Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-02-14
at present stood-but she could not see


him In any other. Lease O. oil uid she
fancy his hanging his hat up perma-
nently at Inchmarew, and her beautl-
full Gegaldine, the pride of her heart,
the queen of the day, was going no
further and faring no better than only
her cousin. whom she might have ha |
any moment of her life, and without
budging an inch from her own door,
step.
Not but what the boy was well
enough, and had he been any one else,
any one but the lad she had seen grow
up through all the stages OF retticoats
and nurserydom. and Jacket and trou-
sers and schoolboydom, she might have
put up with him she would have liked
her child to be my lady"-yes; and
she would not have minded some of
the Campbell money passing into the
Raymond hands: but-but : and the
upshot was that she had hitherto de-
clined to perceive any hints and innu-
endoes thrown out upon the sub ect.
Charlotte had thought her mother
uncommonly dense at the first, but had
latterly wondered whether there had
not been some cause for the slight
deafness, or absence of mind, or the
like with which the old lady had par
ried her attempts. She was not alto
gether sorry that Geraldine was to
come alone-as she could do to her
own aunt's house-on Thursday.
Gerald was to have Cecil's arm to the
dinner-table, of course.
Cecil had not said a word when the
paper with it's lists of names and ap-
preparations had been submitted for
his approval; but she had understood,
nevertheless, that all was right. And
when it had further come to light that
by Lady Raymond's adjustment of her
table, Geraldine would have on her
other side a quieto old gentleman whose
attention would certainly befixed upon
his plate during the greater portion of
the meal, Cecil had still cheerfully
sanctioned everything.
But alas! for the "best laid schemes
O. mice and men,"
Thursday came, and with it the ap-
pointed guests, save and except one
lady.
A lady. and a somewhat Important
one, had been detained by illness; and
an inch as she strove not to appear too
much disconnected on herown account,
and sufficiently anxious on that of her
friend.
But it was hard work.
Here was Mr.. LIE Masserer, their
country member, q man Of considerable
standing, their own neighbor and ally,
yet not one too intimately known
here was he left in the lurch. A man
with temper and a dignity moreover,
and worst of all, a man Of whom Lord
Raymond had favor to ask.
1t was out Of the question that he
should be unprovided for, whoever
was. And she had not a minute to
consider, and here was her husband
signalling to her with raised eyebrows
and portentous side glances, and at any
moment the dinner might be an
no need.
She murmured one word in his ear.
He nodded. Another whisper. An
other acquiescing nod. The next in
slant it was "Mr. LIE Masserer, will
you take my daughter Ethel into din
ner? We had hoped to have given
you Lady Dawlish, but she has, unfor-
tunately failed u.s." with the ne
cessary explanation.
So far. we'll; but, of course. Lady
Dawlish's detection could no more be
permitted to bereave Sir Frederick
Bellenden than Mr.. LIE Masserer. In
trice he had been coupled with Ger
aldine Campbell, and the unfortunate
Cecil was seen to be the victim OF the
whole. the stranded solitary, the one
who had real and Just cause for ut
tering maledictions on her ladyship's
complaint, her absence, and the havoc
she had wrought.
He could not even slip in on his
cousins other side.
All the table had been disarranged
when at last he got down, and the
places on either side of Bellenden and
his partner had been filled, and as
neither of them had beard a word as
to the cause of disarray, or indeed had
been aware of any disarray at all, all
having been SO quietly and elegantly
managed, each was now silently won
derlng why they had seen so brought
his hostess must be a sensible woman
who would not throw her daughter at
anv ones head Geraldine fancied it
must be Cecil doings..
He was always speaking to her of
Bellenden, and the more she showed
that the sub ect was distasteful, the
more would it seem as if he were i'm
PEELED to pursue it. That he should
have desired his mother to deliver her
over for the next two hours to the sole
society and entertainment of a man for
whom he was aware she had once eX-
perienced feeling which she would
fain now have buried in oblivion. was
strange, and was hardly like Cecil, in
variably attentive, courteous, and
obliging; but if it had been done from
a desire on the part of the extremely
well-mannered young gentleman that
she should vindicate her own claim to
an equal share of good breeding by her
department on so trying an occasion,
she was ready to carry out his wishes.
TO BE CONTINUED.