The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-04-04


eTSST ~ Dinner was OVERHEAD, In
Ws2fNW fact. been over for some
WEW time-the hour of smoke,
G.S'S whiskey and confidence
A4Se had arrived, and we had
been telling one another
The various reasons which accounted
for our being unmarried, for we were
all bachelors except the colonel, and
he had, as variety, told the reasons
WHY he wished he was unmarried
(his wife was away. Jack Dexter,
however, had not spoken. and 1t was
emily In response to a direct appeal
that he related the following story.
The STORY may be TRUE or untrue, but
I must rem ark that Jack always had
rather 8 weakness for representing
himself on terms of condescending
intimacy with the mobility and even
greater folk.
Jack sighed deeply. There was a
sympathetic silence. Then he began:
"For some reuson best known to her
self" said Jack, with patient shrllg
of his shoulders, ''the Duchess Of
Medmenham q don't know whether
amy Of you fellows know herr chose
to object to me as q Suftor Tor the
hand of her daughter, Mary Fttz-
moline. The woman was SO ignorant
that she may really have thought that
my birth was not equal to her daugh-
Ber's; but all the world knows that the
Nunns were yeoman two hundred
years ago, and that her grace's fam
lily halls from q stucco villa In the
neighborhood of Cardiff. However,
the duchess did object; and when the
season Gn the course of which l had
aerN nrld
instead of allowing her daughter to
pay a series Of visits ait houses where
/ had arranged to be, she sent her of
- Switzerland, under the care Of a
dragon whom she had engaged to keep
me and other dangerous fellows at a
proper distance. On hearing of what
had happened from George Fitz-
moline IAN intimate friend of mine),
at once threw up my visits and started
An pursuit. felt confident that Lady
Mary was favorably inclined lin fact
/ had certain proofs which but no
matter), and that if I won her heart
I could break down the cid lady'S Op-
position. should certainly have sue
seeded in my enterprise, and been ait
this moment the husband of one of the
most beautiful girls In England, but
for a very curious and unfortunate
circumstance, which placed me in am
unfaVorable light in Mary's eyes. I
was not to blame; 1t was just bit Of
had luck.
~ ranged over most of Switzerland
R Search of Lady Mary. Wherever
went I asked about her, and ait
hast got upon the track. At Inter
&ken found her name in the visitors
book, together with that of a Miss
Dibbs, whom took to be the dragon
! questioned the porter and found
hat the two ladies had, the afternoon
before, hired carriage and driven
TO a quiet little village some fifteen
miles off, where there was a small
but good inn. Here they evidently
meant to stay, for letters were to be
sent after them there for the next
week. The place was described to me
as pretty and retired; it seemed, there
fore, an ideal spot for my purpose. I
nade up my mind ait once. I started
tne NEXT day after luncheon, took the
journey easily, and came in sight Of
1he little inn about o'clock in the
evening. All went we'll The only
question was as to the disposition of
Miss DibbS towards me I preyed
That she might turn out to be a roman
NC dragon; but, in case she should
prove obstinate, I made my ap-
Iroaches with all possible caution.
When my carriage stopped at the door
1 jumped out The head waiter. q
big fellow In a white waistcoat, was
On the steps. drew him aside. and
eook a teu-france piece from nv
pocket.
Is there q young lady staying
Mere? asked. Tall, fair. hand
someP and I slid the piece of gold
into his palm.
"'Well, yes, SIR he said. there ia
. young lady, and she is ali that Won
say, sir. Pardon me, Monsieur is
English?'
Yes said I.
"'Ah,' said he, smiling mysterious
H. And it is Wednesday,
1t is certainly Wednesday, I ad-
mitted, though I did not see that the
day Of the week mattered much.
He came close to me and whis-
pered:
The lady thought you might come,
sir. l think she expects you, sir. Oh,
you can rely on my discretion, SIR
II was rather surprised, but not
very much, for I had limited to
George Fitzmoine that meant to try
my luck, and I supposed that he had
passed my hint on to his sister. MY
predominant feeling was one of graf
ification. Mary loved me! Mary ex-
pected me! There was complete men,
tai sympathy between Mary and my
self!
II went up to my room in a state of
great contentment. I had been there
about half an hour when my friend
the waiter came in. Advancing to-
wards me with a mysterious air, he
took blank envelope out of his pocket
and held it up before me with a !
roguish smile.
Monsieur Miu know the hand