Evening star., 1896-02-22

men, had only that morning bestowed upon
| the girl polished screed against this very
aggressive and unproulsing Mr.. Strong
1t the first glimpse of the aspect of af
fal:S between them now, she felt that her
eioq lence had not heen thrown away.
Mr.. Strong retired without the request
to return for dinner, that, considering the
shortnsss Of his stay, he had hoped might
have been extended to him. And Olive,
without word for anybody. ran up TO her
room.
Mrs. Blight a sister of the first wife of
the late Mr.. Meigs, had been invited dur
ing the last illness of that eccentric gen
tieman to occupy het present post. She
was the ohlldless widow of an expatriated
antl-Anerican, to whom had been allot-
ted the feiicitous award of dying upon
English soil. Her sacrifice of returning TO
reside on her native continent was bal
ahced by her liberal allowance from the
trustees of the estate. She, more than any
outsider. was credited with knowledge of
iacts about the supposed will which was
to make one of her charges al ke!ress of
enormous wealth and leave the ether cnIy
fairly well-dowered maiden. In conse
auence, Mrs. Blshts relations to society
vas IN marked contrast to that of the or
binary paid c!lapercn.
Whatever her knoWledge Mrs PLIGHT
kept it severely to herself No one could
say that she faced to the right-about for
one more than the other of her girls The
most mos mat could be alleged against her was
| that she disapproved of ma atrimony for the
| young, and thought Cassandra's manner
was thrown away upon a republic
Ihe three ladies. dining together on the
evening of Teviot's first call, fe, into dis
| cuSsion of the earl. Mrs. Blight in A flood
| of aristocratic "reminiscences gave the 9th
| ers the full history of his noble line his
brilliant position in the peerage. and the
beauties of Beimore House and Park
(Which, in company with her late husband,
she had once visited in fly from the
neishborng village>. On the subject of
Lord Teviots personal career the chaner-
had l,an,
some years since she had lived abroad;
though in any case, even the vices of the
aristocracy were viewed by her through a
veil of rose-color.
do you not think, my dears," she con-
cluded. as they rose to return to the draw
ing room, that the young man has an ex-
traordinary look of-ahem-race?''
Il think he is very nice" said Cassandra
placdly IF he can find a mount, he is
going 10 ride with me tomorrow"
Contrast him, for example, pursued
Mrs. Blight, not looking toward Olive who
with two red spots in her cheeks, had been
eating her dinner in silence, with that
specimen of the average American roturier
Mr.. Christopher Strong
You needn't bother about Mr.. Strong"
said Olive, brusquey. Hes gone, and we
shant see him any more. I've made up my
mind to cultivate his lordship. Just now
Classy has first chance, but if she'll give
me leave, I'll enter the lists with her, and
tilt for a coronet. 1t will be fun, for Mrs.
Wing confessed that she has told him the
old story about our financial prospects"
The truth of which, my dears, You were
only permitted to know last week. when
olive reached her majority interrupted
Mrs. Blight, elegantly, and was just then
called away to write one Of her model notes.
And a great relief it was to have our
minds set at rest on that score" said Olive,
when the sisters were alone. Now, Classy,
I'm badly in need of fun, but won't go in
fer Lord Teviot if you say ycu want him
for keeps
absurd, Olive. AS I said before, he is
very nice, but 1 met him only this after
noon. ] meant to ask you VINO you thought
made that wrap Mrs. Wing wore today?'
Il don't know replied Olive, absently.
She was revolving schemes by which she
might relieve her overbGrdened heart, pun
ish Strong for having been true to her and
to himself, dispose of Lord Teviot as an in
truder, and, at the same time, still the
pricks of her own conscience.
PART ".
One day in December, the young Lord
Teviot set out from his lodging near 5th
avenue-Mrs. Wing had taken heed of the
dowager's instructions to recommend to
| him cheap abiding place where he was at
little expense for meals-for a walk in Cen
trail Park.
Itwas an unusually mild day. although ice
held the ponds, and snow lay under trees
that when the sun shone bright stained the
whiteneSs at their feet with purple isles of
shadow After coquetting for awhile, the
sun had gone altogether into seclusion, leay-
ing the great city's pleasure ground envel-
oped in pearly mist, through which the
sounds of far-off fog horns on the river, the
whizz Of elevated trains and vehicles rum
bling along the adjacent streets, fell dead
ened upon the ear. A lover of natures
moods might have found especial charm in
the eerie look Of the graygreen landscape
| in the wood smells called forth by damn.
ness, in the promise of spring that thus In
simulated itself amid the assertions of rude
| winter. But Teviot had for such things