The morning call., 1894-02-04


mother from the other end of the table.
why. this letter from Aunt Rashleigh.
~She asks me to run down there for week
before l go up to Oxford, as my uncle
thinks | might like to have a go at the
pheasants."
- And youswould. l suppose?"
You bet.AThe Rashleigh shooting IS
some of the best in the country, ana ex-
. cept for one poor day after the partrldges
have not had a chance Of letting OIL my
gun since this time last year. Go? L
should think l SHALL"
"Of course I'm only too glad that you
should get a little shooting. Reggie. But
do mind and be very careful how you
r behave while you are at Rashleigh. Your
Rncle is so very particular, not to say
crotchety. and very little thing might
offend him mortally, which, as your start
in life depends greatly on his assistance.
wouId be terrible catastrophe"
"All right. mother. Pll be no end care
full. promise you. / know Uncle Rash
leigh is a cranky old gentleman; but he's
good sort ati5the bottom, all the same
3 Ny aunt. poor thing. is a nonentity and
don't matter one way or the other. But
: NOFa-she's regular champion, quite one
of the best"
."Ah, that is just the point on which
=, want to warn you," said his mother,
gravely. Don't you get thinking too
much about your cousin, Reggie. Your
uncle aud aunt expect great things for
.Nera, and certainly with her beauty.
money and position she ought to marry we'll.
And there is nothing. l am sure, would
. anger them with you so much as anything
in the shape of love-making between you
two"
Reggie laughed, not quite comfortably,
and his color became a little heightened.
: Never fear, mother" he answered.
"YOu don't suppose that Nora would re-
gard otherwise than as a cousin my very
penniiess and ineligible self. Not she.
She's good sort and a brick, as girls go :;
but she's wde-awake is Miss Nora. You
bet she knows well enough how many
beans make five"
r.. His mother smiled and looked tondly
across the table at her handsome son. But
she said no more on the subject, having
the savoir faire TO desi3t from what some
ore calls 1.-THE damnable vice of iteration"
after letting drop the seed which she wished
TO SOW. How few people there are-least
of all women-whO have this much sense,
A few days later Reggie started off on
his visit to his uncle'S, in hgn and jubilant
spirits at the prospect Of his weeks en-
- loyment. having faithfully promised his
mother to be on his very best behavior dur
ing his stay there. 1t cannot be said that
even il spite Of this promise, the good
lady was quite at her ease about him, for
though he would not Intentionally break
his word yet he was too careless and i'm
pulsive to be implicitly relied upon. How
ever, there was no good done by worrying
over il. so, like a wise woman, she dis
missed the subject from her mind until
something should happen to make her re-
call ir.
On reaching Rashleigh a fine old place
in Southeast BerkS, Reggie Anstruther
found a house party assembled there,
mostly men, who had come for the shoot
ing But there was one of them. Reggie
discovered in the course of his first even
ing. who had been drawn thither by
another and more potent attraction. He
had never met this Individual before,
though he knew him well en ough by name
and by Il reputation which was not quite
imm 2culate. And il made our young friend
nearly mad with jealous Indignation to see
the Ieering lOue, prematureIy aged al 10,
with his abominable character clearly en-
craven on his face, taking \ ora RashleiGh
into dinner and apDropriating her, so to
speak, TO himself; and, what was worse,
her father ard mother openly aiding and
2betting him in his designs, and affording
him every kind of facility
IT'S a shame" thought Reggie TO him.
self. as be looked across the table at his
pretty cousins far from happy face.
What if that blackboard is smart man
and has $50. 600 a yearl No pnre-minded
girl ought to he allowed in the same house
=. with him. It's an awful shame of aunt
and uncle; and ia like to kick them
bothY'
Wnen. the gentlemen Joined the ladies In
the drawing-room after dinner the same
sort of thing continued, N0ra's admirer
. taking his seat beside her and practically
monopoliziug her until the ladies retired to
. bed. The gentlemen then made a move to
the billiard-room, and Reggie ran upstairs
to change his coat ana fetch some cigars.
1t so happened that the door OF one of the
bedrooms which he had to pass stood ajar,
and the sound of voices from within was
plainly audible.
Really, Nora" ne heard his aunt's
voice say, in an angry tone, "the way you
behaved to poor Sir Algernon Arnall this
evening was quite disgraceful. You SIM
" ply tried to look glum and sulky all the
time he was speaking to you.
so | was-and miserable into the bar
gain" sobbed Nora.
''I can't think what has come over you,"
: continued her mother. ''One of the most
eligible men in England-a splendid match
for any girl! And you turn up your nose
at him.
"He's horrid, fast. wicked man, man.
. ma; Pm sure he is. And | hate the very
sight of him"
- ''Hush. hush! Nora What a dread
fully unchrlstian thing 10 say" her mother
reproved her. ''Sir Algernon has sown
mo VIZ ooSn, OclIdpo. lIho DkucI yOuUg
men. But that will make him all the
steadier when he marries and settles
down"
And it's not only that" protested the
girl. paving no heed to her mothers
words, "he has a temper like fiend:
know he has. l heard him swearing at
hrs poor valet yesterday. when he didn't
know | was near. He used the most
dreadful language, and lOoked-well |
can't tell you how he looked. Ii I'd been
the valet I'd have knocked him down on
the SPOT. / wish he had
''Silence at once, Nora! never heard
girl say such dreadful things. l may as
j.. we'll tell you that your father has set his
heart on this match, and he will not allow
Your silly girlish fancies TO thwart him.
Sir Algernon has to leave Rashleigh after
the big shoot on Friday, and"
II wish some body would shoot himp
broke in Nora, passionately. 81 do. in
deed!'
Reggie did not stop to hear the angry
TRADE to which his poor cousin was SUBJ
Jected IN punishment of her murderous
wish dndeed he WAS rather ashamed OF
waiting TO hear so much, but glded lightly