Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-08-28


seconds the girl erept percep;ibly
nearer to me, and something
smooth. stiff thin, like a piece Of
thick pastebOard, was pressed
into ny hand. | slipped 1t at once
into the pocket of my ulster.
What are you dong hereP he
said to the girl in tone OF sur
pressed fury; aud before she had
time to answer he turnel savagely
upon me. 'How dare you speak to
nv daughter, he demanded, ad-
vanciug upon me IN a slow and
threatening manner. ! had Just
time to see look OF mute suppl.
cation in the girls eyes. she was
entreating me not to betrav her.
Really, SIR | SAID, with az
much GOODNESS as | could command;
really, you must pardon me for
saying that you seem little less
than reasonable. One is permitted
to speak to a young lady at ball..
In the open street? In this clan
destine mannerP
I'VE were not in great privacy,
to be sure, but that might be urged
in mitigation of the Of1ence,' | said,
with a smile.
'You shall not hoodwink me.
What Was it that she was saying
to you when l came upP
It have been guilty. OF an in
discretion, the fault is mine, and
am ready to answer for it, but you
cannot expect me to repeat what
ever tribes l may have permitted
my self to say to the young lady,
whom fear NAV not have an op'
porsuuity of meeting again. No
gentleman would be guilty of such
a thing, nor, l am sure, would you,
it YOU had been In my place.
saw by the mans face that l
had achieved my object. | had led
him to believe that there had been
nothing more than a little foolish
Irritation between the young lady
and myself. He seized the girls
hand, tucked lt under his arm, and
marched of.
AS for having an opportunity
of meeting her again, l will take
precious good care that you DON'T
he threw at me over his shoulder.
Alas! there could be little dOnbt
of il. And the letteIi | had no
doubt that it was note to her
lover. IL seemed Just little bard
that, anxious as l was TO serve her,
this should be the particular ser
vice required Of me.
Al the first pillar box | came to
| took out the missive she had
given me. 1t was her programme
for the evening, a dainty card,
folded bookwise, and secured at
the edges by number OF postage
stomn" .'", 4 all around 1t. 1t was
ID with penny stamp, and
4ressed in pencil. Ofcourse, ]
had no business to read ths ad-
dress. l knew that we'll ebOugh
Ii was, perhaps, an ungentlemanly
thing to do; but then my curiosity
was greatly excited. l hoped that
the name pencilled on the back OF
the programme might be that OF a
woman. But I was disappointed.
By the light of gas lamp l read:
Immediate. Arthur Belling'
ham, Esq. .,-Furnlval's Ihn., HOl'
born. E. q.
BelIiugbam 7 BelIingham l
seemed to know the name. For a
minute or two I stood trying to
remember whom it was had once
met that owned iJ but, IN vain.
What did it matter? The affair was
at an end. l dropped the queer
letter into the letter box and went
home to my lodgings.
A few months later was stroll
ling along Oxford street, l heard
ly name called out, and looking
up | saw Z rthur Bellingham stand
ing before me. l recognized him
at once-a young engineer whom
had met once in a country Inn
on a wet day in the Lake district.
We had been capital friends tor a
week, aud | could not understand
how | had forgotten bin when L
had tried to remember what
Bellingham ! had known.
We greeted each other warmly,
ard he would have me go with him
to his chambers in FGrnivaps Inn
aud smoke Cigar with him:
'BeIlIngham,' l said, as stood
on bis hearth rug, did 1t ever
happen that you received a letter
written ON ball programmed
His eyes and mouth opened In
pure astonishment.
What do you know about thatp