The Opelousas courier., 1901-10-12

any such consideration from me, really
Now listen to this. Every morning
before breakfast, Joan wanders off b,
l herself through the park toward thu
shrubbery, and soon a~fterward, by al
!, odd coincidence, Captain Moston alst
strolls away, but invariably in the OPP
posite direction. Now, doesn't tina
: strike you as being somewhat signi
icant? While you are Laying in bee
unless you have amended your hab
its of late no doubt he is improving
the golden opportunities. You recol
!. lect uncle's adage, that women are apt
to guage a mans affection by his per
~Psistspce, especially where But
the waltz is over, and here comes the
crowd. Ny poor Tom, truly I pity
you'll"
And with q mock-solemn shake OF
her head she was gone.
I mooned up into the billiard room,
where subsequently I was badly beaten
by my ~15-year-old cousin Harold in a
hundred up" game. His 1ukes were
phenomenal.
"Say, Tom, you're a bit off color to-
night, aren't you?" no exclaimed pat
r~onizingly. "Neyer saw you make
such a rotten show in my life. But
what d'you think of my play, ell? I've
come on a lot lately, haven't I? Fact
is, Captain Moston's been tipping me
a few wrinkles the last day or two.
jolly clever chap, the captain, you
know"
l offered no comment-audibly.
The youngster entered into q glow
ing eulogy of the captains many splen-
did accomplishments and good quail
ties, rattle to which I had neither the
desire nor the patience to hearken.
Incidentally, however, he happened to
mention that the bedroom of the Gen
tleman in question opened out of the
same gallery IS mine-was, indeed,
next but n to it. Later, when I
passed this particular room on my way
up to bed, I CHANGED to observe that
the key projected from the lock on the
outside of the door. Ere I fell
asleep I had settled upon a ruse de
guerre.
Waking soon after daybreak, I
dressed hastily and slipped out into
the corridor. Listening at the cap
tain's door, I could hear his heavy,
regular breathing within; he was still
fast asleep. My fingers sought the
~protruding key, and softly, warily, I
turned it, the bolt sliding into its
socket without a sound. Now, I we'll
knew that all the apartments in my
uncle's house were fitted with patent
fastenings, each one having it's special
key, no one key opening any other
lock than its own, and I lattered my
self upon the tactical use to which T
had been enabled to put my knowl-
edge. Of certainty there would be
no Captain Moston at the rendezvous
that morning. Chuckling over the
success of my stratagem, I thrust the
key into my pocket and hurried down
stairs.
Half an hour afterward, from the
embrasure Of sle library window, I
stood and watched Joan issue from
the stone porch, cross, the terrace
and wend down by the shrubberies-
exactly as / had been led to expect.
Myself unseen, I followed after, until
she entered the ornate wooden chalet
near the tennis court. In a few min
utes she reappeared wit a bicycle,
which she trundled down to the level
gravelly path beyond. Here she
waited, tapping the ground vexe1ly
with the toe of her boot, glancing this
wayand that at Intervals, with growing
Impotence. I thrust through the
bushes behind her.
"How late you are!' she cried, turn
ing round at the, noise; then, seeing
me, she stammered confusedly: ooh, !.
Mr.. Varcoe, IL expected thought
it was some n elsei'
"That's q little disappointing for,
both of u.s. answered, biting my
lip. "Tt was some other, person you
hoped to see-eh?".
II said-expected." .
Don't you think it amounts to
about the same thing, IT hazarded
~suavely, Fsunder the circumstances"
"Not at all-why need it? Still, 4
must confess I wish you h. not come
just nov. I didn't want Il see you,
nor you to see me-"
I swung round as if to lAave her.
ga girl never looks her best when
learning to cycle. "she went on. lone
always feels SO helpless, SO awkward.
so very ridiculous an object at first.
That's why I practise out here before
the other folks are astir. And now
you've found it out and have come to
laugh at me-"
ST declare not" said +, returning
to her side. 81 hadn't even the
faintest idea that you were qualifying
for a feminine Ixion-"
"There! Isn't that poking fun at
me? Really, it's too bad! Why, Der.
tina told me that you yourself were an
enthusiastic cyclist- almost as expert
a rider as Captain Moston. You ought
not to chaff or discourage a beginner
/ do SO want to learn" |
Again she peered round in search
of him who, to my certain knowledge.
would never put in an appearance that
morning.
"How annoying!' she CALCULATED,
pursuing up her lips. 'What can be
keeping him? ! wouldn't have given
him those three dances last night if I
had thought he would have failed me
That was the condition.
"A pleasurable one, surely" T
trying vainly to recollect
more than one of the three dances
manfinnsd Ito he nf anrr;aa -