Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-07-26

my strong point, you VIII please TO re
member! This time next year, my beautl-
full, impulsive sister, / shall have you up
to London, and marry you TO some very
nice, rich and, if you are very good, titled
young man! Think of that!'
Marry anyone you like yourself, my
dear GHssie; but, as far as am concern
ed, shall never marry anyone but Miles
-never"
'And yet, in this very room, and not so
very long ago, you raved and stamped
and all but tore your hair out, and declar-
ed that, dragged to the foot Of the altar
you might be, but become his bride-nev-
er! And-ah! l see you remember the
episode-I have just one little question
to ask, and only one. Supposlng now,
for the sake Of argument, that he won't
marry you-what thenW
ALI this was phase of the matter that
Esme had never contemplated; but, al
though she made prompt and cheerful an
swer to herself to her sisters query, she
vouchsafed no reply, beyond what might
be called a superior smile, and loud and
triumphant poking of a most offensive
fire.
Gussie's allusion to Mrs. Brabazon was
timely, Esme we'll knew. That lady had
always been antagonistic to her nephew
when he was a moneyed man, and was
not likely to be any fonder of him now
that he was as poor as church mouse.
Quite lately she had awakened to a due
appreciation of the unusual personal gifts
of her younger step-daughter, and thor
ough understanding of her marketable
value-a coronet! Esme's visit to Brigh-
ton, her appearance at all the winter
country balls, had given her quite rep
utation, and a certain young honorable,
the eldest son of Lard Mangei-W urzle,
was constantly finding his way over TO
Baronsford. He was received by Gussie
with open arms, by Esme with smiles, for
he had been one of what Mrs. Brabazon
would have called Teddy's boon" COM
panions He was pleasant, ruddy faced
young gentleman, with a CHEEKY voice,
frank, unaffected manners, and was real
~ very much enamored Of the beautiful
Miss Brabazon. OF course he heard that
she had been engaged to her cousin, but
it was all broken off months ago, and the
dear girl had never really cared about
him; it was a family business" so Mrs.
Brabazon had whispered conhdentially to
Lady Mangel-Wurzle, and she looked for
ward to a double wedding before long, for
Gussie had accepted her long-sutferlng
Freddy, who had come in for another
fortune, and already, as she remarked
complacently, ''the presents had been both
numerous and costly" Now here was
this odious, tiresome Miles Brabazon
coming to the surface again, and writing
Mrs. Brabazon long letter from some
outlandish camp in South Africa. What
was to be done with him? What worry
and aff1iction he had been from first to
last. "What a good thing it would be if
the Beers were to kill him." thought this
amiable lady. Should she answer his
letter, or not? After some very grave
reflection she decided that she would re-
ply, and by the next mail, in friendly
spirit, giving him largely of her forgive
ness and sympathy; but appealing to him,
forcibly, to release Esme from her pres
ent ridiculous engagement. The eplstle
took some time to put together, and as
she was sitting biting the end Of her pen
in the throes of composition, Esme came
into the room with her hat on, and said
she was going to the village with the
post-bag.
81 am not quite ready yet; but IN ten
minutes time 1 shall have finished. am
writing a rather difficult letter to Miles"
YES. returned Esme, coloring, and
looking at her interrogatively.
'Of course forgive him freely; but the
engagement must not be talked Of just
at present; as matters are it would be too
imprudent. You see, my DEAR although
he is very nice himself, he has nothing
to marry on now"
"But we can wait Mrs. Brabazon."
"Ah, yes, you are only twenty; you
have written to him, too?
eyes," holding up letter.
''Oh, dear me! you might have inclosed
mine and saved me sixpence; it is not
stamped, though, I see."
Not yet; I'm taking it to the post.
'Then give it to me, it can go in mine;
there is plenty of room in my envelope,
and I have a stamp"
Esme handed it over with a little reluc-
tance. She would have liked to have post
ed it herself! but she did not one moment
doubt her stepmother's honesty Of pur-
pose, and was firmly convinced, ten min
utes later, as she walked down to the
village with elastic, springing steps, that
she was carrying it over the first stage OF
its long, long journey, and that in five
weeks it would be in Miles own hands.
Deluded young damsel! The instant she
had left the room Mrs. Brabazon had
taken up her epistle, had turned it over
meditatively, and said to herself: 'This
billet doux will encourage him, and that
would be fatal to all our hopes; probably
she is telling him she will wait for him
for years." smiling contemptuously. mo,
no, we cannot have any of that kind Of
nonsense" so this right-minded, honorable
lady deliberately walked over to the fire.
poked an open place among the Goals, in
to which she carefully dropped the mis-
sive; for a second it lay, seemingly star
ing at her like some living thing, with
its clear address confronting her thus:
Captain Brabazon,
''2d Battalion, Royal Marchers,
with the army in the field,
South Africa"
Then it became a delicate biscuit color,
then it curled at the edges and suddenly
shot up in bright fame, and in another