The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-09-21
'It isn't possible" said she. His
tay is to be so short, and he is SO run

stay is to be SO short, and he is SO run
afterr'
But, aunty, when he knows | am
your guest !" pleaded Grace. "Be-
cause l met him last spring at Tuxedo
Park. He was visiting the arch9olo-
gist, Doctor Desson, you know, and
we got to be good friends
'To-be-sure ~ observed Miss Stats
Burgoyne. He's betrothed to some
other woman-a boy and a girl engage
ment, I'm told"
'Fie for shame n' laughed Mrs. De-
lacroix. Flirting with another girls
propertyr'
''All is fair" composedly spoke Miss
Stats Burgoyne, lin love and war"
1.-The other girl must take care of
herself" said Grace. l mean to be
Mrs. Evelyn. Why, aunty, dear,
every girl in society is wild after Mr..
Evelyn ~
Dinner is served % pompously
spoke the English butler, opening the
satin portieres of the dining room.
Lesbia Field had taken no note of
the gay conversation transpiring
around her. She was still thinking in
a perplexed way of the letter she had
that morning received.
How should she reply to it? In
what words should she make poor
Thomas Tarbox understand that all
her views of life had changed since
she was district school teacher in Sa-
conda County?
A sense of strange, sad guilt some
how overhung her. 1t seemed almost
as if Thomas Tarbox were dying and
being buried.
WAS it right ?'' she kept asking
herself. WAS it right ?''
And all at once common sense an
swered No"
81 won't be so mean" thought Les
bia, with a little catching of the
breath. "I'll telegraph to him and
tell him to come right here, and then
then he will see how utterly impos-
sible it is for me to keep my engage
ment. He was always a sensible
| young man, and-oh, l beg your par
don, Grace ! You were speaking to
Inc -
Speaking to you? Of course l
was" laughed Miss Burney, of the
sunny curs. What sort of a brown
study have you fallen into-with such
a woe-begone face, too?''
We're only telling of his possible
case" explained Miss Stats Bur
goyne, slowly slipping pineapple ice
-'of Grace Burney stealing this ele-
CANT Eastern Apollo from his down
east fiancee. She declares she'll do
| it. And wouldn't it be nice to steal
| another woman's lover?n
Are they already engaged?" listless-
ly asked Lesbia.
ooh, yes, hard and fast p
Lesbia shrugged one ivory-white
shoulder.
Its the other girls business to
| take care of herself" murmured she.
''Oh, yes! society is all a battle, where
| every ones bound 10 shift for him
self. It's all give and take"
And in her heart she thought of
Thomas Tarbox, and thought she was
| in some dark, peaceful corner, where
she could cry by herself for this slow,
| torturing death of the old love was so
| hard-so hard!
But presently she resolve to put it
| all out of her head.
| "If FIN going to the Stats urgoyne
| ball." she told herself, Il must have
all of my wits about me. It's great
promotion to be asked to such a func
tion-me, poor little Lesbia Fieldr'
| a smile dimpled her lip as the sud
| den fancy crossed her mind of the lit
tie schoolma' am of Saconda listening
to Thomas TarboX's prosaic suit
Could it be possible that she was the
same girl? And she didn't write the
letter at all.
Mrs. Delacroix had ordered two ex-
| quisite frocks for Lesbia and Grace.
MY girls must look as we'll as any
one at this grande affaire!' said she.
"Who knows but that they will meet
their destinies?"
The Stats urgoyne mansion was
blaze of silver-tongued electric lights,
fresh flowers, a dream of Partisan
toilettes, and in their midst Mrs. Della
croix felt proud consciousness that
| Lesbia, in her ivory-white satin and
old lace, set off by the Delacroix pearls,
looked like white rosebud, newly
opened She pulled at her hostess
sleeve.
Dear Mrs. Staats-Burgoyne," she
whispered, lis that the Eastern trav-
eler-the tall man with the straight
Greek profile and the towering height?
Pray introduce him to Lesbia. l do
so want the dear girls to meet him."
Mrs. Staats-Burgoyne smiled gra-
ciously.
Miss Field" said she, "allow me
to present to you Mr.. Evelyn"
Lesbia turned with a little start
from IL group of fair maidens with
whom she was talking.
The Eastern traveller bowed low,
but Lesbia stood as if she were rooted
to the ground.
Miss Field does not remember that
we are old friends" said Mr.. Evelyn,
with a certain well-bred composure.
81 would have come to you at once,
Miss Field, but you forbade me. lam
now awaiting your summons"
Its never-Thomas Tarbox!"
stammered Lesbia, her heart beating
as if it would burst through its prison
of satin and pearls.
"They call me Tom Evelyn now"
said the elegant stranger, smiling cur
iously. 1T was the condition on
which inherited the fortune that has
enabled Inc to travel. | would have
written you all about it, Lesbia, if
you had condescended to answer my
last letter. Will you favor me with
the third waltz! And then perhaps
we shall be able to talk little more
Complementary"
He turned with consumnate ease to
greet new crowd of strangers, all
eager to be introduced to the lilo n of
the evening.
Lesbia gazed at him with delicious
pride of possessions; and yet, was he
still hers?
"Lesbiar' cried Grace Burney.-
"You little arch deceiver, you have
played us all false! You are the other
girl"
Then, for the first time in her life, a
sensation of mad jealousy gripped at
her heart.
Was it the old love flaming up from
| its half distinct aShes?or was it Il new
err light, born of that blissful mo-
ment?
She replied to Grace's audacious
speech only by look.
Sophy Stats Burgoyne recoiled.
Hush, Gracer' said she. "She's
really angry, It's case of hands off,
The other girl is not to be trified
with
Until the long-f waltz came, Lesbia
Field was wretched. She looked
piteously up into Mr.. Evelyn's face
as he offered her his arm.
$50 l have changed?" said he half
smiling.
"And, if yours not ashamed of
me-
please don't, Thomas"'
my darling, pardon HE" nurmur-
ed he. You are prettier than ever,
and am more in love with you than
| was before Still, if you desire to
be released from our engagement"
ooh, Thomas, no.
You are pale. Does this whirling
step make you giddy? Then we will