Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-10-01
sooo3ooooooo0oooooooocoo
, HER GOLDEN LOCKS.

O C1e| would be most awfully
'OoNTL7 jolly up here, and 1
@HS should be enjoying
m my visit no end, if it
IN weren't for two OBJ
GO stacles."
"And what are
they?"
Louise siggers and Tom Wedding
ton.
"Umphl Nothing should be easier
than to avoid them, and
"Ohl Is itr'
81 have found no difficulty"
Perhaps not But then you are
not the obiec. of Louisa's tender re-
gard.
Are you?"
Alas! l ami"
Il con1ole'with you, my dear chap.
You must find it deucel embarrassing
especially in view of that other little
affair.
"Ah, you're right When my chief
object in paying this visit was to be
under the same roof with Amy Bill
inghurst Then to be shadowed by
this confounded Louisa, aud to have
all my tete-a-tetes with Amy interrupt
ed and spoiled well, it's the most ir-
ritating thing l ever knew
1T must be. But in what way does
Tom manage to interfere with your
happiness? He is bit of bore, no
doubt. But l have not noticed that
he has cottoned on to you particularly. :"
''Nor has he. do not complain of
the fellow on that score. 1t is as q
sportsman that l object to him-at
least, when | am posted las 1 have
been the last three times) the next
gun on the fellows left "
us he very dangerous, then?"
Deadly dangerous. You know, of
course, that he is as blind as a bat.
Can't distinguish any object at more
than ten yards"
Il thought he was a good shot. % =
''He is. He sees a confused blob.
pots at the middle of it and hits it. A
bad blind shot is awful enough, in all
conscience. A good blind shot is too
terrible for words"
Has he ever shot anybody?"
81 believe he has been known to
wing a beater, and [ understand he
once took the crown off somebody's
headkeeper's hat. T."
But why does our host ask such a
manslaughterer out?"
ooh! Business obligations, Tn
told. And you will have noticed that
he never places himself within range
of Wellington. But here he comes!"
1t was in the billiard room of Sir
Thornton Thorndale's country seat,
near Ilklev, where he was entertain
ing large party for the grouse shoot
ing; and the speakers were Charlie
Buckley and the Hon. Horace Sturti-
want, two of the younger men among
the baronet's guests. Louisa Slggers
was cousin of Lady Thorndale, and
possessor of anot insignificant fortune.
She had attained the age of forty-one
and was a spinster still.
just now she was desperately sweet
on Charlie Buckley, fellow guest,
and it appeared that she was under
the delusion that Buckley entertained
a tender regard for herself OF Amy
Billinghurst all that need here be said
is this That she was young, we'll
born and very pretty and charming;
also that she took no steps whatever
to repel Bickley's attentions.
Later in the same evening Horace
Sturtivant strolled into Bickley's bed
room to have a quiet chat with him.
There was grin on the formers face
as he entered, the grin of a man who
is fresh from the effects of some good
joke.
Il say, Charlie, he remarked after
ne had taken an easy chair. Eve
just heard such funny thing from my
man. 1t will be of special interest to
you, too. 1t is about your sweet
heart"
about Amy?"
"Nol About Louisa"
"P-i-s-h."
''The dear girl has been reduced to
a state of frenzy tonight. She has
actually committed assault and battery
upon her maid.
For why?"
Because in undressing her, or
rather in taking her to pieces, the maid
placed Louisa's best golden bun too
near the candle. There was draught
from the window, it appears, which
blew the fiame onto the arrangement:
and hey, presto! it caught fire and was
reduced to ashes before you could
wink. Louisa was in such rage that
she went for Abigail with hair brush
and landed her one on the cheek with
the bristly side. My man, who is
sweet on the young woman, tells me
that she came down into the servants
hall sobbing, and with an outbreak
like measles all over her left cheek. "
Poor girl. But why was the fair
Louisa in such stew? Was it her
only bun?"
No; she has another with her, NV
man says, but it is less becoming; not
quite such a rich shade of gold. l dare
say she was relying on that one to cap
tivate you with, old man. If so, her
fury is easily understood.
"Umph! l wish it had been her
emily one. Then she would not have