Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-07-23

! VINO eau HeTet UOhe are Qe rules, ENG
reiterated, declining even to examine
the ring / offered, "as guarantee Of
good faith.
The waiter, who had been fielding in
the immediate vicinity, advanced and
asked me if had lost anything. I in
quired for the proprietor, but by some
hideous i'll luck he wasnot accessible.
saw Miss Langton, who had gone to the
door, looking back, evidently surprised
at the delay Then the storm burst.
The German was impenetrable; the
waiter passed rapidly from legitimate
doubt to open skepticism as rendered
my card, which was not trump one,
and seeing that we all talked together,
the effect was very striking.
Excuse me, remarked thin, crisp
voice, sit is little trouble about the
bill, is it not? Miss Langton, / shall be
with you in moment Don't be alarm
ed.
OF course it was old Turnbull, who
ought to have been miles away and had
been lunching here all the time instead.
! bowed, he looked me in the face, and
/ understood that he remembered the
last occasion ON which we had met. /
recalled his terrible, "Now, upon your
oath, sir, " as l stood clutching the edge
Of the witness stand, bit of court
plaster over one eye.
"You are doubtless aware that Miss
Langton is my ward?' he observed
when he had appeased the Teuton
sphinx.
81 learned it, | replied. Permit
me to congratulate you"
"And you will also learn now" he
retorted, shutting his pocketbook with
snap, that / wish the acquaintance
TO end here"
"On what grounds?" said l.
If on No other than that of the pres
ent-er-disgracefu scene, should be
justified, . he answered, "but forbid
it Observation-Disclosures grounds"
Then he began to talk, "as one man
of the world to another" about Arbus-
cula and her sisters. He was illogical,
but convincing.
"What is the amount of the bill?'' I
asked shortly
He handed me the receipted slip Of
paper. / put it in my pocket. He
smiled sardonically, and gathering up
his black bag went out to Miss Langton,
while the waiter hailed cab by whis-
thing through his fingers in most tai
ented way
Beyond the glass door could see
Turnbull talking to Miss Langton as
she rearranged her veil. Some girls at
an adjacent table put their heads to-
gether, whispering and tittering. The
chariot pulled up at the sidewalk with
a flourish, and Turnbull touched Miss
Langton's arm. She made step for
ward, but looked round and paused ir-
resolutely. I instantly went to her. and
taking the little warm hand she gave
me pressed it to my lips.
81 am SO sorry you were inconveni-
enced, y" she said. eff had only known"
and she actually laughed!
81 shall easily get over the recollec-
ton of the inconvenience in the recol-
lection of the pleasure have had, T" /
replied.
She blushed.
But why did you not tell me?" she
murmured.
1T would have been commonplace, J"
replied Il preferred to be paladin,
though comic one.
81 don't think it comic at all, " she
replied, trying hard not to smile.
"What stupid people''
miss Langton, as this gentleman is
rather richer in time than |, perhaps he
will excuse us if we economic, re-
marked Mr.. Turnbull. Here is the
cab Get III, please.
She threw me bright look and went
with him. Recollecting that / was with
out my hat, | returned for it and found
on the ground hard by a little black silk
glove picked it up, intending to re-
turn it, but when | reached the street
the cab was already several yards away.
Then the lawyers talk came back to me
with diabQlical distinctness, and said
to myself that, after all, he was right.
l went straight to my bankers, sent
him the amount of the bill, answered a
perfumed, badly spelled note l had re-
ceived that morning, locked the glove
with the photo away in drawer and
took the next train for Paris.-William
Buckley in Black and White.
n.1.I NT;,;nr Tn Son