The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-09
PEACE WITH HONOR !"

nave come 10 Inc conclusion lldI tHeIe Is
only one way out of them, and that is to
"Obey your grandfather. and accept Sir
Willoughby LOring?"
"Neverw was The emphatic reply. Sac
rifce my yoIth and beauty to a middle-aged
Baronet inclined TO be carroty? Never. l
say! Nev-are"
Sir Willoughby is only 81, and his hair
End moustaches are red brown, not car
roty r. retorted Aunt Em, a pretty, plump
little woman Of so, an old maid for the sake
of her parents and the delicate child to
whom she bad been a mother ever since
Nell was brought to her, the only survivor
of all the passengers OF homeward-bound
steamer. why do you exaggerate SOP"
Il like to call spade spade" said Nell.
"But it is enough TO say l don't choose to
wed the man. Let hun seek wife else
Where!"
Poor Sir Wnloughbyl hedeserves better
usagew sighed Aunt En-. But what have
you determined TO do? Accept your other
suitor. his cousin, and delight your grand
mOther2"
Marry a masher, whose affections are
wrapped up in his collars and studs, his ex-
quisite gloves, his dainty little umbrella and
the fit of his boots? No, no! Lance Loring
Is too much absorbed in his own projections
TO realize mine, so he, too, is declined with
thanks"
"Then what will you dep" argued the
aunt. You know that without wishing TO
put any undue pressure on your incllna-
lions, my mother and father would Ike to
see their grand daughter happily married ;
and, as you have tllrted abomlDably with
both these gentlemen"
Here Nell uttered cry OF dissent.
Aunt En-, your injustice forces me to
tell you plainly that you fb. | have q
natural inclination to make myself agree
able TO my friends; that is all"
"As you have filrted with both gentle
men," Arnt En- persisted, Iii is time you
decided which you intend TO we'd"
IL have decided to wed NEITHER and If |
am satisfied. Why aren't my friends? l am
very unlucky to have to live with such IN
reasonable beings"
MY father is beginning to be very angry
with you, Nell, and your grandmother is
nervous and unhappy
u know ii. and that is why I am going to
adopt The only course open to me-
And that Is?''
eyes SO widely, Aunt En-, nor loOK so in
cIedulous, for my mind IS made up. Isaall
be lost TO you all till my grandfather has re-
gained his temper, and these ridiculous men
have taken themselves off and gone a-n 90
Ing elsewhere.
frae, as nearly veXed as it was in her gentle
nature to be. There is no reasoning with
you. hoped you might be persuaded TO be-
have more Senslby.
And marry The Baronet," laughed Nell
with promise 10 take Lance for my sec
ond if | should live long enough. "Onl
Aunt En-, what shocking suggestOnp
AT this moment they were interrupted,
and Miss Carfrae, who rarely attached much
importance 10 Ter niece. wild speeches had
almost forgotten her threat of running
away, when just week afterward it was
fulfilled.
Accompanied by their daughter, Mr.. and
Mrs. Carfrae dlned at the neighboring
SQuire's; Nel's refusal to be of the party
leading 10 a scene between her and her
choleEic grandslTe.
The young lady had been saucy, and Mr.
Carfrae somewhat tyrannical, yOwing that
unless she proved more dutiful he would
lock her up for month, and feed her on
bread and water.
On this Nell had swept him low curte-
sey, muttered query as to whether the
bread would he stale or new. and refused to
see the fearful, imploring looks OF her
grandmother.
She did not appear at breakfast on the
morrow, and when Mr. CaIirae inquired
where she was, the answer was-gone!
Wiiu ana reckless though they always
called her, Nell had made her arrangements
with view to preventing any public scan
dal. She had quietly desired one Of the
men-SeTyants TO harness horse to the dog
cart, and convey couple Of trunks to the
nearest railway station, as she was going on
visit IN haste.
OF course her orders were obeyed, and the
trunks, which were directed to an hotel in
London, here MI. Carfrae was well known,
safely deposited in the luggage-van of the
next train; but whether his young lady
went by it the groom could not tell. When
she gave him her orders respecting her boxes
abe was dressed for travelling, but no one
had seen her leave the house except one of
the maids, who said she strolled away as if
merely going to enjoy tie moonlight on the
terrace.
Aunt En- was sent 10 the London Hotel
10 fetch the tTuant home, aud learned to her
dismay that Nell had not been there. She
had not only Kept her word and gone into
hiding, hut effected It so completely that no
one could divine whittier she had betaken
herself.
Mrs. Carfrae-a gentle old lady-would
have been seriously distressed, but for her
implicit belief that her hayward grandchiId
would do nothing unbecOBiing CaTfrae and
LADY, and she held her gray head erect,
and never banched when questioned by in
quis!tive neighbors. Her darling Nell had
left them for time, was all she said, but it
was with such smiling composure that curl
osIty was baffed.
Influenced 10y her example Mr.. Carfrae
restrained his wrath and alarm, never men,
tioning the fugitive except when alone with
alternately rave at Nell's disohedience, and
regret his own violence.
Was il not for the child's good he had
pressed her 10 marry Sir Willoughby !?
Never-neyer would he forgive her for the
step she had taken. She was plucky. yery
and perhaps he had been a little too sharp
with her, but she was the most ungIateful
OF girls. She confessed with pride that she
inherited her high spirit from his family,
for all the men of it could hold their own
against the world-all the women were as
lmpetuOus as they were beautiful; but the
next minute would angrily declare that she
had left his home in a disgraceful manner,
and II she were TO entreat it on her knees
she should never return to it.
II Nell fancied her flight would drive her
suffers away she erred, for, on the contrary.
they came more frequently than before. Sir
Nilloughby Loring spent his mornings In
tTamplng over the fields or smoking in the
study with Mr.. Carfrae, his evenings in
playing chess ortconyeTsing with Aunt En-,
while his Cousin Lance devoted himself to
mrs. Carirae, and never seemed TO tire OF
listening to her stories OF NelPs childhood
and the frollcs and scrapes into which her
fund OF animal spirits led her.
The young men looked shyly e. each
other, for both had learned that it was to
avoid thsm that Nell had fed. I,ance
gnawed his lip and knit his brows, but bure
his disappointment manfully. eschewad all
those little dandyisms his hard hearted mis-
tress had Knocked at and began to make
preparations for Australia.
Sir Willoughby carried his troubles TO the
sympathzing En-, who wa, always willing
to listen to them, and though she could moi
give him hope, she bestowed on him such
tender compassion that after their second
interview the Baronet discovered that if not
as positively beautiful az her neice, she pos
sessed every quality that steady, sensible
man desires In wife.
AT the end OF week after Nells disappear
ance Sir Willoughby confessed to himself
that II was for Ems sake he was paying his
daily visits to her parents. The next thing
he did was to make a similar ayowal to the
lady. and he knew he had done well and
wisely when he kissed away tear that stole
down her blushiDg cheek, and heard her
whisper that she had always liked him toe
warmly for her own peace.
Lance shrugged HE shoulders when he
heard tine news. Miss Carfrae was a yery
nice little woman" he admitted, land he
dared to say viii and she would be q happy
couple; but the idea Of q man who had pro.
fessed to be in love with Nell beautiful
bewitching Nell-solacing himself for heI
loss with another was mOnstr0usp'
AS for Mr.. Carfrae. he was 80 amazed