Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-11-22

ance a short time ago through her friend
Lady Belvoir." said she. Lady Belvoir
now lives near us in the country, and my
daughter has become very intimate with
her of late. | am not quite sure" she
added hesitatingly, whether lam right
in allowing Dorothy to see so much of
her."
The naivete of this unspoken query
rather tickled Percy. Lady Belvoir is
my cousin" he remarked, smiling.
"Oh, yes; know that, and didn't
mean to say anything at all against her.
Still, one may have cousins who are
charming in great many ways, and
yet not exactly the best companions for
young girls. Dorothy is altogether in
experienced, and as for me | know moth
ing of the fashionable world nowadays.
1t is ages since spent season in Lon
don. Formerly" continued Mrs, Les
lie, with sigh, IF one had one or two
good introductions that was sufficient;
but now everything seems to be so
changed. A few old friends have been
kind to us, and have asked us out; only
| can't help noticing that one meets
some very odd people at their houses
people whom one certainly wouldn't
have met in my fathers time
81 really think you would have met
Lady Belvoir in anybody's time" an
swered Percy. Il won't answer for it
that you would have approved of her,
because that is question of personal
taste and opinion, but | am sure that
your friends would have asked her to
dinner. And may venture to say that
If you wanted to shield your daughter
from any danger of evil communica-
tions you shouldn't have brought her to
London at alp
"Oh. but one must" Mrs. Leslie re-
turned lone wouldn't be justified in
locking ones children up, even if it were
possible to do so. Besides, Dorothy has
principles which ought to be sufficient
protection to her."
Exactly So That is why hope that
she will get no harm from my cousin"
Mrs. Leslie, who had heard all about
the engagement which had recently
come to an end. thought this very mag
unanimous, and so, perhaps, it was; be-
cause if Percy Thorold had said what he
really thought of his cousin he would
have had to say that he considered her
heartless, selfish. deceitful and vain.
Not wishing to commit himself to SO
candid an expression of opinion, he
shifted the subject little and led Mrs.
Leslie on to tell him more about her
daughter This is "A subject upon which
the generality of mothers are willing
enough to converse, so that before the
evening was over Percy had learned a
good deal which increased his original
interest in the debutante. Having, as he
believed, had his day, and being now a
mere spectator of life in social sense,
he naturally felt interested in those who
were about to take their turn at the
game.
1t is pity that Mrs. Leslie knew so
little about the stress of modern political
life: otherwise she would doubtless have
been more flattered than she was by the
request of this overworked legislator
that he might be permitted to call upon
her. On the following Wednesday af-
ternoon he made his appearance at the
little house in Ebury street which she
had taken for the season, and not only
found Mrs. and Miss Leslie at home,
but landed in the middle of a tea party,
which was perhaps rather more than he
had bargained for. However. there were
not great many people present. and the
tea table, over which Miss Leslie was
presiding. was in the back drawing
room, so that if he wished to talk to
that young lady rather than to her
mother he had no reason to grumble at
his luck
And does London season come up
to your expectations?' was the first thing
that he asked her. putting his question
with an amiable, grandfatherly air. II
suppose you have been racketing about
to tremendous extent
Not to what you would call ire
mendous extent" she answered. 1--WE
have been to very few balls, and those
were rather disappointing, except as a
spectacle have enjoyed the theatres
and concerts, though, and | hope to en-
JOY good many more before we return
to our native obscurity."
"Ah, | wish had time to go to con-
certs!" sighed Percy. Music is about
my only real pleasure now"
The girl glanced at him with a slight
suspicion of irony in her smile, but, bear
ing in mind how lately he had been
crossed in love. she felt that he was en-
titled to be little lackadaisical and
only said
What about politics.
well, they don't come under the head
of pleasures, at all events. gave you
my views of political life the last time
that | had the honor of meeting you if
you remember
Eyes, and remember that made SO
bold as to tell you that didn't believe
in their sincerity. 1t is generally easy
enough to tell whether people mean what
they are saying or not"
SIS it, indeed? If found it so polit.
ical life would be very much simplified
in my case. | should like to take you tc