Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-04-08

gy. sir, not TO postpone the climax OF
this matter until our next meeting
Let it be when you see fit" cries Peg.
with woman's wit and wisdom too.
"'Slife, sir, | ask you as one gentle
man to another-nay, l implore it Of
you" cries Sir Percy, rent betwixt
choler, love and apprehension, most
humbly-is Lady Peggy your wife,
Her ladyship was now like to laugh.
so near akin are mirth and sorrow, but
she replied very loftily:
Il decline 10 discuss the matter, sir,
and would remind you that report hath
your attentions engaged in quite anoth-
er direction"
you know where Lady Peggy Bur
goyne is at this moments" says Sir
Percy hotly. determined to push his
matter to Its ending this very night,
and almost crazed by his passion and
its baking.
"That do, sir" returns her lady
ship. with a covert smile.
'"Tell me, or I'll brain you where you
stand" Percy makes an ugly lunge at
his opponent with his fist, but merely
as threat.
THAT will not" says she firmly.
What might have further ensued Is
at this crisis put out Of the question
by the entrance of Kennastop, who,
espying Percy the first. cries cut JOY
fully:
"Percy, Percy, Lady Diana hath given
me leave to tell you she consents
flush, sirw interrupts Percy, jerking
his head toward the other occupant Of
the room. "Sir Robin McTart and I
have come near to blows, and must
fight Of surety on the subject of your
sister, sir, and tits for you to know
without more delay that Lady Peggy is
up in London, unknown to her parents;
that Sir Robin hath her whereabouts
and absolutely refuses to reveal the
same" Percy crosses the room. strikes
a finder and lights the candles on the
mantelshelf.
you are cursedly badly mistook, gen.
tlemen. both Of you," says Kennaston
quietly enough. give got q letter which
found upon my table this very night
Just come from my sister Mt Kennas
tOn," with which hep twin pulls my
lady's most i'll spelled and crumpled
missive from his pocket and holds it
up before the four astonished eyes that
are staring at it.
Peggy in amaze recognizes the letter
she had written to her brother the day
long since in the buttery and which she
had taken up to town in her reticule
and must have dropped when she had
paid her Ill starred visit to KenXas-
toms chambers in Lark lane.
BROWSE, the charwoman's daughter,
vowed she'd found it a-lying in the
entry under the water tub. There's an
end of your dispute, sirs. trust, I"
glancing from one to the other. "Come.
come. Sir Percy, and you, Sir Robin,
whom indeed the letter you brought
me from Lady Peggy the other night
doth most highly commend to my good
offices, must be friends" taking a
hand of each. Nor let Dame Rumor
split We asunder with her lies about my
little twins being up in town. Cad
cooks, sirs, the child's not notion Of
a difference betwixt Mayfair and
Drury lane! I beg Of you, Mr.. Brum-
MEL" as this one now comes mincing
in together with Lord Escombe, Sir
Wyatt, Mr.. Jack Chalmers and others
for their game, "for you've the graces
lack in such matters-these two gal.
lants have had q difference. and tits
you, Mr.. Brummei, can set 'em straight
again"
Cards. cards! Spades. clubs. dia-
mOnds, heartsw exclaims the Beau,
touching the queen of hearts with the
toe Of his high heeled shoe as It lies ON
the floor where 1t was shot from Sir
Percy's hand.
''Split me, but It's them that are at
the bottom Of every quarrel, sirs!
Whisk me, but IL q spade or a club or
. heart, provided 1t be lady's, or a
diamond, amt the only causes for dis
agreement in this worldr'
Correct as your own toilet. siry' cries
Wyatt.
"Now, 'twas hearts of course, and
the queen Of 'em, that's reused both
your tempers, but, POUNDS, gentlemen -
taking now the hand of each, which
had slipped clear Of Kenpaston's fin
gers. "bethink you, IL the lady, whose
name can't even guess, whom you
both adore. stood here. what would
her pleasure be2 Robin. my lad, an
swer me, for of brawling there can be
none here and fighting no more. Speak.
sir!'
Faith" answered Lady Peggy, with
splendid valOr and q rise in her color
and her heels, Ito my certain knowl-
edge the lady d have her name put out
Of the matter wholly, and she'd sooner
die. sir, than have any fighting over
her preferences by either Sir Percy de
Bohun or Sir Robin Mozart"
The which being taken to be, by all
present, a most prodigious and amazing
gentlemanlike and polite speech, Sir
Percy was feign accept, mock.smile
and bow, while al! the rest blew their
lungs hollow applauding and praising
his still hated and still suspected rival
Peace restored Outwardly, whatever
else ragged in the breasts of the two op-
ponents, the gallants sat to their tables,
Kennaston managing to whisper to Sir
Percy across the deal:
"As was telling you when I entered.
Percy, Lady Di permits me to let you
know she consents to my dedicating
the ode to her, and Lille. at the corner
Of Beauford Buildings in the Strand,
hath engaged to publish it at once"
But this Lady Peggy, at q distant ia
bic, engaged in picquet with his grace
Of EscOmbe, hears not. There rings in
her ears naught save the words Ken
nastOn uttered when he came into the
card rOom-"Lady Diana hath given
me leave to tell you she consents"
Consents To what else but his
suit, which, egged on by his noble
uncle, has been pushing any time these
ten years, since, boy and girl, Sir Per
~ and Lady Di had played, ridden,
romped, quarreled as brother and sis