Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-09-17

nearer to me, and something smooth,
stiff, thin, like piece of thick paste
board, was pressed into my hand. l
slipped it at once into the pocket of
my ulster.
what are you doing here?" he said
to the glrl in tone of suppressed
fury; and before she had time to an.
swer he turned savagely upon me-
Glow dare you speak to my daughter,
he demanded, advancing upon me in a
slow and threatening manner. had
just time to see look of mute suppli-
cation in the girls eyes. She was en-
treating me not to betray her.
Really. sir, / said, with as much
GOODNESS as l could command "really,
you must pardon me for saying that
you seem little less than reasonable
One is permitted to speak to young
lady at ball.
'In the open street? In this clan
destine manner"
Eve were not in great privacy, to
be eure, but that might be urged in
mitigation Of the offence, said, with
a smile.
''You shall not hoodwink me. What
was it that she was saying to you when
] came up?"
eff have been guilty of an indis-
erection, the fault is mine, and / am
ready to answer for it; but you can
not expect me to repeat whatever
trities may have permitted myself to
say tc the young lady, whom ! fear 1
may not have an opportunity Of meet
ing again No gentleman would be
guilty of such thing. nor, 4 am sure,
would yon, if you had been in my
place.
saw by the man face that I had
achieved my object. I had led him to
believe that there had been nothing
more than little foolish Irritation be-
tween the young lady and myself. He
seized the girls hand, tucked it under
his arm, and marched off.
"As for having an opportunity of
meeting her again, I will take precious
good care that you don't" he threw
at me over his shoulder.
Alas, there could be little doubt of
it. And the letter? l had no doubt
that it WAS note to her lover. It
seemed just little hard that, anxious
rs | was to serve her, this should be
At the first pillar box I came to /
took out the misslve she had given me.
L was her programme for the even
ing, q dainty card, folded bookwise,
and secured at the edges by a number
of postage stamps stuck all around it.
II was stamped with penny stamp,
and addressed in pencil. OF course,
! had no business to read the address.
l knew that we'll enough. 1t was, per
haps, an ungentlemanly thing to do;
but then my curiosity was greatly ex-
cited. 1 hoped that the namc pen
cllled on the back of the programme
might be that of a woman. But was
disappointed, By the light Of gas
lamp | read:
"Immediate Arthur Bellingham,
Esq, ,-Furnival's Inn, Holborn, f. c.
Bellingham? Bellingham Iseemed
to know the name. For minute or
two stood trying to remember whom
it was l had once met that owned it,
but IN vain What did it matter? The
affair was. at M end. l dropped the
queer letter into. the letter box and
went home to my lodgings.
4 few months later | was strolling
along Oxford street, heard my name
called out, and looking up saw Ar
thur Belllngham standing before me.
] recognized him at once-a young en-
gineer whom l had met once in a coun-
try inn on wet day IN the Lake dis
trict. We had been capital friends for
week, and I could not understand
how | had forgotten him when l had
tried to remember what Belllngham I
had known.
! W. greeted each other warmly, and
he would have me so with him to his
chambers IN Furnlval's Inn and smoke
cigar with him.
''BellInehsm, said, as j stood on
his hearth rug. did II ever happen
that Won received letter written on a
ball programme?
His eyes and mouth opened IN pure
astonIshment.
What do you know about ,hat:"
be ejsculated.
Il ought not TO have known aov-
thing about 1t. but l plead guilty to
having read toe address posted the
programme TO you one night on nv
way home from ball.
Ny friend sprang up and wrung nv
hand as if be would wiring i, of.
my dear fellow" he cried, Il am
infinitely obligedto You for your tao.
and kindness on that occasion. II YOU
had not posted that note it voult