The record-union., 1896-05-03

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| go it, Reevei" shouted some.
"Stick to it, Joel" yelled others
Then continued Reeve, artfully
| assuming an affirmative answer, you
moind yo're business and I'll moind
mine''
"Sich," said Figson to Rose wearily,
"sich are the disputes of ignorance"
Yes. Joe oughter keep is tongue to
'isself," assented Rose relevantly.
IF there's one thing Tate" remarked
clear voice behind. "its a conceited,
stuck-up sorter chap. Don't you,
'Arry?"
| Figson writhed.
! By this time the commotion caused by
| the quarrel between Joe and the Chair
man had somewhat quieted. A boy had
struck an attitude, and was beginning
to give "The Wreck of the Princess
Alice" when the clamor began afresh.
| "'Ere's Dobbs" 1.-The Reverend
Dobbs." "Now, Mr.. Dobbs will oblidge,
p'r'aps, with one of is little inns" )"
| Come up, Dobbs'' where's yer BIZ
| BILE, Dobbs?" Don't sly you've for
got it,
The unfortunate Dobbs came up stairs
with a sickly smile. He was a thin,
sallow- faced young man, with weak
eyes and O. piece of blue ribbon in his
| huttonhole He belonged to the
| Young Mems Christian Association,
and in rash moment had tried to in
| duce some of the other boys to join him.
Good evening, Mrs. Graham he be-
gan, tremendously shaking hands.
| ''The Wreck of the Princess Alice"
| was in full swing now, and Dobbs had
| ceased to be an object of attention.
| II meant to tell you, and then 1t
slipped my memory" he continued
| patronizingly., that I was quite inter-
ested in your lecture on physiology the
| other evening. Most instructive, I'm
sure. If l can find them I'll come in to
| them sometimes he added magnani-
mously.
The lady smiled. Im flattered"-she
began.
Not at all-don't mention it." re-
| turned Dobbs, waving his hand loftily.
Dobbstook great pains with his accent.
He used to read aloud out of the Young
Mans Constant Companion" every
night and correct his own mistakes. but
carefully, so as not to hurt his own feel
| ings by seeming to acknowledge that he
ever made any.
We'll, good night, Mrs Graham.
thought l would just step up and men
| ton that I liked the lecture while /
thought of it,
He smiled with an indescribable air
Of patronage, shook hands again conde-
scendingly, and vanished just as the
reciter sat down amid applause. Not a
moment too soon, for Joe followed him
halfway down stairs, begging for Jest
one inn before we part" and the others
seemed more than half-inclined to in
| sist upon the performance.
At 10 O'Clock the entertainment was
over, and the club closed for the even
| ing. Figson staid talking to Rose at
| the door until Liz and her swain ap-
peared.
Good night, Raose," said Liz affably,
az she passed. Wot a dull evenin' you
must ave 'ad! I pity yer! Come on,
AIRY! you kin see me to the bottom of
the street if yer loike."
| The months passed, and the little
lift within the lutte grew wider and ever
wider.
Figson and Liz now met two or three
evenings a week at the clubrooms with
cut the slightest recognition on either
side.
Liz conversed much and boisterously
with all the other boys, and occasional
ly bestowed special marks of favor on
AIRY Carpenter, but only when Figson
was within earshOt. At other times she
| avoided him, and was even heard to re-
mark to one of her girl friends, in a mo-
ment Of petulence, that "if there was
one thing morn another she couldn't
abide, it was gapin', blushin' idjut
like AIRY Carpenter" If imitation is
the sincerest form of flattery, Liz ought
to have had every reason to be gratified
at the conduct of Figson, whose increas-
ing affability was remarked by all the
girls, though he occasionally singled
out Rose Young as the special recipi-
ent of his compliments, which were al
ways of an appropriately foWery ma
ture.
The estrangement between Bill and
Liz attracted, on the whole, very little
notice in the club, however vt was the
commonest thing in the world for a girl
to drop the young chap" she had been
keeping company with in favor of an
other at a moments notice, and no one
suspected that Liz and Bill were really
"sweetearts" and had contemplated
matrimony. For, in spite of various pc
culiarities in speech and behavior,
slightly disconcerting to people whose
ideas Of girls are gained from the young
ladies one usually meets in drawing
rooms, Liz was a very womanly little
woman, and therefore shy of talking
about her deeper feelings. She had no
very intimate friends among the girls at
the club, to whom she had always
spoken of Bill Figson with a studied in
difference, we'll calculated to upset any
speculations as to the earnest nature of
her company keeping"
AS time passed, LIS health and tenn
per began to suffer from the continual
strain of meeting her lover under the
trying circumstances of her own partial
creation.
She never sought any conversation
which might lead to a reconciliation
I'D sooner die fustr she told herself
fiercely, the tears springing to her eyes
1T was is fault; if e was to come to me
and sly e was sorry, I'd fergive i'm. Oh
Bill! wy don't yer comet she used to
cry at night, lying wide awake. poor
child, the tears running down her
cheeks.
But at the club no one knew what
'ad come over Liz" who used to be
such a lively girl. She was nearly always
fretful and cross now. .
wy don't yer tike off yer at Iiz?''
asked one of them, one warm evening at
the end of May.
low ken l tike off me at wen me
airs so barbarious?" replied Liz, pet
tishly. 81 don't want to dance no more