The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-01-03

long time, and had received but little
encouragement. He was neverthe-
less too delighted to question OF
cavil.
Elvira looked lovely in her pretty
new frock as she sat coquettishly
her head a little on one side, gazing
at him from amid the gorgeous aza
leas by which she was surrounded.
Sir Miles stood in front of her in
awkward alteration. He was a big,
ieshy man, over six feet, with a
large face beaming with good nature,
and yet by no means wanting in
intelligence. Intelligence, that is,
of a certain sort. Sir Miles was very
long headed; political economy,
statutes, the management of land,
and all sorts of "dry as dust" sub
jects, as Elvira called them, he had
at his fingers ends, but making con-
versation in a lady's boudoir was not
his forte, and lounping cS.vns thc
luxurious fo'i-e,1 in that well stocked
conservatory he seemed totally out
t5f place.
Elvira looked at him as he stood
before her, and was provoked,
though flattered, by the homage.
"Why on earth don't you sit
down." she said a little sharply. 81
wart to talk to you, and it is impos-
sible to with u man who is
standing about looking rncomfortr
able.
He fetched a rustic stool from a
distant corner, and perching himself
on 1t looked rather more uncomfort-
able than he had done before.
Elvira burst out laughing.
"If anyone comes through here
and sees us l wonder what they will
think" she said.
"Why? Is there anything 80 very
odd that We
"Oh, pray don't say 'we,' Sir Miles.
l am all right, quite like other peo-
pie, thank you. 1t is you who are
odd, perched up On that stool like a
naughty boy who has been repri-
manded."
He laughed now and did not
attempt to move.
"Quite true" he said, 81 have
been reprimandet, but l rather like
it from you, please go on. Tell me
what ought to do, and how l ought
to behave.n
"Gracious, it would take so long.
You will require a vast amount of
training before you are like any other
man."
The baronet looked a little crest
fallen for a moment.
"Dear me-" he murmured, "I am
sorry. l suppose vanity has pos
sessed me, but l did not know / was
so inferior"
'Inferior!" cried Elvira, jumping
up from the half -recumbent position
from which she had been watching
him out of the corners Of her eyes.
81 did not say you were inferior, |
said you were not like other men,"
well, surely the inference is that
l am therefore inferior to Them"
Not & bit "f il. Yot als quite ni
different type altogether. J don't
feel at all sure that you are not very
superior; anyway, l like you best as
you are. To change would be to
spoil you"
A hot color mounted Sir Miles,
large face at these words, accom-
panied as they were, on Elvira's
part, by a very expressive twinkle in
her pretty eyes.
"You like me as l am" he STAN
mered. sob. | am 80 glad.n
The possibility that she was only
amusing herself at his expense never
entered his honest head; while the
sort of shy pleasure she was appar-
emily giving him, instead of stopping
her somewhat cruel sport, induced
her to go on with it.
"Of curse ] like you, Sir Miles;
you r not conceited as all the other
are"
"No, no; but then, Miss Delane, / l
have not much to be conceited about.
| shall be changed from this day I
l shall be awfully con-
ceited.n
'Indeed-what about?" 6
"About you having told me that l
am different to other men, and
therefore that you like me-" !
"Bravo, Sir Miles, you are eclips-
ing them all to-day in pretty
speeches, and / always thought you
too shy to look at, much less to I
speak to a woman" '
sob, Miss Delane, 1 have always t
.ooked at you, and l have no doubt
should have summoned up courage '
20 tell you how much l admired you |
only you eve gave rue the
opportunity" 6
"And now you have got one, you l
ire determined to make use of it,
Well, I never expected to hear s
you say so much" I
"There is a great deal more !
'ould say"
He looked SO like forthwith max [
ng a declaration that aha WAS {