The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-04
ONLY A SKIRMISH

Ready? I was not going to wait
much longer
Sorry! I shall be later than you will
l have half mile to go after I have
dropped you, and l know the Vennekers
expect me to be punctual"
! The porter at Blessingham Chambers
had hanson at the door and they got
into it quickly and drove off-two men
who had lived together for ten years
and knew each other we'll enough to do
| without conversation on trivial topics.
After minute or two, however, one of
them became unusually talkative.
Saw an old flame of yours to-day,
Dick"
80 did IT,
THE deuce you did! The Vennekers
used to know her, didn't they? l don't
suppose they can raise a dinner party in
the slack season without asking all
their friends. You'll meet her there to-
night"
II shall"
Dick Templar," said his friend,
you're secretive DEVIL Two years
ago you worried me with your lamenta-
tons over the girl till l got sick of her
name. Each time you proposed to her
you told me what you said and what
she said when she refused you; and now
she comes to London as the wife of the
other fellow and you slip off to tea with
her instead of coming to the club to
play whist-you know that is where
you We're, so don't deny it!-and you
say not a blessed word about it. Not
yG,1 t1
difference between your feelings for
Miss Rose Casterton and your feelings
for Mrs-Mrs. Rose?"-
"O'Brien; husbands a captain in an
Irish regiment. He'd need to be with
such a name" erunted Dick Templar.
In Africa" "t'
"Phew! Poor devil! And you told
me nothing about it! What makes the
difference--for you are different"
Don't be a goat" answered Dick. II
am not different There was nothing to
tell, that's ALL I've called on her twice
and she remembers that she liked me,
rather, and she is glad to see some one
she knows and can talk to-she quite
forPets how I loved her. She will never
understand how | love her still don't
mind telling you all this, old chap--all
she talks about and thinks about is her
husband. It's what Pat says and what
Pat does and what Pat thinks about
everything, and she looks at his photo
graph all the time if you can't get her
with her back to it, She's safe enough;
and so am /, for that matter. l fell
just the same-only different, you
know"
thine heals"
Time makes the wound tester. l love
her more than ever. ] hate meeting
her, but I'm so fond of her I can't even
hate her husband when she talks about
him; I believe I'd bring him back to
her if l could, just to make her hap
pier"
Poor old Dickl What a good chap
you are. Here's my dinner waiting for
me and brougham in front of the door,
so Tn not late"
He got out and Dick Templar opened
the little trapdoor in the roof and shout
ed to the cabman to drive fast
The Vennekers live somewhere north
of the Marylebone road, in a quiet ter
race of big houses. There was no car
riage at their door. A hanson was the
only vehicle in the terrace, driving
slowly off, with the man in the dicley
examining the fare that had Just been
paid him, as if he were dissatisfied with
the quantity of the coins. Dick Won
dered if Mrs O'Brien had driven alone
In the cab in front of him all the way
from Elbury street, paid his fare and
jumped out.
A small boy had strayed un with a
l. ser
slack, and he dashed forward apparent !
ly with the fororn hope that something |
might be gained by helping an able
bodied gentleman late for dinner to (
aliaht from a hanson cab. Dick Tenn
plar pushed him on one side and rushed |
up the steps and rang the bell.
The footman who should have opened |
the door must have been carrying in the
soup, for no one came for fully a min
ute. Dick tapped his foot impatiently
On the white doorstep and scowled at
the small boy half hidden behind the
orange contents bill.
KILLED and Wounded at Battersberg,
official List" was the most prominent
tenn of news promised by the bill.
Dick tried in vain TO remember what
t was that had happened some DAYS
before at Battersburg-wh the
Beers had captured a convoy or saved
heir own guns and decamped, and, SIS
10 one came to the door, he held out a
Jenny to the small boy and rang the
,ell again.
The "Oficial List" was plain enough
n the Stop-Press kilograms; Dick had
ound it before the footman opened the
loor.
Yes, sir" said the man aloud to at
ract the attention of the gentleman.
Dick was keeping dinner party of full
Y twenty people waiting in the draw
ng room, while he read the newspa-
,ers.
Officer killed: Captain G. C. O'Brien,