The Portland daily press., 1900-07-02
AT THE SIGN
OF SAINT LILAC.
How q Go Between Made
Two Matches Instead
Of One.



least dozen times. The sun was al
ready turning his fiery eye toward the
west. It was not my lady's way to be
unpunctual and, seeing the nature Of
her business, I had not looked for delay.
Each time I passed the lilac bush l
paused fancying I heard the scrunch Of
her tiny shoes over the loose gravel path
that led down from the house. And
again and again was I disappointed. The
hour grew near.
fumbled in my bosom for her letter,
to make a certainty of the matter. /
muttered over the words to myself; but /
had no need to hesitate upon them, for
my lady's fingers could grasp the pen
with lueidity of expression anu COM
Portable style that in the broad noontide
was as good as, nay, better than, any
clerks. It ran:
Your request is a strange one dear friend, but
/ will do myself the pleasure of talking with you
at the Sign of Saint Lilac The place is well
chosen, think, and the hour propitious. Beau
clerc will be favorably impressed with my poor
looks, have doubt, despite the Geld light Of
o'clock. What made you choose such an hour
save that you man? Still, it is like your
k1uu heaft TO pc scnenlll8 Tor better fortune,
and I VIII marry your good Beauclercs provided
he win have me and like the trim Of his beard.
/ kiss the page-here. Deliver the message faith
fully or expect no mercy from your little friend,
AUDREY.
had told her 4 o'clock so that might
enjoy a full hours speech with her my
self and make quite clear the nature Of
the thing-that Beaucerc, my friend, was
an honest and an amiable man and actu-
ated by no unworthy motive in thus leav-
ing me master Of his choice in regard to
wife. I had felt difidence in the bust
ness at first, but when I bethought me of
poor little Audrey-so lonely And so COM
fortress up at the big house-my heart
had sweled with a monstrous pity, and
had undertaken the commission at a
breath.
Beauclerc had reasoned with me thus
that (being a poorer man and conse-
quently more honest than he) should
know better of a fitting helpmate for his
declining years. "One must have a Wo-
man about The house, friend John" he
had concluded, cat the last. 'Tis i'll GO
ing out Of the world leaving behind no
one to fight over your fortune or carry on
the name, and l will be a docile old
beast in harness do you but find me
gentle and patient lady. Nay, marriage
is all a lottery; would have you choose
for me, so that l can have the small con-
ISOLATION Of not blaming myself overmuch
should the venture prove a failure. Dip
your hand in Dame Fortunes lucky bag
and draw a prize, friend John, for me-"
So had mentally decided upon Audrey,
though | could have wished to have
been dipping" for myself. But / want
ed to make life brighter-not worse-for
my lady and so banished the thought as
best I could But the pricking was there
nevertheless.
I glanced at the sundial. 1t was nigh
on to 5. Beauclerc might come at any
moment. It was certainly most proyok-
ing. / dug my heels vengefully into the
turf and had ventured "just like wo-
manw betwixt my set teeth when of
sudden / heard a quick, impatient step,
and my tryst was at an end. How
late''-
I stopped 1t was not Audrey after
all, but stranger. I bowed stiffly and
began an apology.
"Sir," said the fair unknown, cutting
me very short, "do / address a friend of
George BeaucleroW
MADAME" replied /, with my best
bow, "it is my good fortune to name that
gentleman on the list of my acquaint-
ances"
perhaps / should have said the
friend, continued she, with a heighten-
ing color / noticed her looks more mar
rowly now that we stood side by side in
the shade of the lilac. She was older
than my lady, and there was a line
'twixt her white brows that told Of a
history, yet she was Of a trim build and
u44 cIo
eyed me with difidence. II scarce know
how to make my errand clear to you,
sir" she went on presently, 'but you
have, If rumor lies not, a delicate COM
mission of your friend Beauclerc upon
your handsY
/ bowed again.
"We were formerly acquainted, she
said and paused. "But, like most friend
ships, ours had an end. Sir, cannot you
guess what / am at SO much trouble to
make clear? Has George never even
mentioned to you so little as my name? ?"
MADAME" said 1, ''if so be you are the
lady through whom my friend Beauclerc
so nearly lost his life, ! will be candid
with you. In stating the nature Of the
commission with which have the honor
OF being ntrusted, my friend expressed
one condition-that the lady who would
consent to his proposals should not be of
the same name as-yourself."
"But If It were all a mistake?" she
cried. 'If ] could prove that it was a
mistake? Sir, credit me with little
truth That letter arranging the assig-
nation which so nearly terminated his
life was never penned by me- 1t was
long after I had foolishly steeled my
heart against him and had utterly lost his
esteem that the truth reached me- thas
George Beauclerc, so far from being the
despicabIe man | had deemed him, was