Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-02-27

upshot was that she had hitherto de-
clned to perceive any hints and innu-
sndOes thrown out upon the sub ect.
Charlotte had thought her mot her
uncommOnly dense at the first, but had
latterly wonIered 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.
Ce il ha not said word when the
paper with its lists of names and ap-
nUpriatiOns had been submitted for
his apprO al: but she had understood,
nevertheless. that all was right. And
when it had further come to light that
by L ady RaymOnd's adjustment of her
table. Geraldine would have on her
other side a quiet old gentleman W hose
attention would certainly be fixed upon
his plate during the greater portion of
the meal, Cecil had still oheerfully
'anctiOned everything.
But alas! for the 'best laid schemes
y mice and men,"
Thursday came, and with it the ap-
q
'ady.
A LADY. and a somewhat Important
one, had been detained by illness and
poor Lady Raymond S face tell at least
an inch as she strOye not to appear too
much disconnected on her own account,
and sufficiently anxious on that of her
riend.
But it was hard work
Here was Mr.. LIE Masserer, their
country member, 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 dignity moreover.
and worst OF all, man OF whom Lord
Raymond had favor to ask.
1t was out o. the question that he
should be unprovided for, whoever
was. And she had not minute to
consider, and here was her husband
signalling 5 to her with raised eyebrows
and portentOus siGe glances, and at any
moment the dinner might be an
10 need.
She murmured one word in his ear.
He nodded. Another whisper. An
other acquiescing nod. The next in
slant it was ''Nlr. lie Masserer, will
you take my daughter Ethel into din
You Lady Dawlish, but she has, unfor-
tunately failed ,us," with the ne
eessary 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
a 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 a real and iust cause for ut
tering maledictiOns on her ladyship's
complaint, her absence, and the havoc
she had wrought.
He cou 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 Beilenden and
his partner had been tlled, and as
neither of them had beard word as
to the cau>e 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 been SO brought
together? Bellenden con; ;ectured that
his hostess must be a sensible woman
who would not throw her daughter at
any 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 10 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 man for
whom he was aware she had once ex-
perienced feeling which she would
fain now have buried in oblivion, was
strange, AMI 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 hammered young gentleman that
she shoul / 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.