Evening journal., 1898-12-27
WERE SOCIETY PALS.


battery of artillery stationed at Bray ybridge.
Men Of social standing with time enough on
their hands to participate in socinl events
were few in Draybridge and Capt. Brough-
ton was in great demand by the ladies'. But
Capt Broughton was not socially inclined
when il came TO matters Of afternoon teas
and such like. He usually went, to be sure,
hut it was as a matter of duty more than
pleasure.
She, Marde Brierley, was the daughter Of
the vicar of st. Botolph's, a village three
miles from Braybridge
They had only known each other for few
months, and, without being actually in love,
we're conscious Of a feeling Of satisfaction
when each caught sight Of the other in a
drawing-room, in a ballroom OF at a meet Of
| the hounds
"She's here, anyhow, SO It won't be so
deadly" was more than once the unspoken
observation Of jim Broughton, as he found
himself, perhaps one of three men, handling
tea and coffee at a fiye-o'c clock "crumpet wor-
~" where females most do congregate. s
Maude also had, more than once said to
her sister as she drove into Braybridgefor
some entertainment or Others
Il hope Capt. Broughton will be there all
these sort Of things seem to go off better
when he is there"
But she would have utterly laughed to
scorn the idea that she was in love with
him.
But the man took different view Of the
friendship. He began to feel 30 inshHer.
ably bored at any gathering from which
Maude was absent, and she always appeared
to him TO be 50 genuinely glad when she met
him, that he quite made up his mind that he
had only to put the important if rather trite
and ancient question, TO find himself the ac.
oepted lover Of the incest girl in the neigh.
borhood. Yet Jim Broughton was not
conceited man-in fact, the reverse-but Ne
had, like many men, been always trained UP
in the belief that every girl, more especially
every girl belonging to a large family was
bent on getting husband; as to what the
husband might be like was, he believed, a
matter Of secondary importance TO the girl
Hence the mistake he made and his conse
quent discontinue.
lie found himself one afternoon, whilst
hunting, within n mile Of st. Botolphs 3;
there was no scent, and It had come on to
snow, SO, under the circumstances, perhaps
he may be forgiven for turning his horses
head away from hounds at three in tho att
ernoon, particularly when he could see
through the leaAess branches, cteakng IN
the snowstorm, the house which held the
girl he was beginning TO feel he coDl1 not
do without.
Some more people came to tea, and
broughton found himself sitting in rather
a far-of corner of the big drawing-room
with Maude. He thought that she looked
a perfect little lady, from the coils Of her
pretty hair (the one beauty the girls few
enemies allowed herr to the point of her
tiny shoe; and, more than that, the thought
came to him that she was a good woman.
and every man, believe, however bad he
may be, deep down in his heart hopes tiirs
: the woman he loves may be that
Z Presently Broughton bent towards her
[ and in a low voice addressed her as
( "Alaude;" he had never called her so before
e and she thought it little forward of him.
4 Then she understood that Capt. Broughton
3 Jim Broughton, as he was called by yevery
: body-was asking her to marry himl
But she had never drcamt of marriate
. with himl Thought chased thought
: through her brain. Had she encouraged th,
: poor fellow! How nice it was OF him
Would il hurt him much to be refused?
In the pleasant twilight Broughton col
n lis answer.
e why did you ask me that, Capt. Drough
r ton| He heard in her voice new note
2 note Of pity or of pain. Il cannot d,
e what you ask me. Never, I'm afraid. 4 an
r so sorry"
r Never mind, said poor Jim Broughton
q One night she, with her father and moth
\ er, dined nt the Murdochs. II was larg,
party. As they stood and sat about pre-
- - -
ley glanced with justifablc pride at Maude
she, in pearlgray, looked, in the subdue,
light Of the standard lamps, a charming pic
ture of graceful refinement. Maude wa
talking TO commonplace old lady abou
the ravages of the influenza. There were twl
: young fellows in pink near her; suddenll
!, she heard one of them make a remark whicl
seemed to stun her and stop the beating o
!, her heart.
: Poor Jim Broughton got a bad fall.
d 80 hear; horse came right on top o
d him, believe"
g Yes; served him right, you know; b
e had no business to ride al such place"
j. Maude found herself praying that sh
S might not faint or make a scene, for thi
Is news hurt her terribly. After he had 60
/, his answer that wintry afternoon he ha
4 systematically kept away from her; sh
1, never met him now at peoples houses, an
i, she never thought she would have misse
HIM so. And now, perhaps, he was going t
die.
d ia Capt. Broughton badly hurtg' sn
asked the young man at her side, in a voic
~ she tried to keep steady.
g. There was little catch in her voice, whic
for the life Of her she could not help. Th
young fellow glanced quickly at her.
r Il don't know, Miss Brierley; he ma
le have only wrenched some sinews-you ca
g never tell. He simply went at a place, q
d hard as he could, where there was abs,
he lutely no foothold for horse; he has bee
" going like a madman the last few weela
&c ] can't think what has como to him"
10 Maude talked hard and fast about tn
Merediths dance-talked the subject I
death. Discussed floors, and how to mall
them slippery; she complained that IA
music had been too far away, and then 81.
she liked it far away; said Mrs. Meredit
Y was the best hostess in the world, and the
a found herself agreeing heartily with he
70 neighbor when he said she never introduce
- a soul; in fact, her conversation was 80 cd
~ that the young man in pink told the 9th,
ss young man in pink that he thought she W.
lu rather "dotty"