The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-05-21

conceived epistle. How furious the
woman would be. HI. would have to
apologize. He would have to ex-
plain that it was only joke. Only a
joke! that was a pleasant explanation
to have to make. Well, he had been
in some nasty predicaments before in
his life, but this outvied them all.
As soon as the women had left the
room, the door Of which he had held
open for them with the most hang-dog
air that human being ever wore, Cap
tain Forbes sought refuge in the
shrubbery, and racked his brains to
determine upon the best course of con-
duct to be pursued under the present
terrific condition of affairs. He had
best, he speedily concluded, go and
have it out with the old woman and
get it over. There was nothing to be
gained by waiting. It was indeed past
praying for. Thereupon he retracea
his steps, and met Mrs. Winterton, as
luck would have it, Immediately in the
hall.
"May I speak to you for a moment,
Mrs. Winterton?" he asked.
Mrs. Winterton acceded to the re-
quest. She was always stiff and for
NAL, and whether there was much
stiffness and formality added to what
was usual the unhappy man was too
much embarrassed to rightly deter
mine.
81 am sure:I am exceedingly sorry
that it should have happened" he be-
gan, as soon as he found himself in
the drawing-room. "Had I had the
faintest idea that my cousin would
take it in that way, and that this would
have occurred, I don't know what I
wouldn't sooner have done than write
that letter." Mrs. Winterton made
no reply. Her pale, cold blue eyes
were fixed upon Captain Forbes agi
tated countenance. ''She gives no
help" he thought, ''anl certainly I
don't deserve it. Ass that I was.
'Delirious ass, as Macgregor would
say. You see," he went hesitating
and stammering on, ''my cousin, Mrs.
Brackenbury, did not understand that
it was a joke, or, Of course, she
wouldn't have written to you treating
the matter seriously. No one can
more regret than I do that I took Miss
Winterton's name in such way. You
must think it quite objectionable"
81 do not quite understand you,
Captain Forbes" Mrs. Winterton re-
piled, in her rigid, frozen voice. II
do not quite understand to what you
are abiding"
81 am abiding tony cousins letter
to you that she enclosed in one to me.
I gave it to you, not for M instant
supposing that she had taken seriously
what T said about my engagement to
your daughter" Captain Forbes
answered, with the it's-no-use-b beat
ing-about-t he-bush feelingn now upper
most in his distracted mind.
Mrs. Winterton regarded him with
a most whitening expressing.
':Am I to understand from you Cap
tain Forbes" she inquired, "that you
have been amusing yourself, writing
to Mrs. Brackanbui1 to inform her as
ajoke that you we're about to become
the husband of my daughter?"
II know it was abominable OF me-"
Captain Forbes said. II see perfectly
that it was wholly unjustifable, and I
regret my most atrociously idiotic let
ter more than words can say"
"Yours, certainly, seems an ill-timed
pleasantly, Mrs, Winterton answered,
her blue eyes colder and her icy man
ner icier than ever, land I should have
known nothing of the nature Of your
humor had you not kindly explained
it to me. There was no word referring
to your joke in Mrs. Brackenbury's
letter."
Poor Captain Forbes, ''deli1ious
ass" twice over he told himself. If
he'd held his tongue, the old woman
would have known nothing. He might,
he thought, have trusted Lydia not to
have been deceived in the way that,
during the shock of his sudden dis
may, he had supposed. But it was
too bad of her. In the sanctuary of
his own room, he drew writing materi-
ais to him again and sent her briefer
letter this time than the first had
been.
"You have got me into horrible
hole," he wrote, sand never felt such
a fool in my life. I am going back to
London at once"
The next morning he found tele-
gram waiting for him at his club.
"When do you start for Africa?"
'She is really little wretch, he
thought, smiling. But he could for
give anything better than that she
should have received calmly, even
gladly, the announcement of his en-
gagement towel, to everybody, not
only to poor Emmeline, in fact.
II start for Africa next week." he
telegraphed. ."5hall I come and see
you tirst?"
tTf rnu 1;Lo ,, &bo onouor anna