The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-01-30
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ONE W0MAN'S WAY.

Hewletts on their house-boat
A pleasanter party was surely never
gathered. General and Mrs. Hewlett
seemed to concentrate their energies in
making young folks happy. The General
was, and still is always surrounded by
bevy of larking subalterns, who swore by
him as the prince of good fellows and to
whom he was real guide, philosopher and
friend, getting them out of scrape after
scrape, and apparently liking them all the
better the more scrapes they got into; While
Mrs. Hewlett deservedly holds the proud
title of the most inveterate and successful
match maker in the world
1t was then and there that | first met
Archie Chandos, though | had frequently
heard of him. Indeed, most people had at
that time heard of him, for he managed by
his reckless extravaganza to get talked
about by people in general, and paragraph
ed by the society papers in particular.
Some two years before our meeting one
OF his aunts had died, leaving him hand
some fortune, and he had in some eighteen
months or so run through as much money
as would have maintained him in comfort
for the rest of his life
Consequently, the last financial state of
that young line lieutenant was considerably
worse than the first, and within a few
months of my first meeting of his creditors
had been called, and he had been severely
admonished by some gentlemen rejoicing
in the rank and style of official receiver
| must confess | was agreebly surprised
on making his acquaintance. | found him
a very blocking, unassuming, gentle
manlike, and straightforward boy, with
frank, good-tempered eyes and winning
countenance.
In the morning we tished or punted, and
in the afternoon made calls or played lawn
tennis in the neghborhood. At ) o'clock
there was always a pleasant tea on the
deck of our own or somebody's elses
boat.
1t was supremely to sit from till about
10 or II among the palms and Chinese
lanterns, watching the moonlight kissing
the placid bosom of the sleeping river 1t
was pleasanter still when Archie, bringing
his deck chair closer to mine, chatted con-
tidentia ly, as though we had met as many
years ago as days.
He had been left early an orphan, and
had been brought under the strict, unbend-
ing rule of doubtless worthy but bigoted
relatives, so that / ceased to wonder that,
as soon as he gained his majority and free
dom, he plunged into the vortex of the
whirlpool men call life.
''You see, | never had sister," he said,
his eyes resting on my face with strange
wistful expression. 81 think if my life
had been blessed with the influence of a
girl lke-some girls have met it would
have been other than it has BEEN
From the after deck drifted the aroma OF
voices the Generals and Arches. /
am woman. | listened Under the
circumstances so would man.
ga capital chance for you, my boy, "
said the General. "I'm pretty certain she
likes you, and she's as good as gold"
"Ah! but she's wealthy" said Archie.
of had met her before | played the fool
with my fortude, it might have been. But
for penniless outcast like me to seek a
girl like that! What would the world
think? What wonld she think?''
There was pause. Then he said alb
ruptly:
Good night, General BY the by, I
must pack up and be off in the morning
must go up to the horse guards to see
about my exchanging into West Indian
regiment, or retiring and receiving the
value of my commission"
"And what shall you do after"
Don't quite know-cattle rancho in
Texas, sheep farm in Queensland, or per-
haps Kimberly Or Mashonaland."
Next morning discovered that it was
absolutely necessary that l should punt
up to Whitchurch Lock. Archie Chandos
offered to punt me, but would not per-
NIT him, consenting. however, to take him
as passenger.
II am going away this afternoon" he
said, dreamily gazing at Whitchurch woods
up above.
'Indeedn said, with an assumed air
of profound indifference. "Tired OF this
quiet kind of life, suppose?
He made no answer.
Then suddenly it strangely occurred to
me that we were not very far from the
household, that the river was not very deep
that | could swim across it without the
least difficulty in the world, and that the
water could not be very cold, while moth
ing in the world seemed much more desir-
able that hot morning than good duck
ing.
And just then, strangely enough, my
pole slipped and in half moment with q
half-scream, went tumblng into about
four feet of water.
He was almost instantly beside me, one
arm round me, the other striking out for
the opposite shore.