Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-21

"And you will smokei" she ask.
ed, rising, in reply to his query
and walking to the door.
"NO, thanks, 1 don't care to
now. Suppose we stroll round'"
The starlight that revealed to
Sylvia sOldierly form With short
cropped dark hair, and a quite
perceptible mustache, showed
Brunton a petite figure, whose
robe of shinmering white satin
draped loosely from the old lace
that outlined its sQuare.cut bodice,
a string of pearls round the slender
neck the only ornament.
For moment convention tri-
umphed and they were bashfnl to-
gether. Thereafter the influence OF
the June night prevailed, and they
inclined to confidence. Before
they had completely encircled the
lawn Sylvia knew that Brunton
was a soldier, that tomorrow he
would sail for India TO join his
regiment. "P. aud o., China,
awfully jolly deck cabin to myself"
And ere they emerged from the
long srchway OF roses Brunton
knew that this was Sylgia's hrs'
party, that she was an orphan, and
lived with her grand.mamma.
That at that moment her grand
mamm was playing Whist in Mrs.
Derrick's ante-rOOm; that Sylvia
herself passed endless evenings
playing whist with grandmamma.
"And you have never been any
whereY This pityiugly, from the
hight of his experiences hich
was yet to come.
"NO, never. We aiwa,s 90 to
Torquay in winter, but that s
nearly just the same as being al
home. Do you know. I've never.
once been out of doors at nigl t
before?"
Nor even to theatre"
"No.f
"PoOr little girl l say .'-Strnck
by a sudden ldea-"your glardia
will be some time over whist, Won I
sheY'
"Why, yes. The game has just
begun and they wOh'i finish under
a rubber"
"Well, suppose | take you son e
where for half an hour or 500 a
theatre or music hall My Gao Is
waiting"
"Oh" A gasp OF delight followed
by the inevitable, "But, would II
not be wrong" and 81 cAu't 90
dressed like this"
Manlike, Brunton rode rough
shod over both scruples.
"Oh, nobody Will know. Walt
here a moment while run to the
house and forage for wraps"
Leaving Sylvia III the safe seclu-
sion of the srbor, be vanished, Ie
turning speedily clad IN hgh'
tOpcOat anu crush hat, and bearing
a heavy cloak OF velvet and turs
That y breathed Sylvia, IN
horrided whisper, when he showed
his spoil, 'Why, you've brorgh
grandmamma's sable mantle"
"Oh. that's all right, so long al
IT'S big enough" replied her fellow
, sinner, with mans easy lndlffeI-
; ence to sught but utility.
I And as TO the ecompasslng ca
/. pacity of the matter there could b
, no doubt. Swallowed u therei
I all that was visible of 5, lvia wa
a pair of wonderful blue eyes AM
? q fluff of golden hair at one en'
and two tiny white satin slipper
b. at the other.
=, To Sylvia the hanso was I
8 chariot sent direct from laryla"'
for hsr convey anco 10 SOME Ell
. chanted world. The gaSrtl ant
, glitter of the London night d,
u lighted and amazed her. a
Plccadiily Circus sylvia was ei
tranced, in Leicester Square sh
i was ll ecstdsies, and " hen. ba'
If ing reached the snug secuSiOn OF
curtalHed box, she could gaz
p across a valley Of dim, smoke
wreathed figures, which the mo'
n lEg marvel of form and color d'
D. fined az ballet, she acied an
moved as though IN a dream woIl'
I'll What they Witnessed need Nc
"a be detailed. Is il not written
the daily papersT Suffi ce it
At tell that S,lyia remained Oblivion
n to all BruntOn's hlnts as to Il
lapse OF time until he m0rmure
* that the hour neared II.