Evening journal., 1897-03-03

out sofae--sc.ActLilg dr-ereauul about
us. "
And poor Mabel, unable to restrain
her feelings any longer, began to sob.
"Oh, dearl Pr-ray don't distress
yourself, Miss Wentwarp"
"Oh, Lord Petersfield, I-I-don't |
know how / shall tell you the--the
shameful things Lady Slanderson said |
TO me. But-but-in justice to you, as
well as to myself, 1 must lit seems
that she was up stairs last night at
at a most unfortunate moment, and that
-that-she saw me sl-slip out of your
room-without my shoes onI'
GOOD heavens!' gasped his lordship
in tone Of evident dismay What
az
"And also, " Mabel went on hurried
ly as if anxious to finish her painful
disclosure, "she waited up there, spying
in the dark, and saw you slip out of my
room without your shoes onV'
"But, surely" began Lord Peters
field.
"I-I-told her the truth, inter
posed the girl "Iexplained everything.
Shc-she-scoffed at my version. She
said she would-would-pubhsh the
scandal to the four winds of heaven.
Oh, Lord Petersheld what is to be
done?"
"But, surely" stammcred Lord Pc
tersfeld, who was naturally in a great
state of mind, people Will accept our
version rather than that Of this vile
scandal mongerl"
"Alas, (" sobbed Mabel, II wish l
thought sol You see, Lord Petersield, 1
cannot help recognizing the very un-
fortunate state Of appearances. She will
say that if-if-we had-any-any
thing to conceal we should, Of course,
! be ready with am explanation, and that
even at that our explanation is lame
and improbable Besides she viii en-
large and cxaggerate and-and tell
falsehOods, until-oh, ! had rather have
died than have had this happenl"
The viscount was silent for a minute.
A sudden idea, born of the circum-
stances, had flashed across his mind. he
had never thought of Mabel in this
light before He would not have done Sc
now unless the situation had forced il
on him, but as he looked at her pretty
woeful face he realized that it was no
such an unwelcome light in which t'
think of her after all.
"My-my-dear Miss Mabel, IL
might for all that Lady Slandersoi
knows to the contrary, have-have--ac
quired the right to-to-talse your
your-slippers to your room. -
/ "I-I-what do you mean, Lord Pc
; ''tersfield?'
"why, replied his lordship, blush
ing and stanmering, if were-wer
engaged TO be married to You, Mis-
Z Mabel, il w-would make a-a-diifel
ence-wouldn't it,"
"Oh, no, Lord Petersfieldl Not that
: not that, " she cried, starting away.
"Couldn't You s-stand me at-at-
any price, then?" gasped the viscoun
painfully mortified.
s "Oh, yesl lit was not that.
!. should mean / could not let &c
: s-sacrihce yourself to-to-save my re
D utation -
e 1T wouldn't be much Of q sacrifice,
!. said his lordship ''Do you know, l a
b rather glad now that this-this-unfo
tunato situation has opened my cTos?
/. -it-shows me something Ididn't req
a izo before I-I--ch, Mabel. VIII ven.
!. q" ide is noble man, IIauLla, e.
V the newly engaged girl to her mother
q few hours later "He-he-says
70 didn't realize that he loved me till tn
morning. And 1 did not realize that
d that-I loved him. If 1 had, / won
h n-never have played that horrid praci
q cal joke upon him about his-his pump
10 But when he-he-sp-polSe TO me
se knew in a moment that-that-I d
!. love him. You will-will-never tC
" him that meant it originally for
As stupid hoax, will you, mamma dearF
ID Don't be afraid of that. Nab. 70
ie old mother viii not give you away.
was risky sort Of joke, wasn't
ID though it has had the happiest result
nt as it seems to have opened both 70
D. eyes?" London Truth