The Marshall republican., 1909-03-19

were not much favored by the gentle.
men and ladies who played with her:
for the chances Of her marrying before
her majority were so great, that her
l o US were not considered Of much
value, and found few takers, ever
when accompanied by Lady Arabella's
most brilliant smiles; for your true
gamester Is impervious to smiles or
frowns, ~insensible to beauty--in short,
all his faculties are concentrated on
the odd trick.
A great mob OF fine people came
and there was a supper, and many
wax lights, and all the accessories of a
fashionable rout. | wandered about,
knowing no one. but observant Of all.
l noticed that a very clever device
was hit upon by Lady Arabella and
others who like high play. which Lady
Hawkshaw disliked very much. The
stakes were nominally very small. hut
in reality they were very large, shil.
lings actually signifying pounds. All
Of the people who p%racticed this were
in one OF the lower rooms, while Sir
teltIs WIN was dllO"Nu w Dldg blA
penny whist, and those who in good
faith observed Lady Hawkshaw's
wishes, were in a room to themselves.
| must not forget TO mention, among
the notable things at this rout, Lady
H~awkshaw's turban. II was a con
struction of feathers, flowers, beads,
and every other species Of ornament,
the whole capped with the celebrated
tiara which had been bought from the
Portuguese, and the diamond necklace
beamed upon her black velvet bosom.
Sir Peter seemed quite enchanted with
her appearance, as she doomed a head
taller than any woman in the rooms,
and evidently considered her a comb.
nation of Venus and Minerva-not that
the pair ceased squabbling on that &C.
count. l think they disagreed VIC.
lently on every detail of the party,
and Sir Peter was routed at every
point.
Among those who did not play was
Daphne, then quite as tall as | and
well into her sixteenth year, could
not but acknowledge her to be a pref
ty slip of a girl, and we sat in a cor.
doings on the Ajax, until she stopped
her ears and begged me to desist.
regarded Daphne with condescension,
then; but | perceived that she was
sharp of wit and nimble of tongue,
much more more so than her cousin,
Lady Arabella.
After a while | left Daphne and
Went back to watch Lady Arabella.
soon saw that she was a very poor
player, and lost continually; but that
only whetted her appetite for the
game. Presently a gentleman entered
and, walking about listlessly, although
he seemed to be known to everybody
present, approached me. 1t was Capt
Overton, as handsome, as distract, a.
on the first and only time ! had seer
him.
Much to my surprise, he recognized
me and came up and spoke to me
making me a very handsome compli'
ment upon the performances of the
Ajax.
And is my cousin, Mr.. Vernon, here
tonight" he asked, smiling.
l replied | supposed not; he had re
ceived no card when we had parted
that morning, and | knew of none
since.
81 shall be very glad to meet him.
said Overton. II think him a fine fel
low, in spite of our disagreement.
see you are not playing"
Il have nc taste for play, strange
10 say"
DO not try to acquire IT," he said
lit Is wrong, you may depend upon 1t;
but indulgence in it makes many be
lieve II to be right. Every time yor
look at a sin, II gets better looking"
was surprised to hear sin men
toned in the society of such elegant
and weli-bred sinners as | saw arount
mo, who never alluded to 1t, except OF
they all declared themselves miserable
sinners-for that occasion only. Over
ton then sauntered owe toward Lady
Arabella, who seemed to recognize
his approach by instinct. She turned
to him, her cards in her hands, anC
flushed deeply; he gazed at her stern
ly as II in reproof. and, after a Sigh
remark or two, moved of, to her evi
dent chagrin-
Daphne being lear me then. I sale
to her with a forced laugh:
What is the meaning, l beg you Il
tell me, OF the pantomlme between
Lady Arabella and Capt. Overflow"
Daphne hesitated, and then said:
: Capt. Overton vas one OF the gay
est men about London until a year o,
two ago. Since then. 1t is said, he hal
: turned Methody. 1t is believed he goeI
to Mr.. Wesley's meetings, although
he has never been actually caugh
there. He lives plainly, and, SOM
say, he gives his to the poor
he will not go to the C any more
nor play, and he does not like to SCI
Arabella play"
What has he TO do with Arabella?
Nothing that l know OF, except tina