The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-13


! rias sentiments and terror of her
patroness, took two steps upon her
errand and halted futtering. Lord
verney had flushed darkly purple.
Mistress Kitty hung with yet more
affectionate weight upon his arm and
! smiled with sweet Inconsistencies.
For the moment she was as deaf as
Lady Maria.
The latter's clawlike hand had now
disengaged long stemmed eyeglass
from her laces.
"'Tis, indeed she pronounced in her
commanding bass. my nevvy Verney
| with that vile Bellairsl Nevvy! Here,
I say! Selma, fool, have you gone to
sleep?"
An echo as OF filters began to circle
round the pump room. The painted
face of Lady Flyte was wreathed into
a smile of peculiar significance as she
whispered over her glass to her par
ticular friend of the moment, Captain
Spicer. This gentleman's pallid visage
was illumned with a radiance of
gratified spite. His lips We're pursed
as though upon plum of superdeli-
cious gossip. He began to whisper
| and mouth. Young Squire Green APP
preached the couple with an eager ear
and an innocent noddy face that strove
to look vastly wise.
II assure YOU" mouthed the captain.
WAS I not therey'
I'm his bedroom ~ cried Lady Flyte,
with shrill laugh.
Lady Maria's cockatoo crest rose
more fiercely. 1t seemed to Kitty Bel
lairs as il she heard the old lady's
jaws rattle. 1t was certain that in
her wrath she squawked louder than
even the late lamented Toto. Then
Mistress Kitty, who. to say the truth,
began to find the scene aalittle, beyond
enjoyment, felt the young arm upon
which she leaned stiffen, the young
figure beside her rear itself with new
manliness.
pray, Mistress Bellairs," said my
Lord Nerney-he spoke loudly and, to
her surprise, with perfect facility, even
dignity-..wiu you allow me to intro
duce you to my aunt. Lady Maria Pri-
deaux? Aunt Maria" said he, and his
voice rang out finely. imposing gen
eral silence. 'let me present Mistress
A'SiitiAiS- hic Aaidy las SioNiouSis Noh-
descended to accept me as her future
husband. l am the happiest and most
honored Of men,"
The last sentence he cried out still
more emphatically than the rest and
then repeated it with his eye on Kitty's
suddenly flushed cheek, almost in a
whisper and with a CULVER of strong
emotion.
The astounded Mistress Kitty rose
from her deep courtesy with a swelling
heart
1.-THE dear lad she said to herself.
'sThe dear. innocent. chivalrous ladr'
There was almost dimness in her
brilliant black eye. Her emotion was
of kind she had never known before;
it was almost maternal.
Under stress of sudden genuine emo
ton the wit of intrigue in the cleverest
woman falls in allegiance. Mistress
Bellairs found no word out of the new
situation.
Lady Maria's deafness had increased
to an alarming extent.
"Gratified, I'm sure" she mumbled,
stuck out her dry hand and withdrew
it before Mistress Bellairs had had
tIEie " tOucu IT.
My future wife," bawled the bud
ding peer in his aged relatives ear.
It was curious to note how old Lady
Maria seemed suddenly to have be-
come. Huddled in herself. she nodded
yacantly at her nephew.
Thank We for asking. child" said
she, but the waters try me a good
DEAL
Lord Verney attempted another
shout in vain.
so Sir George says" remarked my
lady
lis the very eye of my poor dear
Toto thought Mistress Bellairs.
Lord Ne-ney looked round in dc
spair- Miss Selma Thought him mon
strous handsome and gallant. and her
moor aid nialsf's~ heart warmed 70 the