The Opelousas courier., 1891-12-05

sorry l wrote it Jessie!"
"But she has had the chance" sal
Jessie, coloring to the roots of her crinkl
yellow hair. That b~urlesque was s
funny I couldn't resist the temptation Q
letting her see it! Oh, Harry, don't b
vexed with me-"
He bit his lip.
What did she say2"
"1don't know. / put it on her dressing
table before tea. She knows your writ
ing; she'll understand what it is"
Harry gave a sort of groan.
"What a fool l was!" he said. "Well
l suppose there's no use scolding you
Jessiei"
Jessie's lip quivered; she looked
timidly at her brother.
ooh, Harry, have / done wrong2"
kiss me, puss. I dare say you
meant no HARM" he said, with a forced
laugh. "Come, let's make haste, or WI
shall be late. Stay, though; run and
get me that silly manuscript. I should
like to see it flying up chimney in g
stream of sparks before | CO."
Jessie, overwhelmed with tardy peni-
tence, few to obey his behests. Pres.
emily she came back, looking rather dis
comfted.
cts gone, Harry" said she. 81
can't find it anywhere. She must have
put it away"
Once more the young man groaned,
then he laughed.
"Kismet" said he, dramatically.
"Come, let's CO."
Had he but known where his luckless
roll of manuscript was at that identical
moment, he would scarcely have recon
ciled himself with such philosophy to
the DEGREES of stKismet. the unalterable.
At the eleventh hour, after Miss Court
hope was already seated in the family
carriage, she discovered that she had
left the all-impostant lecture in her
room.
"Arabella," she said, to the little
sewingmaid who stood gaping on the
steps, run as fast as you can to ms room
and get me the packet Of written papers
On the table"
Eyes, miss said Arabella; and of
she sped, proud to be OF use to the lit
erary young lady.
"Thar's two on EN-" said Arabella.
81 guess it's the toppernost one."
And so Harry's burlesque was going
to the Lyceum safe inside Miss Court
hopes mink muf, while her W efusion
lay peacefully by the blue-satin pincush-
ion on her dressing-table.
The building-no very spacious ediice
was crowded with the literary and es-
thetic world of Turtle Valley. The squire
and his family, the parson and his eleven
olive branches, the storekeeper and the
mill hands crowded up against the dress
maker, the telegraph operator and the
elderly ladies who lived in the
neat white houses, on the interest of
their money. In short, the indescrib.
able conglomeration which one only sees
IN an inland village. Miss Courthope
advanced graciously and gracefully to
The footllght-circled front with her roll
manuscript in her haud-for it was
one of her idiosyncrasies to be unable to
dispense with written memoranda-and
it.
There was a moments silence. The
audience sat breathIess; the lecturer
'eemed stricken dumb, and in that awful
Harry Jermyn, whose eyes were
narvelously acute, recognized his own
in Clarissa's hands. He half
ose; then sat down again. The con-
cious Jessie sat. tanning herself. The
rood farmer and his wife stared with all
heir eyes.
But Clarissa Courthope was equal to
he emergency. She fell back on her
memory and her womanly skill in impro-
r~isation. If the audience did not get
precisely ssThe Inconsistencies of Love-
hey got something quite as brilliant and
musing. After that first brief pause
here was no further hesitation nor lack
t utterance; and when at last she sat
own, the little lyceum rang with ap-
'lause.
"Oh, Cl1cki oh, Clickin cried Jes-
lie, running into the miniature ssgreen
pom" at the side of the platform. INN
. proud of youlo
- am very glad of that, said Click,
1iping the deWs from her forehead with
er cobweb of a pocket handkerchief.
the next time Harry wants to play
rrac joke on me, / entreat that he
ont select the time that I am standing !
the most critical audience that !,
onld possibly be selected-one's own /.
d friends and neighbors. It may be !
cry funny, but there is certainly a spice :
cruelty about itcthat-that-well in
it came very near unwomaning me,
4 may be allowed to coin the word"
II knew you were deeply offended"
i'd Harry Jermyn. uAnd ] should have
sserved it if 7 had deserved it. At all ]
rents, y0u cannot be as mortified as i
as {
Miss Courthope colored and shrank :
lck from tho sternness of his tone.
sssle looked from one to the other; !
she caught at the manuscript. !,
'sIt's my faulti!' she exclaimed sud-
"All my fault, Click / put il .
your dressing table for you to read. !
4 never thought Of such a complica- !
N as this. OH don't blame Harry. !
9 had nothing whatever to do with |
The crimson blood dyed Clarissa's
eek more deeply than ever. She hes
ted; opened her lips as ii To speak, |
q still remained silent. Harry rose ]
q left the DOE without further COM .
mt.
90 after him, Click Don't let him