The suburban citizen., 1900-06-23

uuIOINuuhL6
persistent young lady was still hover
ing on the pounce. He evaded her
at the expense of some skill and
slipped Off into the dampest and most
secluded portion Of the garden to
enjoy his cigar alone.
Mabel Wentwarp startled him by
suddenly appearing at his side. Her
face was white and disuessful. Her
eyes, he noticed, were bright with un-
shed tears.
ooh, Lord Petersfeld," she ex-
claimed, "forgive my intrusion, but |
saw you come out, and / have fol-
lowed you, because II have some
thing I-I-must tell you"
"I-I-trust there is nothing the
matter, " remarked his lordship, look
ing embarrassed aud conscious of
vague sense of alarm.
"I-I-cennot deceive you. A
great deal is the matter. And-it has
oil arisen out of our--our-foolish
mistake last night. I-I-have just
had a dr-dreadful interview with
at-that-odious Lady Slanderson"
1.-The de-oh, beg your pardon.
But--but-do you mean to say that
she discovered ou-our-mistake?"
She--she-thinks that she has
found out some-so netting dr-dread-
full about us"
And poor Mabel, unable to restrain
her feeling any longer, began to sob.
"Oh, dearl Pr-pray don't distress
yourself, Miss Wentwarp.
"Oh, Lord Petersheld, I-dou't
know how 1 shall tell you the--the
shameful things Lady Slanderson said
to me. But-but-in justice to you,
as we'll as to myself, 1 must. lit
seems that she was upstairs last night
at-at a most unfortunate moment,
and that-that-sh saw me sl-slip
out of your room-without my shoes
on"
"Good heavens" gasped his lord
ship in a tone of evident dismay.
"What a."
"And also," Mabel went on hur-
riedly as if anxious to finish her pain
ful disclosure, "she waited up there,
spying in the dark, and saw you slip
out OF my room without your shoes
onr
"But, surely" began Lord Peters
field.
"I-I-told her the truth" ," inter
posed the girl. 81 explained every
thing. She--she-scofed at my
version. She said she would-would
...,LI;,l, A. coo,1,I 70 4l,o for,. ,,;v H..
of heaven. Oh, Lord Petersfeld,
what is to be done?"
"But, surely" stammered Lord
Petersfeld, who was naturally in
great state of mind, "people will ac-
accept our version rather than that of
this vile scandal-mongerw
"Alas," sobbed Mabel, "I wish I
thought so. You see, Lord Peters
field, I cannot help recognizing the
very unfortunate state Of appearances.
She will say that if-if-we had-any
anything to conceal we should, of
course, be ready with an explanation,
and that even at that our explanation
is lame and improbable. Besides,
she will enlarge and exaggerate and
and tell-falseho until-oh, I
had rather have died than have had
this happen"
The viscount was silent for min
ute. A sudden idea, born of the cir
cumstances, had flashed across his
mind. He had never thought of Mabel
in this light before. He would not
have done so now unless the situation
had forced it on him, but as he looked
at her pretty, woeful face he realized
that it was not such an unwelcome
light in which to think of her after
all.
"My-my-dear Miss Mabel, II
might, for all that Lady Slanderson
knows to the contrary, have-have--
acquired the right to-to--take your
your slippers to your room"
"I--I--what do you mean, Lord
Petersfeld?"
why" replied his lordship, blush
ing and stammering, If were--were
engaged to be married to you. Miss
Mabel, it w-would make "a differ
ence wouldn't it?"
"Oh, no, Lord Petersheldl Not
that not that" she cried, starting
| away.
Couldn't you s-stand me at at -
any price, then?" gasped the viscount
painfully mortified
"Oh, yes! Tit was not that I
should--I mean I could not let you
sacrifice yourself to--to--save my re-
putation."
"It wouldn't be much of a sacri-
fce," said his lordship. "Do you
know, am rather glad now that this
-this--unfortunate situation has
opened my eyes? It--it--shows me
something I didn't realize before. l
Lob, Mabel, will you?"
che is noble man, mamma, said
the newly engaged girl to her mother
a few hours later. "He-he-says he
didn't realize that he loved me till
this morning. And 1 did not realize
that-that-I loved him. If had, I
would n-never have played that horrid
practical joke upon him about his
his pumps. But when he-he-
sp-spoke to me ] knew in a moment