The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-04

planned eccentricitieS conducted him.
At other times he would give you the
history OF Saturday to Monday tramp
in Kent or Surrey; or, again, he would
be right away from London, and for
week or two would he full of informa-
ton as to deep-sea fishing, duck shoot
ing or whatever else might have been
his latest occupation. Now this note
that told of his engagement was the
first that | had heard of him for
months; We had certainly been strang
ers since my holidays, for | had found
him out of town upon my return, and
neither of us cared for letter-writing.
The news he told me was the pleas
antest possible: for | also, to tell the
truth, had learned i'm my ten days of
freedom how unenviable are the lber-
ties of a mere bachelor. I remained
free for the present; but nevertheless
hoped to follow his example before the
year was out.
One can do good deal in ten days;
indeed, l had fallen hopelessly in love
in less than that number of hours But
l felt 1t rather much to ask that Maud
should have recognized and learned to
reciprocate my feelings in 50 short
time. and so | had not spoken. All the
same. / know that it would be a crush
ing disappointment to me If she had not
IL. IolIle WAS at
Brighton, she once told me. and she
we'll knew my friends, the Meynells.
Il shall be stopping there for few
days at Christmas time" ] said, Per
haps i shall see you?"
You will come and call on us, won't
your she had answered.; and from
that day to this l had been wondering
by what means l should extract an in
vitation from the Meynells. The ques-
itnI -. Il
that DICK was assured of happiness.
was all the more determined to secure
that invitation-even though ! had to
ASK Tor 1t in plain terms. or to assume,
with an insolence foreign to my nature,
that 1t had been given long ago.
For Maud-i could find no words to
express her. / put my hand into the
breast pocket of my coat and drew out
photograph. 1t was not very good
likeness; the hair was not dressed in
the fashion which had become familiar
TO me-and that fashion of a surety was
the most charming that ever occurred
To the mind of ingenious woman. But
sun, the picture had enough of her to
be for me the most beautiful thing i'm
the world-save only her sweet self
] had stolen it, to tell the truth. She
was stopping with the Luttrells. with
whom spent my holiday at Sandy
bar; and Madge Luttrell was a great
friend of mine. She had detected or
foreseen my devotion to Maud, l think
even before 1t revealed itself to me. At
any rate / knew she would be discreet
and, trusting to her clemency, / had
stolen this precious photograph out of
her album upon the morning when
left Sandybar.
stood ready for me. and from which I
had been kept by Dicks note and by
the emotions resulting from Its peru
sal. Then l found my hat and stick
and my very largest pipe, and set out
across London to Dicks rooms. The
place was in darkness and untenanted
when / entered, but knew that he
would not fail me. and struck a match
to discover if he had left a note to me
when he would return. Back at eight"
II read. Meantime there's baccy and a
new StevensOn."It was now uDon the
stroke of seven, so lit the lamp, found
the Stevenson, and prepared to spend
an hour pleasantly. The time passed
most happily: at last l laid aside the
book and filled my pipe. I walked
across the room to take a spill from the
mantel-shelf. and in a moment found
myself gazing at the photograph of
Maud CamerOn-the girl 1 loved, the
girl hoped to marry.
1t was In frame of elaborately beat
on silver, already somewhat tarnished
by tobacco smoke. and beyond a doubt
was portrait of Dicks fiancee. Still
gazing upon it, stricken with cold de-
spair, and striving to read in her face
tnow that her perfidy was revealed
some sign which should have warned
me not to trust her. I observed that
this was now the one and only photo
graph adorning his mantleshelf. Now
in the old days Dick had been some
thing of connolsseur in female beau
ty: his mantel had been interesting
with pictures Of dozen pretty dane.
ing girls and actresses. Two or three
of these were even autographed. That
Maud should Nave usurped the place
which at once sufficed for a dozen was
proof positive that she was the sole
mistress of his heart.
And yet 1 could have sworn she
would betray no trust reposed in her
] turned away from the mantel-hel
face looked forth upon me like q
strangers out of that frame-and took
my copy Of her photograph from my
pocket. / laid 1t upon the table in tht
full light of the lamp. 1t had not al
her beauty: her lovelness was half OF
ever-changing expression, and SO mus
needs. escape the camera. But still ths
picture gave the lie to all the over.