Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-10-14


crooks and unknown animals to better
advantage than eny other man in the
Shires. He certainly was at that time
the very suresr thing between the flags,
and be was really the handsomest mau
under eleven stone IN our set. Briarton,
as we all knew, never did own any cat
tie, but yet he was always one OF the
best mounted man out; truth was,
Beauty OF diplomatic turn, and
kept in with the "talors," who affected
to ride, and who we afraid to ride
a gentlemen's beast when they did
own one. To all it was obvious the one
thing which foated him was his rid
ing and Lady Glcssop's regards. When
Br1arton noticed my little American he
| went il for her hot and heavy. Bla7che
was furious, aud keen as mustard in
pushing the affair in my direction, She
| threw US together on every possible
! occasion I liked the child, too, pom
| my word 1 did; did nay level best to
! please her; even allowed her to ruin a
ripping polo pony trying to teach her to
ride, you know.
'Miss O'Brien," ,,at last I venturcd
| one evening, 81 want to speak to you
most seriously, may IF'' Such confused
| establishment was never seen on any
young woman's face. What an actress
| the little sinner was to be sure.
"Seriously! What can you be going
to say! Why, Mr.. Hallett, you almost
brighten me to DEATH" and she smiled
| till her face was regular bed of dim
piles.
''Ina," I demonstrated, "you know,
you must know how l.
"Here Hallet, old man, sorry to dis
turb you and all that, but Lady Glossop
wants you to give US a banjo perform
ance; cut along now, there's good fell
low" said Briarton over our backs. I
scowled st him, but he was beautifully
imperturbable, and T needs must obey
my hostess's commands; she was angrily
observing "Beauty' take my place.
"Well?' she Intercepted Grossly.
"Briarton said you wanted mel" re-
piled shortly.
She almost stamped, really she did.
"Wanted you'll" cried Blanche. "Why,
Jim, you surely knew better than to think
I'd call you away from her Ga dear!
Go back to her at once-no, I want him
to sing and Miss O'Brien to play" But,
impatient, she went herself. So for the
present the danger was over. For few
weeks "Beauty" and l ran neck and
neck. Then Blanche and counseled to-
gether; l had either to go to the wall or
have the girl, and, as I told Blanche,
there was no sense in proposing only to
be sent down. Blanche scolded me like
a good 'un. ''Think of some plan," she
calmly demanded. "Have you no brains,
man2" 1 said Eyes" pensively. shut
what is there to think OIL have no title
to offer her; they always want title, you
know. Nothing but half dozen platers,
a hunting box, and the far-famed Lame of
Hallet Briarton has nearly as much."
"Why, I have it; you can invent a
coming title. Coniston must be going
to die! Do you understands Telegraph
for him to-day, now! He's to have
hopeless consumption; doctors give him
up and all that. He can be going away
to his place in Italy for this horrible
consumption. He must be going to die
soon; then you will be Lord Coniston.
She'll never refuse the future Lord Con-
Coniston will agree to helping you
out; he's such a goodnatured fellow,
YOU know" I was delighted with the
plan, so was Con when he arrived; we
laughed no end over tin fact, he was
strangely amused at my attempts to Sc
cure a rich wife; admired her Hiber-
MAN name, too.
Well, we took that girl in to see Con.
They acted the whole business through
like professionals. He gasped like con-
sumption, and coughed, and breathlessly
begged her to excuse his not rising from
the midst of the shawls and blankets
in which he had enveloped himself on a
sofa in a darkened room; and Blanche
had his eyes done up with some black
connection, till he really did look hol-
low-eyed and consumptive. but Con was
so energetic in his acting we had to
remove Ina, as his gasping brought on a
fit of genuine choking, with which
same complaint, to our extreme surprise,
Ina was affected. When we got her
outside the door she said sit was
because she felt so sad to see a
great big man lying there weak and
i'll, dying, perhaps. And Blanche
and were touched By her tender little
heart, and then I told her of my grief
and how I loved my brother, and would
mourn his death even though it benefited
me. Would you believe it, the little sin
ner let me MARBLE on but never gave me
chance to get right down to busi1ess1
Then Con and l went 20 Paris-and
bo5 1roll wa thorOur-hIv pniOvc6 o1r