The morning call., 1891-02-10
THE GENERAL'SN NEPHEW
BY FLORENCE Enrol.

81 hope you wont be disappointed in
them"
Il am sure / shall not love old things"
"My nephew is here, fortunately, and will
show you what you wish to see," continued
the General, glancing at Jack, who was
lingering in the friendly shade of the
canopied porch. lie tells me that he
knows you"
knows mel" exclaimed Miss Helstone
in surprise, and then Captain Temple
marched out as though he was going TO face
the enemy's guns, blushing the while like
any school miss in her teens and swearing
at himself for doing so.
I'VE have often met at Mrs. Gabriel's and
elsewhere in town." he said little con-
STRANGELY, as he came to close quarters
mo doubt, though, you have forgotten me,
as 1t Is some time since we met" he added,
with mild sarcasm.
"Oh! no, have not forgotten you," she
replied, with such admirable GOODNESS that
his hopes and spirits fell to zero. Il met
You last at Lady Highbury's ball You were
there with Major Bolsoyer aud Captain
JONES'
YES" he assented coldly, for he was
rather, not TO say very, jealous Of the junior
Captain, Arthur Jones, and he turned with
an air of indifference to Colonel Helstone, TO
whom his uncle introduced him.
Agnes noticed his manner, and though in
tultiYely she knew it was assumed and only
a set-off against her own GOODNESS, she de-
termined TO punish him for it.
well, are you not going to play the part
! of cicerone or Snowman, or whatever you
wish to call it?" she asked sharply, when
the General having something of interest to
| show his whilom comIade-in-arms, led him
| off to the oak room. and the young people
! found themselves alone in the library digni-
fed in the time of the former owners by the
title of THE Saloon Of the Minervas."
Il will if you wish it," he rejoineu, emu
lating her cool manner, for he was still
smarting from her rather discourteous re-
| eeptiOn Of him.
'Of course l wish IT," she retorted
| quickly. Il have come here to see all your
| uncles antiques, and besides an old place of
| thlS sort must have II hundred Interesting
stories attached to it. Ii you know any OF
them, pray impart them to me-"
| with pleasure" he rej0ined, assuming
an ar OF ceremoniouS pollt-ness. This
window, indicating the one by which they
| stood, " hlch was can0pied with carved oak
| of Charles l PERIOD sis the one through
which Lord Edward Fitzgerald escaped in
| 1898, when 9IG00 had been offered by the
|
| Identical one in which the Duke of Yelling
| ton sat when he lunched here in 1914. That
| OAK chest was presented to the former own
| crS by the Duke of York. 1t was with that
lewe!ed fan Madame de Genlis famed her
self when she stayed here in 1891, and out
OF that SevreS patch-boX that the Duchess
Of st. Adams nee Mellon) decorated her
dimpled chin, while Wordsworth wrote
Win that antlqqated pen the verses to Plas
ldris, and Sir Walter Scott drank out OF
that Venetian goblet when dining here in
1925, and Mile. d'Orleans made the Voices
ter cup famous by doing likewise some
thlrty-nye years earlier"
Quite list of brilliant Names" said Ag-
mes, looking at each thing with great in
terest.
Yes. Almost everything here has inter-
esting associations. In that glass case is a
tiny lock severed from the fair head of Marie
Antolnette; here IS ring worn by Charles
lis consOrt; here necklace of Queen
Anne's; there reliquary that belonged 10
Mary, Philip of SPAIN blooIy-minded con-
sort, and SO he went on trying to amuse
her, and deiuding himself with the idea that
he was doing so, when she exclaimed sud
| denly: ''Now take me TO see the dogs, and
| obledienty he took her to the stables where
| the Generals Dane boar-houaGs were kept.
and after admlring lem they strolled round
! the sweet, Gp9 II old garden that bore the
lnp1aceapse stamp of bygone years.
n!I not know you would be here to-
Coy, remarked Miss HestOne at last, CIV
Ing MIN one OF thoS- sudden dangerous
glances that quickened his pulses to
gallop.
No; suppose not, as You were not
aware that the General is my uncle
why did you keep it a secret?"
i am not aware that l have made secret
of il"
You never mentioned it to me, and he is
such an Intimate friend of my fathers"
II am not in the habit of speaking of my
relatives and private affairs TO those who
show plainly that they arr not in the least
| interested in me or anything connected
with me, replied the young man. stiflly.
cont? circulated Miss Hestone, looking
| at him hall mischieyously.
1t was quite poetical scene in its restful
| sweetness. The lovely river surrounded by
! giant mountains, their huge heads wrapped
| in purple mists; the sun rejecting its burn
Ing golden glory on the ripping waters, and
| tlnglng the foliage with its bright rays
| deepening the varied tints of the olive,
| brown, red and yellow leaves to marvellous
rainbOw-like hues, while the fading bracken
| glowed warmly in the sunlight and gave a
tawny look to the landscape.
| Perhaps the beauty of the scene was not
| without Its influence on the girl, for her face
| softened and her eyes grew serious
| PeruapS you are Mistaken" she said
gently.
II think not" replied the IDOL. still I'M
bending. and very ceremonious.
Don't you misJudse people sometimes ."
she persisted.
Sometimes, perhaps; only after four
| years acquaintance with you, Miss Hell
stone, don't think l have misjudged Won
or your sentiments toward me-" he told her
| quite bitterly.
! Don't say that" she began almost i'm
| plOringly. Il have often wanted 10 tell"
But at that moment the sound of the gong
/ rang out, and the butler appeared at the ton
| of the path and informed them that
lunch con was served and offering her his
arm, captain temple led her into the house
ID silence, without making any comment on
her speech or relenting one iot of his air of
ceremonlous politeness, which the imperiuus
beauty was quick to resent and take Of
Tense at.
Her softened mood soon passed and gave
place to one OF capriciOus cruelty. She said
everything she could to wound and annoy
the unhappy Idol, and lett him twenty de-
gtees more miserable than when she arrived.
o Uar rIeHehman has written, "No man gets
oyer ms hrst love" and it seemed hardly
likely that Jack Temple would. OF conrss
ne had had affairs of the heart before. They
nad Deen oil rather numerous occurrence in
MS salad days. But lie had never really
Deen III love until he met Agnes Helstone.
Then he surrendered absolutely, and to him
| IL seemed the beginning of everything
lie ala not take the thing reasonably or
prudently. He just gave himself up and let
himself become entirely absorbed by his
passion. He did not prolong his stav at
Plas ldris, and left at the end of the third
day. returning to his quarters at c..
He did not see anything of A gnes for
week-seyen whole gloomy days-and then
he met her at Mrs Gabrieps
1t was tennis party, the last of the sea-
son, ana several smart folk were gathered
together in the garden Of the pretty villa
mat the chiefs wife occupied on the out
captain Temple, who was crack PLAYER.
anu certain Miss Pope, dashing, hand
bOlU6 woman. not in har FIRE
very stylish ana agreeable and Immensely
wealthy, had beaten Miss Helstope and Can.