The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-21

Synopsis , St Instalents t9 III ILL., :,
noS we Dfyrr b9 epew sta ayG
boarding house III Southport. when he
meets three sisters. with the youngest
q whom, Maggie. he falls Eli, deeply n \,
4 friend, who considers the girls to be
rather suspicious character in which
view he ls confirmed by q Fellow
Maggie TO be a heartlesa jilt and fllrt,
IL not worse. Regardless OF. remon.
strances, Deveril calls ,,poh Magg!e,s
BssoopH on s retrn None o IS he an srs
Z Mrs. Brown help Deye.Iill and ,. other 5
young men who have dropped IN 70
p piayIns roulette a FOR some time. and
losing considerably, the guests leave
i rather hurriedly. one OF hem assert.
t thse game. In spite Of Very serious
Deverill, on meeting Maggie the fol-
S REUSED day prfPosS Il ee r. mafy f
y all that Is good and innocent and md
does know OF her fathers method OF
erill pays another Visit to the r1ajor,'s
sum, out Of which no has little doubt
4 following he meets Maggie out shop
ping and persuades her TO come. with
him to, a theatre and later to dinner
70 the Savoy. where they are s,,, snr,
on hearing that Deverill has asked
q Maggie to marry him Is Intense.
y 4=.fs CHAPTER ~. i
peycril felt as .if he were choking. Any.
thing more strangely ptiful he had never
seen than this breakdown OF the swag-
gering, jolly Major; and for the first few
moments the young man did not even
notice how Maggie herself took this
unexpected occurrence.
Suddenly, however, he was recalled to
her by little cry. and. turning quickly.
he saw that she had staggered back q
step md that her beautiful young face
had grown very white, while the express
! sion in her eyes was piteous In tho ex-
IRENE.
n IT was as II she was struggling with
some new and still dlmly understood
horror, as II what she saw he opening
before her eyes had as yet no definite
meaning for her, but only made upon
her the Impression OF something painful.
strange. terrible. something that made
one want to shut ones eyes and ones
ears In horrorstruck wonder.
Then she came quickly up to her fathers
side, and. bending over Thin, touched =,
him on the shoulder lightly and whis-
pered in trembling voice:
.'Papa, don't, don't. q
And again Deverill felt q sensation
which made him turn away and clear
his throat 4. for there was in the tirnid
voice, in the gentle touch. the assurance
that the girl loved her father: that she
felt no sort OF reprobation or repulsion..
and that whatever the dread might be
which seemed to be floating dimly In her
mind, It was not; one which made her
shrink from hi ~ II & S. i, "a #
OF course, this scene lasted but a very
few moments. though the kcenness OF
the Impression which 1t made upon Dew
Grill made him fancy at the time that It
was longer. Ill f
Somebody came. into tho room. order
Ing dinner IN Mud voice, and there
Z was a rush OF walters. some to the new
corners, some to the table where Maggie
and her companion had been sitting.
suchaprogaic surroundings as plates Of
bread, knives and forks, tab1e-na pkins
and glasses. do not accord we'll with ex-
plosions Of sentiment or OF passion; and
the Major recovered his self-possession
almost as suddenly as he had lost It.
SprInging up from the chair into which
y he had thrown himself, he held out his
hand. and, under a clever pretense OF
thrlsting him back into the seat from
which he had risen. he wrung Devertllis s!
hand warmly.
..You are 4 good fellow. good fell
low said he in low voice full OF feel
Ing. God bless you. my boy . I,
But Deyerill noticed, as tho Major did
not. that a change came over AIaggie's
face when her father thus addressed
him.
Z & she loo ed from the one to the other. and
4 mutinous expression came into her dark
eyes. Deverill felt sure Of what was
coming when the Major turned abruptly
towards her. 3.
maggie, my girl. this is good news
for mo, so good that It quite knocked
mo over for q moment said he, as he
made her come nearer. taking her by the
hand, and trying to induce her to re-
But Maggie would not do this. She
was still rather PALE and there was
sonlbre glow in her eyes quite different
from their usual sparkle. as she said
quietly: 4.
a ,What is good news, Papa
a He looked at her in establishment, ana
answered after q moments pause, win
soma slicht appearance OF irritation at
+ her denseness: e55
..What is good news? Why, the news
that you re going to have for husband
me Of the best fellows-no, I'll go fur-
ther. Ill say tho best fellow-of my ac-
squaintance. ,,,r
Deveril tried in vain to check IS, nm ~.
reading more intelligently than did INC
elder man the look In those neautiiul
eyes, the attitude Of the girls erect fig
5ure. ,, 7. - All,
~ she came closer In order that she
night sneak in still lower voice. she
would, il she had been able = nave 'on ,et
and not that Of Deverell. u told you,
Papa, that Mr.. Deyerell had asked me ne
to marry him. not that ! had accepted
/. him. z. !, J. 49,,
bled for a moment, and then looked a
Deverill and burst into forced J iau le =
II "she's quite right quite right, SAG
~ with sort of nervous approval, she
does not mean to Yield too quickly; !. !; !,
faut Sc faire prler. oh But don't ho ~
nut too long, Maggie. A lady should he
era cious as we'll as coy.
4 Maggle's breath was coming fast she
had been looking from her fathers - ta T.,
toSthat Of her lover, and back again.
and son,a sort Of decision was pelng