Middletown transcript., 1903-11-14


seen her wear but one dress. He hae
allowed the whole of his future prospect
to be blighted by dress. It was NJ
wonder he called himself fool.
When Gerard Fame appeared at break
fast the following morning, his landlad.
informed him that the ladies at the cot
tage had taken their departure.
Gone! he echoed blankly.
Av, sir; they're just gone, she said
Eli, but gey Draw young thing she was
it's braw to be bonnie and weel likit!
Oh, very! Gerard answered indiffer
emily.
The news was true enough. He wen
up to the cottage after he had pretended
to eat breakfast, and found the mes
empty. He walked through the familiar
rooms, and gave one OF tile maids still
remaining half-a-crown to let him 60 up
stairs. He easily found the room IL
which Gladys had slept There wert
three or four flowers in glass on tht
mantel-shelf, glove on the small ches
OF drawers, and on the floor, just where
it had dropped from the dressing table, 6
tiny silver cross, which he had seen hel
wear dozens of times He picked it uI
now, and slipped it into his pocket. She
would never know, and it would be 9
comfort to him during his whole life.
Later in the day he also set off from
Sandune, and went to London. where,
during the following week, he wandered
about, with the hope Of meeting Gladys.
AT the end Of that time however he came
to the conclusion that such an occupation
was very much like looking for needle
in bottle Of hay; SO he gave up his use
less search, and accepted an invitation
from Scotland, still with vague hope
that lie might at least hear something OF
the girl whose love and whose fortune he
had lost by his own stupidity. But he
could hear nothing Of Gladys Brans-
combe.
Gladys Branscombe! those he asked
about her repeated. Never heard Of her
Rich, do you say? All, well, | never
came across her!
And SO the autumn days wore on, and
shortened into winter ones. and the time
drew near for his visit to Hawthorndean.
November had already arrived when he
received a formal invitation to pay his
promised visit. His first impulse was to
fling the invitation into the fire and re-
fuse it; but with him, as with many
others, second thoughts proved very diff
fesent from first impulses; and he wrote
in the same stiff polite terms in which
the invitation was couched accepting it.
Without doubt if was very cold and very
stiff-the writing was upright and angu-
lar-aggressively SO, Gerard thought in
his disgust. No doubt Miss Hawthorn
dean would prove the same; but, since lie
had seven thousand year at stake, he
could not afford to quarrel for so trivial a
cause as the tone Of lady's letter or the
style Of her handwriting. And all that
time he never heard word Of Gladys
Branscombe.
At last the day arrived when there was
no longer any hope Of finding Gladys
Bransconbe, or consolation in growing
at his ill-luck. 1t was, Of course, useless
to be in a bad temper; but Gerard did
not take that fact into consideration.
10 begin with, lie got out Of bed upon
what is popularly known as the wrong
side; but, being in somebody else's house.
he was obliged to keep that disturbing
fact to himself. His friends valet, how
ever, found it out if no one else did, and
his opinion in the servants
hall that Mr. Fame, was about as "can-
tankerous piece as lie had ever come
across. At that precise period his de-
scription was strictly true. Perhaps, if
lie had known the chain Of untoward and
circumstances which lad
brought about Gerard's irritable frame nf
mind, lie would have changed his hastily
formed opinion and pitied him; but, as
lie remained unenlightened, Gerard de-
parted for lIawthorndean, leaving a bad
behind him--on hiS friends
valet at all events. As Gerard drew near
his destination, matters did not mend;
if anything, his temper grew worse; but
then, to be sure, everything went wrong.
Is was piercingly cold, and, after India,
lie felt it keenly. The carriage was
1ranghty and the windows ratified abom-
inably. Moreover, to add to his troubles,
when lie reached the station he found
that instead of close carriage having
been sent to meet him, there was dog
cart, with a restless housekeeping mare.
whose great delight seemed to be 10 use
only one pair Of legs at once.
l shall have to drive that brute, he
srumbled; SO he mounted to the front
,eat.
Perhaps, alter all, it was not bad
hing for him that he had to drive such
IN animal. He very soon found that lie
must handle the reins carefully, if he did
lot desire a closer acquaintance with the
hedges and the stone heaps than lie had
It present. And so lie found himself
gradually cooling down, and thinking
hat, after all, housekeeping mares with
! tendency 70 use but one pair Of legs at
J time are very pleasant things to possess.
'he certainly vas a lovely animal; and,
her mistress at all matched her, he
hought he should not fare very badly.
Who drives this mare? lie asked sud
lenly, turning to the groom behind.
Miss Hawthorndean, sir. She drives |
Ter in the dog-cart.
Then Miss HaMthorndean is a good |
rhip?
Fust-rate, sir, the groom replied.
Gerard noticed that he was English,
nd felt Modified Immediately. Evil
emily Miss Hawthorndean was not un-
airly prejudiced in favor Of her own