The Ordway new era., 1909-06-11
CHAPTER VIl.-continued.

And how ! am 10 live until ! get
another ship am AT loss. my hoy,
Giles cried quite chccrfully Two
courses are open to m"-play and run.
ming away with an heiress. Do you
know Of n charming girl. DiCky. with
something under ElO0,O0O. who could
be reconciled to a penniless lieutenant
in his maiesty's navy? And remem.
ber, she must be as beautiful as the
dawn besides. and Of good family. and
keen of wit-no luukhead Of n woman
for me" To this. fate lmpelIed me to
reply that Lady Arabella StOrmont
was still single.
Faith" cried Giles. slapping his
knee. she Is the girl for me. | al
ways intended to marry her. II only to
spite her"
was sorry had raked up the en-
fore. and attempted to cover my step
by saying:
She is still infatuated with OvertOn,
whom, however. she sees rarely, and
that only at the houses Of others; but
he has ever looked coldly upon her"
She'll not be coldly looked on by
me. And let me see: There is her
cousin you used to tell me about-the
Carmichael girl-suppose you, Dicky,
run away with her; then no two lieu
tenants in the service will have more
of the rhino than We"
l declare this was the first time
had remembered Daphue's 100000
She had the same fortune as Lady
Arabella. The reflection damped my
spirits dreadfully.
Giles saw it directly, and in o.
ment he had my secret from me. He
shouted with delight. and Immediately
began grotesque planning for us to
run away with the two heiresses. He
recalled that the abduction of an heir
ess was a capital crime. and drew a
fantastic picture of us two standing
in the prisoners dock, on trial for
our lives, with Lady Arabella and
Daphne swearing our lives away. and
then relenting and marrying us at the
gallows' foot. And this tale, told with
the greatest glee, amid laughter and
bumpers of hot brandy and water, had
singular effect upon me. 1t sobered
me at once, and suddenly | seemed to
see vision, as Macbeth saw Banquos
ghost, passing before my very eyes
just such a scene as Giles described
Only l got no farther than the spec
tacle of Giles a prisoner in the dock
on trial for his life. My own part
seemed misty and confused, but saw,
instead of the lodging house parlor, a
great hall of justice dimly lighted
with lamps, the judges in their robes
on the bench, one with a black cap on
his head, and Giles standing up to re-
ceive sentence. I passed into a kind
of nightmare, from which l was
aroused by Giles whacking me on the
back and saying in surprised voice:
What ails you, Dicky, boy? You
look as If you had seen a ghost. Rouse
up here and open your lantern Jaws
for glass of brandy and rid yourself
Of that long face"
l came out Of this singular state as
quickly as l had gone into it, and,
ashamed to show my weakness to
Giles, grew merry, carried on the joke
about the abduction, and shortly felt
like myself, a light-hearted lieutenant
Of FL. I proposed that we should go
to the play the next night-or rather
that night, for 1t was now about four
In the morning-and shortly after we
tumbled into bed together and slept
until late the ney lay.
Giles and l wen, 20 Berkeley Square
in the afternoon, protesting Just to
have arrived from Portsmouth. Giles
expressed his thanks in the hand
soonest manner to Sir Peter for his
kindness, and made himself, as usual,
highly agreeable to Lady Hawkshaw.
Neither Lady Arabella nor Daphne