The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-06
The LOST DEAL

Miranda was charming littlo girl Of
~. She was also a bundle of contradition
-cultured and crude, clever and foolish,
sentimental and very much alive to the
Ridiculous She was also extremely pretty
In tho Irish way, which Is perhaps the
prettiest way In the world. Her father,
the rector, was Irish, and ne and all his
family were genial, CHEEKY folk, who
laughed and grow fat.
One September day the beaming rector
dow:
"Chick, would you like to come to Lon
| Jon with me for weeks'
'sYes, papa" said she in alittle languid
voice and with q dreamy gaze beyond
him into in1nity.
The happy old parson, who did not Of
ten give himself holiday. enjoyed 1t
thoroughly, and SO did Miranda.
One morning the rector had to go into
the city on business and left Miranda all
alone She thought she would explore
the three drawing rooms In search OF curl
osities, of which her aunt was great col
lector
She came to the smallest room at the
end, and even as she crossed the thresh-
old her eyes fell on the photograph OF q
very handsome young man stuck In the
last leaf Of photograph screen. In that
moment Miranda thought she foretasted
the raptures Of u realized ideal. She called
him Ferdinand
Almost shyly she slipped the fateful
carte out Of the little screen without even
q glance at Its companions there. There
after Miranda spent much time in con-
temptation of that sun pictured face.
Miranda passed the winter In trembling
expectation, half hoping half dreading
that her aunt would In some of her letters
allude to the missing treasure and at the
same time tear the vei% from its mystery.
In May Miranda land her ideaD went
to London, where the pretty country girl
was a good deal admired and enjoyed her.
self very mucn. One day at breakfast her
aunt read letter that seemed to give ber
considerable pleasure
MY dear, said she, "Charlie's COM
ing"
"who is Charlie9'' asked Miranda, who
had never heard of him before.
My dear" replied her auntsrather sol
emnly, Charlie is the son Of my first and
only love--the man should probably have
married If he hadn't preferred some one
else"
And Is he alive now?"
"No my dear-both dead lorsg ago. He
got himself killed by tiger out in India,
and it killed her, too-not the tiger, but
the loss Of her husband. Indeed, then,
she was far fender Of him than ever was.
Some we'll OF uncle looked after their boy
and got him into the II. o. He's been in
Canada these three years, and now he
writes me word he's coming home and
will be In London next week, so sit ye
down, Miranda, child, and send him a
card for my dance next Thursday"
Thursday came the guests came-more
than could ever get up stairs. Charlie ar
rived early and did get up stairs. His
hostess glorious In green velvet and dia-
monds, pounced on him, took both his
hands and kissed him before the assem-
| bled multitude.
Presently Miranda made her appear
ance, and being effusively introduced to
each other they went off TO the ballroom
together. Miranda's heart beat little
| faster when they met. For one moment
| she had seemed to recognize the beautiful
dark oyes OF Ferdinand; but, ah, no, mo-
| That round, foolish face Inclined TO be
| chubby; that nose inclined TO be snubby;
that wide mouth forever widened by d
schoolboy grinl
Miranda went 70 bed that night vaguely
disappointed and unhappy and had pain
| full dream Of adistorted Ferdinand photo
| graphed on spoon. Charlie came TO lunch
con next day. Miranda was tired and q
little cross. She found him horribly un-
interesting. She was only half conscious
that Charlie was babbling and braggine
| of his exploits on the ice in Canada. She
only. half heard what he said when he
asked her aunt If she had ever got the
| photos he sent her n year before.
Mine OF our skating club, and the
what do you call itS--you know
"Oh, yes, said her aunt, Il got them
| and put them all into photograph screen.
| II used to stand on table In thethird room
up stairs. dare say It's somewhere up
there Let us go and lqpk for 10. "
Photograph scrceniV The words woke
up Miranda like a pistol shot. At last, at
lasti And what was going to happen'
| Was her sin to find her outf No, she would
| never confess, but she felt very guilty and
shook In her shoes. However, she man
aged to walk up stairs In them behind her
| aunt with Charlie at her heels.
In the third room her aunt pulled the
drawer Of cabinet Here IL is" said
she, folded up as fat as pancake" And
she gave 1t TO Charlie, who unfolded 1t.
Eyes, /" cried he, with his wide laugh,
"here we all arel But, i say, where's the
| binaticn--oomposite, what d'you
call iti Nine of US blended into one, you
know-the new dodge. What's become
| Of IT. Awfully handsome fellow we made
too. Bit Of Brown, bit OF Jones, bit OF
me. BY Jovc What's the matter' Are
you illi Here, sit down. Where's the eau
do colognei''
Miranda sat down. She did feel little
| faint for an instant while she realized the
truth, and Ferdinand melted into space,
:. but then The suppressed fun N bey ''loweI