Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16

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so neat so pretty i'll all her ways-every-
| thing about her from her comb bag to her
umbrella quite the lady-and religious, too
her New Testament on the table by her
bed And she read 1t, too, every morning.
| No, couldn't think any harm Of her.
The harm wouldn't be in her, but in him,
Marian. Nobody thinks any harm of the
| lamb it's the butcher we hate
SCENE III.-THE VICARAGE.
THAT foolish woman has sent Harold's
letters back-the packet l sent him last
| Tuesday-and ever SO many more, John"
Mrs. Challoner said to her husband, on the
| morning after Marias conversational tea
drinking at the George. He is evidently
not at his chamber Poor fellow, l dare
say he finds life very dreary there, without
the prospect Of a brief"'
He ought to sit in his room and read
law till the briefs come said the vicar,
grimly. Il found my first curacy very
dreary, but l didn't cut it till got some
| thing BETTER. I'm afraid that young man
will never do any good; he's too fond Of
himself
I'm afraid his smart friends spoil him.
| He is so good looking and SO altogether
| nice. The world Is too crowded for that
kind of thing. Nobody is really wanted;
| nobody is ever missed"
Nonsense, Lucy. Nobody spoils anybody
In London A young man of Harold's cali
| Der lives in FOOLS paradise. lie looks in
ms glass and thinks he is such a pretty
| fellow that the world can't do without
| him."
Its very worrying to have these letters
| sent back" moaned Mrs. Chailoner. II
| don't know what ought to do with them. I"
Keep them until he turns up here, or
| send them to the dead letter Office" an
swered the vicar, as he went OFF to his
| poultry yard, thinking a great dea, more OF
| some new Cochin Chinas than his nephew.
he was not very fond Of that cookbook
| ing, high-handed nephew-a young man
| who made it so unpleasantly clear that he
| felt his superiority to his surroundings es-
| pecially when those surroundings were linn
| lted to rural vicarage and a dinner table
served by a parlor maid and her attendant
| from upstairs.
He had shrewd idea. too that there had
| been some 1ooling of that pretty little gov
erness-the nice little motherless girl, whose
| rather was keeping sheep on the other side
OF the world working to make a home for
his only daughter in another hemisphere.
yes, the vicar feared there had been some
roofing. trivial enough and innocent enough.
no doubt, but bad for the poor pretty little
! thing, who looked paler and lost her happy
| smile after Desboroughs visit.
| Mrs. Challoner made an inclusive packet
OF Desborough's letters and posted II to his
Iemple address, with line on the en-
| velope-
Mr.. Desborough has left Fairfield. Keep
| letters till you hear from him."
Two days later there came a laborious,
| epistolary EFFORT from the laundress.
"Honerred Madamm-Your nevew not
| bean hat is roOmes sense he pade yew a
VeSet. doan no wot TO do abowt hes letters
| or thinks. Peepel kawls and arsts four
him. and l gent ad a napintmint and wors
very putt hout hat mott fynden hem. Nj
weaks kash mott to and as korsed ilcawn-
| wenence witch my 'usband's hines msks
worst, hand mummy lade howt likways,-
| Your umble survent,
Mrs. TILTON"
The unexplained absence of briefess
| barrister from his chambers might in some
cases occasion anxiety. but having long
| ago summed up his nephew's character and
| conduct as erratic NJ. Challoner was not
easily alarmed. He was going to London in
week or two; so he sent the distressed
| laundress a sovereign on his nephews ac-
| count. and told her he would call at the
chambers in about a fortnight, by which
| time Mr.. Desborough would no doubt have
| returned.
Even the fact that he had not sent for his
| luggage awakened no unpleasant suspicious,
| for the luggage consisted only OF good
| sized Gladstone bag containing the young
| which ne had arrived at the vicarage. He
| had come for couple OF nights only, on
| purpose for the heiress' ball.
SCENE Iv-THE MANNOR HOUSE.
On the very day she received the letter
| from the laundress Mrs Challoner made her
ceremonial call at the manor, the visit of a
| lady who had been invited to an entertain
| ment, and who, having refused the invita-
ton, deemed herself not the less beholden.
What good should l be at a dance,
| Laura p she said, when Miss Hamburg re-
preached her for her absence. 81 am not
wanted as a chaperon while my girls are in
| the nursery. l could only be a useless con-
sumner of the atmosphere"
''Oh, but we had plenty of atmosphere.
| We could have spared you the proper allow
ance of cubic feet. and We had nice rooms
and comfortable chairs for our non-dancing
! friends. | was dreadfully disappointed at
not having you and the vicar"
Miss Hamburg was almost alone in the
world, and had all the independence of a
| young woman brought up by governesses
and trustees and never having known pa
rental authority.
You had our nephew. and he is a good
dancer. think you had the best OF the
bargain said Mrs. Challoner smilingly.
There had been playful odds and ends Of
| irritation between the heiress and Harold
ana 1t was the Wears opinion that the
young man, by taking pains, might make
himself partner In Miss Hanbury's splendid
fortune. but then this young man was A
person who never could be depended on TO
take pains about anything, and a young
man so bereft of common sense that he
was not even DESTROYS of marrying an
| heireSs.
Your nephew was very little use to us, -
the young lady answered, blushing a little
as she spoke of him; for after two or three
dances he contrived to elude us ALL Num-
ME run after him. smiling at the faithful
old governess and l scolded him. but he
| wouldn't let me lead him to the sacrifice
| though there were really pretty girls sittin q
smiling at vacancy and waiting for part
ners-girls in new frocks ordered on pur-
| tfe"
That is not like Harold" said Mrs.
Challoner.
NO. 1t isn't bit like him. I'm afraid
he was feeling awfully ILL., l don't think he
| liked that friend of his coming unlimited.
though he said it was quite in accord with
| colonial manners"
"A friend OF Harold's at your dancer
Yes, somebody from Australia-Queens-
| land, think he said. forget the person s
| name-indeed L don't think l heard IL prop
| erly. for MIR. Desborough looked rather fur
| ried when he introduced him and didn' t
speak very distinctly. A tall handsome
| looking man, sunburnt, middle-aged. No
| doubt you know him.
| Il don't think l do 7 don't recall any
| colonial friend of Harold's."
No? Well. II don't matter a bit, only
I'm afraid his appearance in that-colonial-
way, spoilt your nephew's evening. They
sat in the conservatory together talking"
They were In the supper room together
and Tn told the colonial gentleman drank
half bottle Of brandy" said the old gov
| erness, without looking up from her knit
| ting.
"Butler's gossip. mummie. You oughtn't
to listen to such nonsense" demonstrated
Miss Hamburg.
Mrs. Challoner was stricken with shame
Her nephew's appearance at the ball. which
should have been turning point in his des-
| tiny-which might, ought could should
have led to such a grand result-had been a
fiasco. He had introduced a brandy drink
ing Australian. How could Harold have
done such a thing?