The Glenwood post., 1909-04-10


Sir Peter grinmed like rat-trap at
this awkward compliment, and re.
marked:
Yes, yes, Arabella is like my lady,
except not half SO handsome. Egad,
when l married Lady Hawkshaw, 7
had to cut my way. literally with my
sword, through the body-guard of gen
tlemen who wanted her. And as for
her relations-well, she defied 'em,
that's all
/ tried, with all the little art l
possessed, to get some information
concerning Arabella out Of Sir Peter;
but beyond telling me what l knew
before-that she was his great-niece
on the other side of the house and first
cousin to Daphne, and that her father,
now dead, was a scamp and q pauper,
in spite of being an earl-he told me
nothing. But even that seemed to
show the great gulf between us. Would
she, with her beauty and her title, con-
descend to a midshipman somewhat
younger than herself, and penniless?
doubted it. though l was, in general,
of sanguine nature.
found Sir Peter unbent as the de-
canters grew empty, although l would
not for a moment imply that he was
excessive in his drinking. Only, the
mellow glow which pervades an Eng
lish gentleman after few glasses Of
good port enveloped him. He asked
me if l was glad I had Joined the
service-to which could say yes with
great sincerity; impressed upon me
my good fortune in getting in a ship
of the line in the beginning, and gave
me some admirable advice. l left him
with feeling that had friend in
that excellent seaman, honest gentle
man, and odd fish, Admiral Sir Peter
Hawkshaw.
When l went below. told my mess
mates all that had occurred, rather
exaggerating Sir Peters attentions to
me, as midshipmen will. Then private
ly l confided to Giles Vernon. told
what little l had found out concern
ing the star Of my soul, as l called
Arabella, to which Giles responded
by a long-drawn-out "Ph-ew!"
l implored him, II he knew any Of
ficer in the ship who would be likely
to be acquainted with Lady Arabella,
to pump him for me. This he promised:
and the very next day, as 1 sat on a
locker, studying my theorems, Giles
came up.
"Dickey," said he, "Mr. Buxton
knows the divine Arabella. She has
a fortune of 100000, and so has the
dove-eyed little Daphne, all inherited
from their granddad, a rich Bombay
merchant 1t seems that Lady Ara.
bella's mother bought coronet with
her money. and it turned out poor
bargain. However, the earl did not
live long enough to ruin his father-in-
law; and little Daphne's parents, too,
died young, SO the old Bombay man
left the girls his fortune. and made
Sir Peter their guardian, and that
means, of course, that Polly Hawk
shaw is their guardian. Mr.. Buxton
says he would like to see the fortune
hunter who can rob Polly of those two
damsels. For Polly says rank and
lineage are not everything. She her
self, you know, dates back to the
Saxon Heptarchy, though she did
|
grandfather And she wants those
girls to marry men; and what Polly
says on that score is to be respected.
considering that she married into q
drysalting family to please herself, or
to displease her relations, don't know
which should say, though, II you
are honest and deserving, and mind
your book, and get good word from
the chaplain, you will probably one
day be the husband of little Daphne.
but not of Lady Arabella; no man
shall marry her while l live, that you
may be sure of; but when marry her.
you may be side-boy at my wedding" !"
I thought this speech very cruel Of
| Giles Vernon, and believed that he
did not know what true love was, else
he could not so trifle with my feelings.
although there was an echo Of earnest
ness in his intimation that he would
kill any man who aspired to marry
Lady Arabella.
We were three weeks in the Bay OF
Biscay, thrashing to windward under
topgallant sails, and expecting daily
and hourly to run across a French
man We were hoping for it, because
we found the Ajax to be a very wealth
erly ship and fast for her class; and
both Capt Guilford and Sir Peter, who
had sailed in her before. knew ex-
actly how to handle her. And we
were to have our wish. For, one.even-
ing toward suntset, we sighted a
French ship of the line off our beam;
and by the time we had made her
out, light French frigate was coming
down the wind, and in an hour we
were at 1t hammer and tongs with
both of them.
tTo BE CoNTINUED)
Woman, the illogical.
Woman is not only barbarous-she