The Lamar register., 1909-06-09

III d lItuLy. was all 1 COulu uD "
moderate his voice and his looks in
that public place. Luckily, Mrs.
Trenchard being on the stage, all eyes
were, for the time, bent on her.
l hardly knew how we sat the play
out. / had to promise Giles dozen
times that the next day | would take
him to Berkeley Square. When the
curtain went down, he fairly leaped
his way out of the playhouse to see
Lady Arabella get into the coach.
That was fair sample of the way
he raved for days afterward. He
haunted Berkeley Square. where he
was welcomed always by Sir Peter
and Lady Hawkshaw, asked to dine
frequently, and every mark of favor
shown him.
Lady Arabella remained cold and
Indifferent to him. About that time
Overton appeared little in his old
haunts, although much changed and
sobered. Neither wounds nor illness
had impaired his looks and charms.
but rather he had become an object of
interest and sympathy from his gall
liant behavior in the field. Sir Peter,
who had always liked him, began to
poster him to come to Berkeley
Square. which he did few times be-
cause he could not well decline Sir
Peter and Lady Hawkshaw's pressing
and friendly invitations. / believed,
however, that in spite of his forced
composure he felt cruelty abashed be-
fore Lady Arabella. She, however,
showed an amazing GOODNESS, and even
began to be a little kind to Giles,
from some obscure motive of her own.
l believe every act of her life with re-
gard to men had some reference to
her passion for Overton.
All this time, though, from the
night of the play, Daphne and I had
been secretly happy; for on the very
next day, catching her alone, 1 told
her, in plain and seamanlike language,
that loved her, and when she showed
a disposition to cut and run, said to
her, very boldly:
"Since you scorn my love, I have
the resource that every one of my
calling has in these days. / shall soon
go to sea, and upon the deck of my
ship l can find death, since life is
nothing to me without my Daphne's
love-"
At which, without the least warning.
she suddenly fell into my arms. cry
ing:
you'll break my heart, il you talk
in that way!" and perceived that she
was only maneuvering for position.
1 do not know exactly what hap
pened next, except 1 was in that
heaven, Daphne's arms, when looked
up and caught the butler and two foot
men grinning at me. But 1t mattered
not.
Next morning Daphne and I met in
the drawing room. as usual, after
breakfast; but what a meeting it was!
We had barely time to scuttle back to
our chairs when Sir Peter entered
with the newspaper. and informed me
that the Bellona frigate was being
fitted for the West Indies, and he
thought he could get me berth in
her, at which felt myself grow weak
in the knees, SO great is the power of
love.
Presently he went out. Then Daph-
ne and I began to speculate upon Sir
Peters personal equation in our af-
fairs.
"He will never let me marry you"
she said. He will say 1 am too
young"
This depressed me so that I could
say nothing in reply. Daphne con-
tinued. quite in an offhand manner:
'If we should elope. he would make
a great hullabaloo."
This admirable suggestion at once
cOmmepdad itself tn mo
His hullabaloo could not separate
US, If we were married." l replied.
True" said Daphne; land, after all.
he and Lady Hawkshaw as good as
eloped, and she was but ia year
younger than l."
Thus was 1 supplied with another
argument.
again swear that l had not a
thought Of Daphne's fortune in all
this. would have taken the dear
girl with nothing but the clothes upon
her back.
True to his word, Sir Peter worked
like a Trojan to get me berth on the