The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-07-08

/ 1.ySroGCeed 10 the reader. He dIG rot now
sppear.any more attractive or I'M eTeetine
! II az, OF. ale occasion of his teccHl ing an
unseeson 2 ble guest at the garden party
! inc;Genssl to the signing Of the marriage
! settlements Letween Noel Mar!oWe ano
! Madame Ronceville. and, IN some re-
snects, might be even said to snpear IN q
| less fav vcrable light. =,
His eyes were slightly bloodshoG ahefe
was a suggestive tremor OF the upper llr
| wher he essayed to speak or smEa; the
iuroaas of labitual dissipation we've
more apparent in his once handsome face,
| and certain disorder in his fashio2 able
but not new garments vaguely hi3ted OF
his possibly having gone to bed in them.
Yea doubtless have no recollection Of
me, .si-," said Jasper rising and bowing tc
the captain, but few minutes in pri.
yate talk will serve to recall me to Rom
memory, fancy, and also to explain my
business, if you will be good enough &c
sccord them to me-"
Captain Rollingstone bowed in aeQuies.
.ence, ard then, after receiving trans.-
tory Introduction to Captain Jiggles,
was led away by Jasper to the refresh.
ment bsr, which occupied the further end
of the coffee room; and there they we've
observed TO. remain for q considerable
time in conversation which seemed steadi.
ly to grow in earnestness, Jasper in the
meantime -szacking, and his companion
exhibiting C. n-spasmodic inclination in the
svay of brandy and soda.
Wormer cas-. longing and profoundly
inquisitive -glances toward them, but,
having just begun to eat, could not think
Of any reasonable excuse for approach-
ing them.
Even had it r5sen otherwise. he would
have hesitated, fer there was genuine
ness of military bearings ghost OF faded
solSierliness, as It were-in Captain Roll
ingstones air and carriage, which made
him shrink from,such criticism as his own
bogus pretensicns. might provoke, upon 8
forced Acquaintance; and his shrewdness,
moreover, counselad him to superlatlve
prudence in his scheme of not again los
ing sight of his man" for more than
few minates at Eaco.
So, for the time being, he contented
himself with the leisurely discussion of
his luncheon, with narrowly watching
the pair oct uf earstot, and with such
mental comments .and conjectures as
those observations naturally called forth.
What can they be talking about, any,
way?" he thought to himself. Some
thing of profound interest, III be bound,
for they momentarily grow more earnest
and confidential. They -eyen draw away
to the remotest corner ofsthe counter, in
order to get out Of the prctty barmaid's
chance Of hearing. That's the point in
favor of my guesswork. Another is that
my man. while drinking nothing him
self. is paying for all the brandy and
soda (an expensive drink) that his COM
panion cares to guzzle, and his guzzling
capacity is of the regular ingulfng order,
to boot. What, still another B. and S!
Why, the fellow is two-legged sop-a
perfect drought! He is making toper's
breakfast. Good enough!
A third point is that my man is ap-
psrently willing, and even urgent, tEat
the fellow shall drink as much as he can
hold, with any degree of steadiness. Is
there any other point in my favor? None
that can think of. Boncourt, Rolling.
stone-Rollingstone, Boncourt-in what
way have I heard those names con.
nected?
But this suspense is getting too much
for me. shall have to make a demon
stration or just burst with curiosity"
So, after little further hesitation, the
pseudo Captain Jiggles, OF her Majesty's
Nineteenth Grenadiers. finished his re-
past, paid his reckoning, lighted cigar,
and staggered up to the bar.