The Opelousas courier., 1899-10-14

NV AAS l. Il ~ iSCo. !
walked around the station vainly peer
ing into the gathering darkness i:
search of the Torrington trap. [ was
nonplussed, for l saw nothing but a
rickety public hack, with a rickety
horse and a rickey driver i%mportunins
me to become his fare. Loath to be-
lieve my eyes, 1 sought the station
agent.
"Wasn't Mr.. Torrington's carriage
here to meet this ~train?" | asked.
The man shook his head. cit was
down for the 3 o'clock" he replied.
"Took a gentleman off"
This announcement served to in
crease my perplexity. Here I, hay
ing been formally asked to spend Sun
day at a house and having formally
accepted, was compelled to make my
way thither in a public conveyance,
while another had been met at the
station and carried off in comfort.
Over this unusual condition of affairs
I puzzled my brain on the drive out
to Torrington's. The discomfort of
my position was heightened by the in
creasing darkness, for the rickety
horse made no very good speed, and /
realized that the dinner hour was rap
idly approaching. But at length we rat
tied through the gates and up the
drive to the house.
Maria Torrington greeted me on the
veranda, which was SO lily lighted
that I could hardly see her face; yet
it struck me that there was confusion
in her tone.
"I'm very glad to see you,' she
said. otis q surprise, indeed"
"ourprise?' l said. "You knew l
was coming"
"Er-yes," she murmured, hesitat-
ingly. "But it's SO late we'd given
you up. You must hurry for dinner.
Hobson, show Mr.. Bottomley his
ROOM"
Here a tall figure doomed out of the
darkness into the foreground, and be-
fore I could follow the servant who
had taken my bag my hand was seized
and a heavy voice said: "Hello! old
man; glad to see you"
"Why, hello, Brooks!" I exclaimed.
I'm glad to see you"
"dlad to see you-glad to see you,"
[ repeated, as 1 followed Hobson into
the hall and up the stairs to my room.
Glad to see Dick Brooks! Glad to
see the man with whom I had been
for two years for the fair prize
below. When the servants had gone
and I was alone [ stamped the floor
and tore open my bag with
such violence as to send the contents
scattering in every direction. This
thing was getting unpleasant. I could
overlook the lack of hospitality in al
me to make my own way to
house; I could forget her evident
surprise atmy coming after. I had been
formally invited by her mother and
aad as formally accepted; but I could
not forgive her asking Dick Brooks
md myself at the same time and driv-
ng him home in triumph, as it we're.
was angry-so angry that I crum-
oled three ties in dressing and started
Town to dinner with tan shoes on, and
when I finally entered the drawing
:oom to! find the family awaiting me.
remembered that Ihad forgottensto
brush my hair and was conscious that
t was all standing out at the back. It
seemed that, fustered and dishevelled,
was making a very poor showing in
with. the immaculate
Brooks.
II am very glad to see you," said
Mrs. .Torrington, cordially. ''It'n a
'pecial pleasure, as we understood
you WEREN'T" Maria glanced
'harply at her mother, and the kindly
woman stopped, flushed, and added:
AS we were afraid you weren't com
ng. The train must have been Lite.
But come"
I shall never forget the dinner enav
ollowed. 1t seemed as though there
vas a pail over the little company, OF,
a>her, over all but Brooks. He is a
| ever fellow, I admit, a1d, seeming
o realize that the rest of us were en-
'arrassed and hampered by some Sc
ret which could not be his, he pro-
eeded to make the best of things and |
0 bear the brunt Of the conversation. |
But at length it was over, and Mr.,
cornered my clever rival
yer coffee and cigars, while I slipped
way and, though it was late in Octo-
'er and a stiff breeze was blowing from I
he sea across the bleak meadows.
rackling cheerlessly through the dy-
ng leaves of the trees, I succeeded in
inducing Maria to take a walk on the
eranda. @ L
Snow, tell me why there is all this
urprise on the part of you and your
I said, once we were out of
of the mother, the small
rother, the father and the shining
ival.
IT thi TX we had cause to be sur
she said. coldly.
"Causep' I cried. II received n
ote from your mother on Thursday
skiing me down for Sunday. I &C.
''You declined" she said, in a tone :
lat brooked no contradiction. "and so
telegraphed to Dick to come. down..
ee what a position you placed me in.
couldn't let him know he was second
ddle." N !,
We had stopped walking, and she !
;ood facing me in the light of a win !
Her glance was ons of deep :
'proaeh. "We are always glad Is,
ave you, as You know, but this time -,
is Just a little embarrassing" {
"But I accepted" I maintained,
!,
"Your note said plainly, 4. regret !
lat another engagement prevents /