The Port Gibson reveille., 1907-09-19

quoted Captain Beuchamp, cynically
Considering, my dear BeauchamI
that your sojourn upon this plane
cannot have exceeded thirty years
EOu must have been singularly un
fortunate in your experience of WON
en- to adopt such aphorisms," re
marked Mr.. Wyndham, in answer
The man who takes them for a creeC
suggests boy who, having chanceC
20 come across one or two soul
piums among tree full of sweet
ones, vows he will never taste plum
again."
1T would be more appropriate to
the subject Of our argument to say
that, in tree full of sour plums he
had failed, Notwithstanding their en-
tIeing appearance, to find a single
sweet one!" and there was a stern
bitterness in his tone.
This dialogue took place one sum-
mer evening on the lawn in front of
Mr.. Wyndham's Surrey residence,
while the two men were smoking
their cigarettes. Captain Beauchamp
was an officer in a crack regiment
man of fortune, handsome, fasci-
Mating, intellectual. Mr.. Wyndham,
UhO was well advanced in middle
age, had known him from his boy
hood, and the captain was frequent
visitor at the Pines.
There had been an unseen listener
to this conversation. The two men
were seated close to a very large rho
dOdendron bush, and were unaware
that lady was seated on the other
side of it.
Clarice Wyr dham, the only daugh-
ter Of the host, who was widower,
was dreaming over a volume of
Browning when the quotations with
which this story opened struck upon
her ear. A look of mingled pain and
Eadness stole over her beautiful face.
AS l have said, Beauchamp had
been friend of the family while
Clarice was still i'll the nursery. And
the child had been fondled by the
youth and patronized by the young
man, who even yet had scarcely real
lied that she was now a woman.
Perhaps until this evening she had
never regarded her affection for him |
IN any other light than that of a |
sisters fondness for an elder brother:
and even now she did not question |
her heart as to why it sank, and why |
the sunlight seemed to have lost its |
magic as she listened to his TRADE |
against her sex.
After silence Wyndham consult
ed his watch. "By Jove!" he said.
we have only just time to dress for
dinner! l expected a lady down.
Hark! can hear a motor on the
road. I shouldn't wonder if it be
she!''
A lady? You did not tell me you
expected any one down to-day" said
Beauchamp, lighting another cigar
ette. Il understood some people
were coming tomorrow"
Il INTENDED to give you a surprise,
and an agreeable one. But after our
recent talk
Who is she? Some one 1 know?"
interrupted Beauchamp, little irri-
tabIy.
Yes Lady Beaton-Maud Selby
that was. You-Eh! What's the
matter?"
Beauchamp had given such a vio-
lent start that the cigarette dropped
from his lips, ooh, nothing!" he
answered, STOPPING to pick it up
again. |
'Yes, the motor has stopped at the
lodge gate. 1t will be she!" cried
Beauchamp turned upon his heel !
and strobe towards the house. s
Lady Beaton was fair, handsome
woman of about twenty-six, and fas- {
She had only recently been /
married to the rich peer whose name /
she bore, and, as she was the daugh- /
ter of poor country clergyman, it
was considered a fortunate match, al /
though the husband was seventy. r
After the first greetings she said, '
rather anxiously, "Who is the man 1 e
taught glimpse of through the trees a
the house? His figure r
familiar to me-"
@Oh, an old friend of yours-Cap- b
ain Beauchamp, answered WynG- g
lam. T
Lady Beaton turned aside to speak t
o hef chauffeur, but WyndhGm per- p
'elVed her change of countenance. "I d
yonder if Beauchamp's sour plum
vas Maud Selby?" And certain mem Il
'ries flashed upon his mind. fl
A couple of hours Afterwards Beau b
.hamp was smoking a cigar out of e,
loors in the moonlight. His meet h
ng with Lady Beaton in the drawing d.
oom had been that of an old ac-
and her woman's tact had ii
aTried her through the situation as
Tith at least equal success. But all OF
he time Beauchamp was under the "
everest tension. ia
He had strolled some little dis re
ance from the house when the gs
Toman, wrapped in a light cloak, ad- de
anced rapidly toward him. b
Maud. Lady Beatoni1 he ex- to
laimed. She stood in his path.
Give me few minutes conyer- wi
alton with you. IL want to ex- he
iaini" she cried in a broken voice.
If you refer to the. past, no ex- co
lanation is needed. You were wooed 70
richer and titled suitor. and ad