The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-06-08
CContinued.)

zone of the most charming girls in the
land, and as good as she is beautiful.
Mr.. Henderson is the most fortunate
q young men,"
so l admit. She was greatly dis
appointed that you did not meet her
younger brother" First shot at the
groom.
Il did expect to meet him. but
understand that he has gene on a
hunting expedition Whom does he re-
semble?"
Neither Nancy nor Jacz," | sac.
Hes a good-looking beggar, though,
OILY you can't depend upon him for
five minutes at a time. Hadn't seen
the family in more than two years.
again. no one knows where. Some
persons like him, but like man with
more stability. Not but that he has
his good points; but he is born
vagabond. His brother expects to get
him a berth at Vienna and is working
rather successfully toward that end. y
l wondered how this bit of news af-
fected the groom.
"a diplomat" said Mrs. Chadwick.
THAT is the life for young man with
brains. Is he a good linguist?"
Capital! Speaks French, German
and Spanish, besides l don't know how
many Indian sign-languages" Now
was patting the groom on the baca.
| sat facing the ladies, so it was inn
possible to see the expression on his
face. i kept up this banter till we ar
rived at the department babe the
ladies good day. | do not recollect
when | have enjoyed ten minutes noe
thoroughly
An hour in the shopping district,
that is to say, up and down Pennsyl-
vania avenue, where everybody who
was anybody was similarly occupied,
shopping, nearly took the spine out
of our jehu. Everywhere he imagined
he saw Nancy. And half a dozen
times he saw persons whom he knew,
persons he had dined with in New
York, persons he had met abroad.
But true to human nature, they were
looking toward higher things than a
groom in livery When there was no
more room for bundles, the women
started for Mrs. Chadwick's apart
ments.
where, in the name of uncommon
things, did you find such a handsome
groom?"
81 was rather lucky" replied Miss
Annesley in the same tongue. Don't
you see something familiar about
him?"
Warburton shuddered.
Familiar? What do you mean?"
at is the groom who ran away with
US"
Heavens, mol" Mrs. Chadwick
raised her lorgnette. whatever pos
sessed your"
Mischief as much as anything"
but the risk"
81 am not afraid. There was some
thing about him that appeared very
much like a mystery, and you know
how | adore mysteries"
"And this is the fellow we saw in
the police-court, sitting among those
light O. loves?" Mrs. Chadwick could
not fully express her surprise.
81 can't analyze the impulse which
prompted me to pay his fine and en-
gage him"
"And after that affair at the
carriage-door! Where is your pride?"
"To tell the truth, l believe he did
make a mistake. Maybe / hired him
because l liked his looks" Betty
glanced amusedly at the groom, whose
neck and ears were red. She laughed.
you always were an extraordinary
child. l do not understand it in the
least. l am even worried. He may be
a great criminal"
mo, not a great criminal, said
Betty, recollecting the ride of that
morning; "but a first-class horseman,
willing and obedient. | have been
forced to make James serve as butler.
He has been under the hands of our
cook, and | have been watching them.
How l have laughed! OF all droll
scenes!"
So she had laughed, Ell? Warbur-
toms jaws snapped. She had been
watching, too?
81 rode Pirate this morning"
''You rode that horse?" interrupted
Mrs. Chadwick.
Eyes, and he ran away with me in
fine style. II it hadn't been for the
new groom, shouldn't be here, and
the dinner would be dismal failure,
with me in bed with an arm or leg
broken. Heavens! l never was so
frightened in all my life. We went
so fast against the wind that l could
scarce breathe. And when it was all
over, tainted like a ninny."
"Faintedi / should have thought
you would. 1 should have fallen of
the animal and been killed. Bett
YOU certainly have neither forethoug'
nor discretion. The very idea OF your
attempting to ride that ANIMAL"
"Well | am wiser, and none the