The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-15

pleased to lose it. for hate TO see a
girl throwing away her opportunities
a. you have been doing of late =
Now. il SO happened that. at this
same moment. Nr. Lionel Falconer.
sitting in the smoking room Of his club.
was receiving equally sage counsels
from his friend Bates. who stood IN
much the same relation TO him as Miss
Leighton did to Maud Elton.
Don't make laundering ass of
yourself. NV dear fellow" that world
~. wise bachelor, Bates. was pleading.
Il could tell you lots of things about
Mrs. Martindalc. only 1 don't care TO
pass for scandal monger: and. be-
sides. while your present infatuation
lasts you wouldn't believe me. All
beg Of you is to go easy for bit and to
avoid committing yourself In due time
your eyes will be opened. and then you
will arise and bless me. fit would re-
lievc your feelings at all To curse me
now. curse away; don't mind
Lionel Falconer. a long-legged. tact
turn Young man. whose smoot h-shaven
countenance had not altered in express
sion during Mr.. Bates harangue. Of
which the flag end has been reported
above. refrained from cursing his
friend. lie merely took his cigarette
ont Of his mouth for a moment and re-
piled. laconically:
''All right. old chap"
But he was by no means sure that il
was all right. nor was he by any means
sure that he had no. committed him
self infatuated upon the subject of
Mrs Martindalc's charms he assured V
was not; he had begun flirting with her
simply and solely because Maud Elton
had seen fit to flirt with other people
But he had been f,astered and ca jolcd: he
had been dcxtcrou.ly led On from point
10 point. and his present impression was
that he had gone almost. IL not quite.
too far TO recede. After all. what did
il matter? lie was one of those luck
less beings. an eligible young man:
somebody was certain tn marry him be
fore long; the only girl for whom ne
had a fancy had turned her back upon
him. and Mrs. Nartindalc was a. least
an amusing companion.
As may lie readily imagined. less Gym
zeal views Of life began to prevail with
him at Lady knightsbridge's ball that
evening. when Maud Elton. wearing.
like the lady in the ballad. the colors
he approved" racing-colors. in fact
-beckoncd him to her side ard gave
him kindly little scolding. lie was
very soon made to see that any slight
misunderstanding which might have
arisen between them had been entirely
due To- his own stupidity. he was very
soon brought to the point of acknowl-
edging that his ostentatious devotion
TO Mrs Martindale (which in truth
Maud had not even noticed) had been
enough TO ALLEVIATE any friends, who
could not be expected TO know that
sort Of woman" But when it was in
timated TO him that he would have to
prove his repentance by attending Mrs
Elton's river picnic and forsaking the
concert TO which he had been hidden.
he pulled a rather long face
I'm sure dc.'t want to go to her
concert. nor to anybodys concert
he declared; Emusic isn't much in my
AAht- nut lou >tts a. Sdlu WOuiQ Ot
there -
''You said you would be at our pic
mic. You may have forgotten ii, but
You did say 50. and IL You break your
work-wcll. then l shall understand
that you prefer Mrs. Martindalc's com
pany to ours. and shall act accord
ingly.-
Needs must when certain persons
drive. He knew. or thought he knew.
what Maud meant. and he sad to
himself that since he was now resolved
to break with Mrs Martindale. one
prctext would serve as we'll AS another.
Never .hcless, II was not without trcpi-
da1loa sbat he threaded his way across
the rooAc to~ ards the recess where
that rouged. powdered. and b.
diamondcd little lady had for some min
utes becp scrutipixinR him suspictouoly