The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-02-06
THE FATAL LOSS
OF 4 NEGATIVE.
BY MRS. ALEXANDER.

"Ail can say its deuce of a bore ~
exclaimed Philip Blount, smar; good
looking lawyer, who was on very good
terms with himself, whose age might
be six or seven and twenty, 10 his par
ticular chum, Tom Marling, 4 stout,
rubicund, horsey stock broker, perhaps
a few years older.
"Well, il is rather hard lines" re
turned Marling, sympaIhetiealiy.
''If they had given me timely notice,
might have managed 10 get down to
the Grange bat such AN abrupt invita-
;ion looks a. Il Gwen Dashwood did
not want me down there"
This Dialogue was going on in the
private Office Of MIR. Marling, where
he two men were discussing light
luncheon Of oysters and stout, having
little time 10 spare at the general re-
freshment hour.
Blount was yet only n clerk in the
old established firm of Ar,lell d son /;
but that firm was now reduced 10 the
surviving son, who was Blount's ma
ternal uncle, and childless widower.
Marling was "A very well off bachelor,
much given to the good things of this
life and Blount's special friend.
"Down there" indicated a pictures
que old place called Varley Grange,
near Maidenhead, at present tcnanted
by charming widow, whose charms
were enhanced by the possession of an
income which enabled her to rent such
"A residence. Here she gave delightful
''E'riday to Monday parties, invita-
tions to which people fished for eager
ly.
Gwendoline Dashwood was the
daughter of Mr.. ArdeIl's deceased
wife's sister, his ward and the mistress
of his house. Blount rather imagined
his uncle wished To make match be
tween his nephew and niece, and was
quite sare of his own wishes on the
subject; for Gwen Dashwood was n
bright, attractive brunette, with big,
brown eyes that could say great deal
and he paid assiduous court to the
young lady.
"Were you asked p continued
Blount
"No. I'm not at all up to the mark
of Mrs. Cholmondely Morton's parties,
not elegant enough by long challs."
Better ask you than that beast
Everard. hate the fellow"
"BlOunt, you're a fool -
"No more than my neighbors."
"Rather less, ina general way bat
YOU are fool about that cousin Of
yours"
"She isn't a cousin; she il no rela-
ton at all"
''Well, whether she is or not, you'll
loose your game ifyou lose your balance
about her. From what have seen
am inclined to think you stand very
well with her, and Everard is much
too grim and sour and black browed to
be dangerous rival. Besides, that
Indian forestry appointment of his is
no great thing. And then Miss Dash
wood is not the girl to think of a man
who is obliged to live in the wilds."
"i'm not 50 sure, Marling. Everard
has an internal cool air of command
and superiority that imposes on women,
and Gwen has dash of romance in
her. | fancy she thinks or suspects
that am what She would call low
minded because | have the sense TO
have an eye to the main chance; but l
flatter myself I've been making way
with her lately. There's nothing goes
down with that sort of girl like an air
of being hopelessly gone upon her,
and, in fact, am-rather, It's such
uncommon luck to have Il fancy for the
right young woman
SIS she the right one?"
''She is. You see my uncle is deuced
fond of her, and pretty sure To leave
her the bigger half of his worldly goods,
though he likes me, but if we marry,
we'll have the whole"
Admirable reasoning. But if you
are making way, you may snap your
fingers ut Everard."
81 don't know. | got away early
last week and found him at tea with
Gwen, tete-a-tete-and after sitting
out with him for an hour in the con
servatory at Lady Dalrymple's ball,
when went TO claim my waltz, he
said, a. she took my arm: You must