The morning call., 1891-07-20
A CAPITAL JOKE,
BY FLORENCE MARRYAT.

house, the neglected and lonely daughter o.
fashionable old roue, who preferred t.
spend his time at the club or behind tn,
scenes Of theater to making home happy
for his motherless child. She was standing
in the embrasure of window with it:
dainty curtains for a background, as she
gazed at the scene which passed below. She
was tall and slight and as fair as lilv. tor
pale altogether to suit most tastes, but a.
delicate as piece of china. when you ex.
amined her carefully. Her flaXen hair was
dressed high upon her head, and her large,
and somewhat mournful gray eyes, were
half languid and half wstful. She answered
the gay remarks of her companions rather
were far away. Suddenly she flushed, not
crimson, but warm rose color that flooded
her face from the parting Of her hair to hel
little pointd chin. One pair of eyes al
least was not slow to observe her emotion
"Hullo. Elsie p she cried, cit is not diff
cult to guess who it was that passed beneath
the window just now"
Elsie Morris flushed deeper as she tried to
conceal her discomposure
'1-I-don't know what you mean, Ger
trude, she stammered.
oh, yes. you do, my dearl Now, what
will YOU bet that l guess the reason of that
very becoming blush correctly?"
Il don't wish to bet / don't know that ]
did blush" continued Elsie. confusedly.
Don't tease her." whispered GertIude's
sister. Ellen Bedinfed
Nonsense. If there was nothing to blush
AT, there can be no question of teasing. Now,
Elsie. l know all about it. Lord GlendoweI
rode by just then on that famous black horse
of his"
"Oh, Gertrude, DON'T" cried the girl,
shrinking from the idea of discovery
"Oh, my dearl you needn't look so shocked.
A world knows nf NJ
chant. Doubtless it will end in the usual
humdrum way of orange blossoms and we'd
ding-cake before the season Is over"
GU have no right TO say so. There is
nothing between Lord Glendower and me, "
exclaimed Elsie. with look of distress; "he
is only a friend of papa's."
And more than friend of papa's
daughterp" added Gertrude. "Ahl well.
dear, mind you ask Nell and me to be brides
maids, or I'll never forgive you. Come
along, Nelly, we must be going home
ward" And Elsie who was still too much
upset to have command of herself, let them
uepart,wlthout a remUustrance.
Little fo0l! exclaimed Gertrude Bedin-
field, as soon as they were clear of the house.
"as if any one couldn't see that she is head
over-ears in love with Glendower. Like her
lmpudence! As II a fine, handsome fellow.
with plenty of money, and a handle TO his
name, would ever look at a pale-faced.
skinny little creature like that He wi re-
quire some fine dashing girl to sit at the head
of his table"
But some people admire Elsie very
much, replied Nelly, who had the kinder
heart of the two. Mrs. Burnett told me
yesterday that the Royal Academician ha,
asked her to sit to him for the Lily Maid CT
Astolat."
Mrs. Burnettv' echoed her sister con-
temptuously,. all her geese are swans. But
fancy any girl betraylng her feelings so
openly. She got scarlet when Glendower
PASSED. | saw HIM first from the window
on my side"
she couldn't help that" said Nelly,
''blushlng Is constitutional. aud Elsie is so
very fair"
'oh, you're always on her side. l con-
sider her nothing but a pale-faced dab.
What fun it would be to play her trick
about Glendower. She'd believe anything
one told her: She is so green"
~ would be very cruel and wicked.
would have nothing to do with it" ex-
claimed Nelly Indignantly.
Nobody asked you. my dear" retor.ed
her sister. who, nevertheless, broOded over
the Ealf-iledged idea until her mind be-
came inbued with it. She had a.great am
billion to attract Lord Glendower, and was
proportlonately angry with any one else for
attempting to do so. Elsie's silent devotion
might eventually win the young Earl, who
was constant visitor at her fathers house,
but II she could place them both in morti-
lying and ridiculous position, Gertrude
thought she might etfectualIy prevent any
such contamination, for Lord Glendower
was an extremely retiring and sensitive
man with regard to woman. That was all
the world saw. 1t did not see the brave and
chiyalrons heart that beat beneath his re-
served exterior And so, long after Ger
trude Bedlnfrld had retired TO her own room
that night, she sat up concOcting letter,
which should carry both happiness and mis-
cry with it into Elsie Morris home,
FOr some time after ner visitors h ad left
her, poor Elsie was in great state of per-
turbation and distress. 1t was terrible to
her to think they had guessed even so much
OF her cherished secret, the secret she had
hardly dared to breathe to herself For it
was indeed true that she loved Lord Glen
dover; though she had never dreamt that a
soul suspected it. Her father, in his care
less, selfish way, had thrown the two young
people much together, and Elsie's tender
attractions and his kind and friendly man
mer He-on the contrary-had never
thought OF her at all except as Morris
poor little girl" who seemed so duh and
lonely in the big, empty house, and 50
pleased whenever he talked to her for half
an hour. Had he been on the lookout for a
wife, his attention might have been at
tracted to her, but he was not marrying
man, He was an excellent painter, and de-
voted to his art, and he lived with a
widowed sister, Lady Margaret Couiston,
and never contemplated changing his condi.
ton. When, therefore, two or three DAYS
after the event have related occurred, he
received the following letter, he was too
much astonished for little while to know
what either to do or to say. 1t was written
IN an uniformed, giriish hand, which he had
never seen before, but its contents lie n MIN
in no doubt OF the writer, or her feelings for
himself.
Dear Lord Glend0Wer Your letter has made
me feel half frightened OF so much happiness.
how ola you ever come 10 choose me for such
pioud positlonP am not worthy OF IT, but In.
deed am grateful. You say you love me SO
much that nothing will satisfy you but the as.
surance OF my love III return. Am wrong TO
give IL You? L am not quite sure what / oueht
10 do; but as you ask me not to tell papa any.
thing until l have seen you again / hardly
know how TO act. have no mother you see to
tell me. SO II am wrong pray forgive me- All |
want TO do Is what Is right and would please Won
VIII you come ana see me and advise me- P And
,hen VIII ,eii you, u can. all you wish to
Know. VIII remain In this afternoon. Relieve
me TO be your afectonate ELSIE MORRIS.
The young Earl pondeIed over this jnno-
cent epistle with red face and n ranidly
beating hear: for some minutes, utterly puZ-
zled what To do ahont it. Finally he decided
to coniida In his sister, who was MANY wears
his senior and almost like a mother to him.
So he carried the letter into her APARTMENT.
and, after binding her to secrecy. let her
peruSe the contents. Lady Margaret's
cheeks famed with indignation as She con.
cludcd it.
"Glendower" she said. "haye you ever
written to this girl?"
''Never, my dear Margaret nor thought
OF doing so: She Is sweet, shy-lookinp
creature, whom l have often met and talked
with at her fathers house, but not a single
word of love-making has ever passed be-
tween us"
'tShe must have received letterr'
'Of course she hasl What modest girl
would write like that without? There has
been some chicanery at work"
who can have had an interest in send
Ing i"
mystery to me. But l conclude Il is some
woman. The question is, Margaret, what
am to do?"
~ don't know how to answer Won. You
cannot go and tell this child that She has
been made the victim of cruel hoaxi IL
would humiliate her too much. Ii might
almost kill her."
II behave it would-especially, as It seems
from her letter, that she has already fixed
her poor little heart on me. And she is SC
fragile and SO lonely. poor child. She is The
girl that Archer wants tn naint ne ,ho T m,