Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-07-13
LA PLATA, MARYLAND. FRIDAY JULY IL. 1906
A BLUESTOCKING,
ROMANCE g REALITY.
BY MISS ANNus EDwARps.
But tits loves labor lost
"Felixw

"Ichthyosaurus and pterodactyle are
matters beyond my powers Of thought
Il beg pardon. Of cerebral vibration.
Cerebral vibration is the correct term,
is it not, Clemg"
Sir John Severnc reddens. The per
feet ease with which that familiar
"Clem" proceeds from Mr.. Broughton's S
lips irritates him. more perhaps than
he would care to confess.
"You see we have a highly scientific
German governess. am afraid you
never had the benefit Of a scientific
goyerness. Mrs. Chesterf"
Il never had a governess at all"
Daphne answers. with humility. "Aunt
Theodore taught me the very little
that know"
"Severne, says Mr.. Broushton, turn.
ing to Clementina's lover with as much
bonhomie as though he ha1 known him
all his life, you will dine with us on
board the yacht to-day2 Better say to-
day, for if birmingham should get It'd
ings of superior copger eels of some
new abode of desolatlon we shall in
Z fallibly be carried away there, in our
sleep, next tide. And you. Mrs. Ches-
\ ter? l am not positive what time we
dine, or if anybody but clem and my
& self will be at dinner. Still. If you do
got mind such a short invitation, or the
Hature of the invitation"
He glances at Miss Hardcastle.
81 have no doubt Lady Lydia would
be charmed to see Mrs. Chester" Clem-
entina responds. obedlently, but in her
coolest voice. 1--WE are not overbur-
dened with vain ceremonies on board
the Liberia"
"We are not" says Mr. Broughton.
. ''Indeed, the fundamental rule of life
observed is that no person shall ever
know what any other person is doing,
or likely to do. birmingham is one of
athe most practical fellows living, when
you can get hold of him-the difficulty
Iss to get hold of him. He has not been
seen by daylight since we left COwes.
dlady Lydia never remembered any
hing for five consecutive minutes since
De was born She cannot tell you the
Alor of her own dress if you take her
bawares. And for the rest of us
gementina," he turns to Miss Hard
-astle with something like increased
limation, "who can II be that or
.-.sanizes the birmingham yachting par
dies? 1t is not Lady Lydia, Of course,
I'D equally. of course, it is not forming.
am. Is it the captain or the chef?
Hardly NJ. Jules, or he would contrive
to render the dinner hour punetual."
'Your friend, perhaps, Mrs de Mau-
ley" suggests Glementina, her voice,
her look, still at zero.
Scarcely. In any human saaietp-ar-
ganized by my friend, Agatha, elder
sons you may be certain. would be
pronounced feature. whereas, on board
the Liberia pauperism. or at least gen
teel destitution, prevails, 1t must be
Matte Rivers-I have It'll Matte Riv.
ers brings together all the startling
contrasts she can find as foreground
effects for the novel Thus, the Arab
and Lady Lydia; Max and Mrs. dc
Mauley; Miss Hardcastle and Felix
Broughton."
Cousin Felix actually laughs, in a
silent, tired little way he has, at the
whimsical combination of images thus
presented to his mental vision,
And now" remarks Severne, you
and I, Mrs. Chester. will doubtless com
plete the list of incongruities."
"Nrs. Chester could not, by any
juxtaposition. be incongruous," says
Cousin Felix, calamity; ION board the
Liberia, as elsewhere, Mrs Chester
must shine by her own light alone.
You will not be cruel enough TO refuse
to come" he urges, Daphne's redden-
ing face bespeaking her irresolution.
''If 1 was sure any one had invited
me, or could want me-" she answers
in her shyness, crumbllng handful
of sand much as Sydney Smiths young
lady erumbled her bread. "But Fief-
de-la-Reine is so far from the harbor;
and should never find my way among
the sailors, and, and"
She glances appealingly at Miss
Hardcastle.
Miss HardSastle gazes at the lining
Of her parasoI with the peculiar. mn
seeing expression in which women of
the world are so admirably proficient
when members Of their own sex are
weak enough to look to them for help.
Mr.. Broughton comes quicqly to the
rescue. Mr.. Broughton, evidently hard
hit by Mrs. Chester's eyes. will hear
of no excuse. The dinner hour, as far
as can be eonjectured, is eight; the
yacht, Miss Hardcastle has an idea,
must be lying somewhere in the
outer roads, and he, Felix Boughton,
undertakes personally to be In the har-
Dor on the lookout Felix Boughton on
the lookout for anythingD as the hour
approaches in which he may have the
delight Of awaiting Mrs Chester.
And now it is time for me to be 60
ing" says Miss Hardcastle. As she
rises. her pulowcase skirts, her fan.
shaped train. fan into place with pre-
cision as mathematical as though the
hand of LADY S maid had arranged
them. 4 believe we were to meet Lady
Lydia in the town at-no, | think we
must have forgotten TO mention the
hour. You have your watch with you,
Felix?V
Felix has his watch, but on inspect.
ing it finds the hands pointing TO ll.3O,
and remembers he has not wound it up
since the day before yesterday in Sark.
On consideration, too, it appears uncer-
tain whether they were to meet Lady
Lydia birmingham at all, o. await her
return. at any hour between this and
midnight, on board the Liberia. Only
on one point is Miss Hardeastle decid-
ed-to eoi To get away from this blue
sea and sky, the shelter of the rocks,
the blushing sweetness of Daphne
Chester's facet
Cousinly affection is strong thing.
1t may be that Clementina feels her
self the natural guardian, the legiti-
mate wardour, of Mr.. Boughton's
peace of mind.