoulders. one perfect little foot rest
| ing In graceful negligence upon the fem
/ der. Her eyes, filed with tears, were
lifted pleadingiy TO Toms. aud her hands,
yes, both her hands. clasped his shoulder
50 lovingly my teeth ground together be-
J fore heard her say:
Right or wrong, Tom dear, | would |
| do twice AS much for your" The room
seemed going round with me. BY |
heavcni l would that very moment
| No. wouldn't. either. What right had l
to interfere2 and they didn't even see
me. 81 engrossed were they with each |
other. So fed in my wrath and took /
more hot flip with the overturned, and |
then the overturned took more hot dip !
with me. Had that yellow tipple been |
the hemlock potion would have drained |
it just as eagerly, perhaps.
Waiting. old boyi" And the per-
fidious friends hand was on my shoulder.
Had Lieut.. Thomas Jones, United States
Boomerangs. ever seen Iago, in his cele-
brated role Of Edwin Forrest, glare
superlatively at some supernunerary
Cassie, then would that officer have
understood the look with which turned
upon him. He had never seen the great
artist in his great part. however, for he
only looked very contented and very
happy as he said:
q think wouldn't drink any more
Zip IL were you and we were out ON
the snow again. ''rn spell you at the
reins Bit" he added, with another
queer look at me. Your arms must be
tired and I'm fresh as a lark again.
Are you sure you're all right there.
Bet2"
There was a tender information in the
/ | question that made me feel vicious, but
the softened gurgle Of her Eyes, dear
cousin Tom" set my very soul on fire.
Miss Blythe tucked the buffalo away.
and made room for me on the back seat.
Looking straight across country, and
d utterly ignoring her gesture, clambered
up beside my rival and tugged stolidly
Z at the buffalo.
3 "All right. boys! Let go their heads
/. | -nowr'
e With a lurch and swing we were OF
n again. Once more we SKINNED over
(, hill and meadow: once more the wind
d whistled merrily past rs, and our bells
I chased it in a musical peal. But the
sunlight on the snow looked black 10 me
o now; the bells only tolled requiem for
q my dead hopes, and the wind, in its
g backward rush, only Kissed. "She loves
y himl She loves himP
z Though the horses were freshened by
+. their rest and pulled like steam tugs,
d Tom still found a way TO turn and keep
up a running talk with his cousin. But
as he turned on the side away from me,
|, and the words were swept back on the
Q wind, only n confused murmur and none
g Of their sense reached me.
e | don't imagine any tufnblil passen-
ger. ticlzeted through for the guillotine.
y ever joltcd along more naisorably than
ls dill or six i-iles. That morning had
N loved Tom Jones rs n brother / had
D. wcrshiDcd the very ground on which his
i cousias 30. 13 slipper trod; would
"a have cra~lel on my knees to have hen
10 ACCEPT the heart that WIS hers in its
a. every pulscl Now l hated that brcvei
u second lieutenant with mortal hate.
2p would sooner have mixed my heart in .
O. hot flip and proffered it TO the bearded
lip of the overturned than have yielded
~ It TO the tenGefest soseeehiags q th'
q false, tic povfiiious, the shameless Bette
- Blythe.
~ All things. however. even fortunes
have an end, and in course of time w
reached '.Shadynools." The inmates
mistress of the mansion was on tht
porch, in the primlnest of caps and mos
blankcty of sh2yvls, rs soon as our sleig
whirled into the circular drive. Mis-
Anna flew down the steps and twine
herself around Miss Blythe, still impli
Gated in the furs. They were wrappe
In each others arms l should calculat
: some twenty seconds-they seemed
me as many nainUtes-and. las they III
>, coiled. got tho damaged remnant OF
~ confidence. distinctly caught til
Il whispered words. 1.-THE dearest of fe
= lows." and "all fixed and ready" frol
the perfidious lips Of Miss Blythe. I
a me at that moment the argus eyed spii
4 ster, panoplied In immaculate cap an
ditto virtue, seemed a pitiful fagot
weak precautions. l felt bitterly sup
rior to her unworldliness, and thrille
: with unholy satisfaction that under h,
so guarded roof was introduced a clande
= tine passion none dreamed of save mysel
. AS for Miss Anna, she seemed blond
and weaker and more white mousey this
ever in the reflection of the snow. / 8
solutely despised her as the symbol
fragility in her sex-as phantom flow
b. without even the fiber of womanhoo
Tom seemed to share my feelings in tn
respect at least He barely touched Il
net tips of her fingers. and passed on
the salute ancient Prudence in the pore
aen Who could wonder? The girl look
ver like bleached celery after the spice pla
3nt he had just left
be Dinner that day was a cheerful me;
The old lady sat grimly at the head
hat the table, with me on her right, To
ing and his cousin opposite and the VIII
VAS Mouse at my side. Bette, from wi
ms exuberance CT spirits, suddenly relays
av- into deep quiet that was almost sadne
og- Tom. seeming frantically hungry a
ere eating doggedly, said no word. An
,tlv Bolton never talked before her aunt.