The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-06-12
Hiss Van BuSker' 5
Limerick.
By Mrs. George Norman.


all whether Miss Van Busker had or
had not accepted the Duke Of Derry
"This is so. sudden, dook,' his SIS
ter. little Lady Hildegarde, wickedly
pretended Miss Van Busker to have
said, and then that she must have
tinle-a month or so--in which to get
to know him.
So far Miss Van Busker's getting to
know the Duke Of Derry had seemed
almost to consist in staying in country
houses where he wasn't and-well,
talking to his men friends. sup
pose she talked about him.
A plain white envelope among her
pink and mauve scented letters on the
sideboard at Littlewick every morn
ing of our stay there seemed some
thing of an indication, however for
Lady Hildegarde used to raise her
pretty eyebrows whenever she came
down before Miss Van Busker and
saw the writing.
We were all as party very Keen,
as the men called 1t, on limericks. We
usually spent the morning spelling
sheets OF poor Lady Newbattle's best
notepaper.
Miss Van Busker wasn't so enthusi-
astic as the others, however.
'I'll help she said the first morn
ing at breakfast-she always came
down as fresh as a daisy and as sweet
tempered as possible while trays we're
going up to a lot OF the other girls
rooms Il mayn't be flyer, but !
guess can fix a limerick"
Capt. Croome, who is nice looking
y0~ag niaa, With place in Warwick
shire, and thirteen motors, but who
certainly isn't cleverI developed a
most extraordinary taste for liner
ticks.
IF you'd be so good, Miss Van Busk-
err he said, quite eagerly for him.
'Why, certainly" Miss Van Busker
said, with her pretty smile and hold
ing out buttered roll to the pug, and
Captain Croome hurried through his
breakfast to go and look for pencil
and paper
1t was a dreadful week Of fogs;
hunting and shooting were off, and 1t
was not cold enough to skate.
e "What we should have done with
out these delightful limericks," Lady
Newbattle confided to me, Il tremble
to think"
All the rooms, and even drafty
passage called the armory, were fun
OF people--usually two at time
with two pencils and one piece of pa
per. At luncheon they didn't seem to
have done so very much, but the but
Ter spent all his time sending down to
the village for sixpenny postal orders,
which soon ran out and had to be
fetched from the town.
The first few days Miss Van Busker
had sat in the music room, and Cap.
tain Croome had sat there, too, and
made noughts and crosses, as hap
pened to see afterward, on whole
sheaf of papers.
The other girls at this time were
rather indignant with Miss Van Bus
ker.
eff she isn't engaged to Stony
(that is, the Duke Of Derry she
might say so; and If she is we'll
Captain Croome ought to know il"
Lady Hildegarde said to me as we
went up to dress for dinner.
/ think some one must have given
Captain Croome a hint, for to my as
constituent he Joined me in very,
very damp and uncomfortable tramp
around the park on the Wednesday
afternoon
.'Er,ah-" he began suddenly, just
as we got up to the statue of Diana
above the house and as was wonder
ing what he'd come for er--ah! Is
Miss Van Busker engaged to that
ASST"
Really, Captain Croome," said,
Il can't think who you mean, and /
think you'd better ask Miss Van Bus.
Rer anything like that yourself"
! changed the conversation, and
very soon Captain Croome said he was
sure I'd catch cold if we stayed out
any longer and as he wouldn't go in
by himself we both went back.
Just at this time Miss Van Busker
took to attaching herself to me. She
is very sweet and appealing, and /
liked having her, but Captain Croome
would follow us about and gaze at
Miss Van Busker and say nothing, and
IL got quite embarrassing.
Are you-will you think it indis-
erect if ask il you are going to be
married?' | said at last one evening,