The Washington times., 1894-08-05
Lord WilIard's P6ril.
By MARY Cross.
Author of "Ludley's Widow" "Under Sen


Author Of "Ludley's Widow" "Under Sem
tence," False Witness" &c.
The express from Hollywood and elsewhere
flies through the heat of later August, now
between deep cuttings waving with broom
and gorse and seeding grasses, now past
foods OF golden grain, fruit-rich orchards,
and lovely little villages. Passengers sigh
and yawn and sleep, and grumble generally
at the heat and tedium Of travelling.
In Hrst-class compartment two forid
s'horsey" individuals have certainly set them
selves TO make the best Of it, and, apparently
little disturbed by the state of the thermome-
ter, devour sandwiches, and "pour libations"
of something that looks, but doesn't smell,
like weak cold tea, comparing notes on racing
events past and future, and the merits Of the
latest music hall star.
$50 Mrs De la Poer is misunderstanding
again?" says one of these mighty eaters, and
the remark. uttered after 4 short silence,
causes the only other occupant of the COM
partment-a handsome athlete, who has been
half asleep in the corner, his arms folded, his
rather long legs stretched QUITO open his
lazy gray eyes and to colour through his
healthy sunUurn.
''Joye yes" comes the reply, with bois-
ferrous laugh. Lord pity the poor Old fool
if she catches him.'
'Sour grapes. my boy; sour grapes, eh2"
Nothing OF the kind. on my Bible oath.
Bless you. she don't know me now. 1 don't
say that once on a time all her smiles weren't
for ne: but of course when her pretty face
caught a swell it WAS all over with commo n
folk. and she held her head too high to see
poor fellows like re once the ring was safe on
herfinger. II was qualifying for the position
of second husband 10 hes ladyship Ia make
it my business to know what became of the
hrst-how he vas shuffled off,
And he closes one eye. mods, and takes a
long pull at his flask. The other man looks
interested-even on the verge OF being ex-
cited.
"Do Won mean-?'' he hints.
"Oh. don't mean anything, beyond the
fact that De la Poer seemed to vanish all at
once, and her ladyship took trip 10 the con-
tinent. and came back in widows weeds.
Whether Z. was arsenic or bullet through
the head seli-adninistered. or whether he
just drank himself 10 death. no one seems 10
know, and it isn't my business anynow. He
was rather handsome fellow. De la Poer
but precious soft; else pair OF bright eyes
smirking at him over a bar wouldn't have led
him into matrimonv. She was poor enough
and had to be content with little enough
when she knew him first; but, by Jove, after
she was married, mines of Golconda wouldn't
have Kept heri Tho best of everything was
hardly good enough for her; and so. with her
extravaganza, and maybe remorse. and no
doubt the dropping oif of friends who would
not receive an eN-barmaid. De la Poer took
refuge in drink. Perhaps he had a weakness
for it before, just as he had for low COM
pany, but better woman might have
made a better man OF him.
ba mt fr.rr hat 10 /,
rattle; anyway. the whole thing ended in a
smash-utter ruin-and between drink and
worry some say the mans brain gave way.
don't know how that may be, but he van
ished and so did she: and when she reap
peared she was got up as widow. She has
started life at Hollywood. where no one is
likely to identify Dolly Pearson, of the Hare
and Hounds. with Mrs. Dorothea De la Poer,
of Ro5emount, whom every one pities as the
rich widow of Il man who went wrong. That's
all know; Il clever woman, an adventures
Ii YOU like but clever as the deuce"
But what does she live on? Credit?'
''Not at ALL She has the luck of old Harry.
The old man who owned the Hare and Hounds
left her all he had, and some say he would
have married her. However that may be,
soon after she came back as a widow this
money dropped into her hands, and there she
is, The contents of the till will help her to
another good match; maybe some spars were
saNeu from the wreck, ana ii SO, she q nave
them. that's certain. 1t knocked me all out OF
time this morning, when she drove by, look
ing too lady-like to live, staring me straight
in the face as ii she'd never seen me in her
life before. Another woman would have
tainted. or sought to beg or buy my silence
about old times until her big fish was
landed. but she never turned hair. ITS all
right. Dolly thinks l, you're game and 1
won't spoil sport 1t seems that now she
is the rich young widow Of Da Ia Poer OF
Chester. which is like saying a Howard
or Stanley. He's supposed to have treated
her badly, for she can't bear to speak Of her
married life; she is all sweet gentle martyr
and patient angel. Ha! hal ha! 1t really is
fine. and if she catches this new man, fiction
isn't in it with Dolly's luck. Who is he, did
You ask? reer of the realm. my boy. No
less. Lord Willard, Of Waterdale, wherever
that is" |