Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-04-12
CHAPTER XXIII


house, Eaton place, when two young men
were shown into it. The sight of the
first, Charles Baumgarten, was sufficient
to make him spring to his feet, his very
shoe buckles sparkling with wrath.
Again" he suffered. DO you dare
appear in my presence to beard me with
your insolence? But for the memory of
your father, l would order my servants
to put you forth"
why, you are more pepery than you
used to be, DOCTOR" cried a voice from
behind Charles of Cyras, who had
about as much reverence for high church
dignitary as for a native savage of his
adopted land. The canon stretched his
stern, dark face round, to see whose bold
voice might be thus addressing him.
Charles spoke.
when | assured you l was not at the
Haymarket Theater the other night, sir,
you might have trusted my word, after
knowing me all these years. 1t was my
brother who was there; and Miss Dyne-
vor was deceived by the resemblance"
The subdean gazed at both of them.
what, is it you?" he exclaimed. Come
back to trouble Englandw
Il am here to honor it and its natives
with a visit; you among the rest" cried
the undaunted Cyras, as he shook the
subdean's reluctant hand. "Glad to see
you in robust health and voice, SIR"
The reverend gentleman coughed. Cyras,
years ago, had gone in and out of his
house as one of his own boys, and been
on the same familiar terms with him. He
turned to Charles:
Then am l to unde stand that you
were not at the theater, Charles Baum
garten? She insisted that you were there
most positively, you know, and she did not
allow me to doubt her assertion"
ITO be there under the circumstances
described would be very unlikely for me-"
returned Charles. Il think you might
have known, sir, that was not capable
of it."
I'm sorry l offended Aunt Ann" said
Cyras. Il hear she looks upon my nod
ding to her as a personal insult. What
If had lady upon my arm when l nod
ded? Aunt Ann never liked pretty wom-
en-, l remember, and that one is pretty
beyond common. star, doctor, of the
first water"
For once in his life the subdean's fancy
was tickled. He enjoyed a side fling at
his sister. And Cyras was, in his opin-
Ion, 80 very lost a sheep that had he ap-
peared at the play with an army of ladies
instead of one, it would have given the
subdean no manner of concern.
You had better go to the drawing room
and make it right with them," he said,
when the young men had explained about
Mrs. Darlington and one or two other
matters. "Tell Ann all this, and re-es-
tablish yourself in her favor"
1t CHANGED that Miss Dynevor was this
morning in an exasperated mood, brought
on by her Intellectual endeavors to induce
Mary to say she would give up Charles
Baumgarten.
1T seems to me that the world must
be coming to an end" she said, haran-
guing all three girls in general, but Mary
in particular, "and the sooner the better,
If this is the order of things. In my
younger days we modest maidens never
so much as looked at an unmarried man
as to talking openly of one, as l have
seen you girls doing over and over again,
we should have been shut in our rooms
for a month after it. While you, Mary
Dynevor, scruple not to uphold Charles
Baumgarten's conduct the other night J"
What | say is this, Aunt Ann-that
Charles could not behave in the manner
you have related responded Mary, a
sound of tears in her voice.
40 hu tirp
my word?'
II don't doubt your word, aunt;
doubt your eyesight. You mistook some
one else for Charles"
Miss Dynevor shrieked. "You insolent
girl-mistook him, did 1? When he turn
ed his face impudently toward mine and
grinned and nodded to me? He winked,
too; VOW and protest he winked."
HE assured me in the presence Of papa
that it was not himself; that it was a
mistake for he was not out of his cham
bers at all that night"
"And you believed him." scoffed Miss
Dynevor.
with my whole heart" warmly re-
turned Mary, a glowing color dyeing her
face. 81 would rather die than disbelieve
Charles Baumgarten." e
"That's pretty modest avowal," gasp
ed Miss Dynevor.
Aunt AIMS wrath was arrested mid
way, for Charles and his brother at that
moment entered. She knew Cyras at
once, and pushed up her wig little in
astonishment. Cyras advanced to the
young ladies to greet them in what he
called New Zealand custom, which they
found meant neither more nor less than
kissing.
When the noise and laughter had sub
sided, Cyras turned to Miss Dynevor.
MAY venture to touch your fingers with
the tips of mine, Aunt Ami"
No response. Miss Dynevor had not
recovered from her petrefaction.
"Its only right to ask, before presum-
ing" went on Cyras; because, you know
at the play the other night you looked as