The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-03-19

QulclAly, uS TIC CullSnU tuC AuSl ucCpCA-
ing on the girls cheek.
Eyes" she replied.
"a friend of yours, Miss Bessie?"
81 know Mr.. Fitzhugh, =" she answered,
quietly; but she shot quick, meaning
glance at her cousin, as she added,
'but we have seen very little of him of
late"
''From the name he should be Vir-
ginian," the judge said.
''Or Scotch, like-me," Willie Mckee
added, innocently, coming to the res
cue.
The minister only smiled at the per-
sistent badinage of the youth; the wife
of another great man-hersclf bril-
liant neutrality-suspicious. the piano,
surrounded by an admiring group, and
as the secretary joined it Bessie Vest
chester slipped her arm into her cous-
ms and passed into the deep bay win
dow.
Anything more?" she asked eager
ly, as the shadow of heavy curtains
yelled them from the buzzing throng
without.
Eyes; everything is ready" the boy
answered low. Carroll Meredith got
back from Prince Georges this evening.
Old Pete recrossed last night; the river
is clear, and l am going down ducking at
two o'clock in the morning"
81 am so glad" the girl murmured,
feelingly. "She is so wretched at the
delay"
"There is no moon; and no picket, that
I know Of" Mckee went on "Still, I
thought it safer to get passes for myself
and boy l had that dapper Yankee,
Maj Bond, for supper, to get them.
That is the reason was late'
"You dear, good boyr' The girl held
out her hand warmly. "But what risk
for your
The clear face of the boy grew grave,
but he retained the little hand gently,
as he answered, with earnestness:
"Risk for me! Bess, you forget the
grave peril for her. You forget, too,
that would risk something really Sc
rious-ten times this--for your His
other hand covered the little one he
held
Her face was turned away, and she
withdrew her hand-but very gently
as she answered, in half sigh:
flush, Willie. We are not speaking
of that now. But do thank you, with
all my heart. Tell me,"--she. inter
rupted herself suddenly, was mamma
really talking seriously with Peyton
Fitzhugh?"
Seemingly in deep earnest Mckee
answered. Coming suddenly on Miss
Nina and me, she stopped, but not be-
fore had heard her say: But you are
Virginian; your place is therer and had
caught his reply: Perhaps; but moth
ing is doing this weather may go
across, and Then he caught sight of
us and stopped to shake hands with me. 4"
You're welcomer' the girl said, wit
toss of her head. II am glad he did
not, with me! I mistrust that man,
Willie. His name and race should make
him a southern soldier; yet he stayed
abroad long, and now dawdles about
Washington and Baltimore as society
man. while his brothers are sleeping in
snow and eating mule flesh"
"Well, scarcely that bad" the youth
retorted, with smile. "a letter old
Pete brought Carroll from Gilmore
! Howard is full of muffin worries and
starvation dances in Richmond Lordl
nearly forgotl This is for her; the run
ner said it was for your MOTHER but l
could not catch her alone" He drew a
tiny folded slip from his pocket, glanc-
ing warily out to see if prying eyes
noted it's transfer to Miss Bessie's fair
hand and It's quicker disappearance in
her bosom.
81 don't like Fitzhughs course, my
self" he went on; 'and l hope your
mothers lecture may wake him up"
Not if his own self-respect sleeps y
the girl retorted, bitterly. "He doesn't
look like bastard in war"
Nor laggard lin love, neither, if l
can judge a man." Mckee urged. "A
face like his must have the soul of q
man behind it. Then he's SO lately
from Europe
"Three MONTHS she broke in. Scam
paigns are planned and won in less
timel 1t had been more graceful to
stay abroad than to return only to
lounge about union clubs and toady
Yankee officials"
Perhaps he came here tonight on
their account" Mckee answered, with
one of his quizzical lifts of his eve.
brows. But wasn't he soft on he
once? 1t seems to me that at Capon
her first summer out"
A quick, warning gesture cut off his
speech and wheeled him to the light. as
Mrs. Gray approached, leaning on Fitz
hugh's arm.
The latter's quick eye rested but an
instant ON the young man, flashed back
to the girl, and then his face-raised
from the low bow-was as vacuous as
the average beau's when he said:
1T is so long since we met, Miss
Bessie, that told your mother, though
l leave on the midnight train for Wash
ington, that l must stop TO felicitate
you on times perfected process of chang
ing the little girl into the woman"
He extended his ungloved hand: anf
the girl. putting her own into it with a.
much of frost as her sunny nature coulc
condense, noticed, woman-lilSe. how
brown and firm it was.
You were too good" she answered
quietly. "And perhaps, in times name
l should thank you for the implied
compliment to him"