Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-23

house. which. however. Lsdy Hswh
shaw refused to do.
Neither Giles nor ! had BY aAy
means forgotten our appointment to
meet Capt. Overton on the field OF
honor; and as the time approached for
the meeting, Giles sent a very civil
note to Overton, asking him to name
a gentleman who would see me to ar
range the preliminaries, for I would
v have forgiven Giles had he
chosen any one else. Overton re-
sponded, naming our old first lieuten.
ant, Mr.. Buxton. who happened to be
In London then, and was an &C.
Quaintance of his. I believe Overton's
object in asking Mr.. Buxton to act for
him was the hope that the affair might
be arranged: for from what I had
heard of the deeply religious turn
Overton had taken, ! concluded the
meeting was somewhat against his
conscience.
81 know how II will be. Dicky," he
growled. "You will sit like a great
gaby, with your mouth open, imagin.
ing the tavern parlor to be the cock
pit of the Ajax. Mr.. Buxton will talk
to you in his quarterback voice, and
you will be so frightened that you
will agree to use birdshot at 40 PAGES.
provided Mr.. Buxton proposes It."
This l Indignantly denied, and wore
| would meet Mr.. Buxton as nan to
man. Nevertheless, when WE were
sitting at the table in Mr.. Buttons
lodgings, did very much as Giles had
predicted. forgot several things that
| had wished to say, and said several
things l wished | had forgotten. Mr..
Buxton did not let me forget, however.
that he had been my first lieutenant.
and | was but a midshipman. He
called my principal a hot-headed Jack.
anapes before my very face, adding,
angrily:
But for him | should have been
first on the Indomptablc's deck" To
all this ! made but a feeble protest;
and finally it was arranged that tho
meeting should take place at a spot
very near Richmond, at eight o'clock,
on the morning of June 20.
When the date was set, and the ar
engagements made. | began to feel
very much frightened. Not so Giles.
There vas to be Il great ball at AL
mack's or the night of the 2Sth and
Giles announced that he was going.
1t was a very special occasion for him,
because the Trenchard, whom he still
called the divine Sylvia, and professed
to admire as much as ever, was to go
that night. She was then the rage,
and had a carriage. diamonds. and n
fine establishment. yet | believe ner
conduct to have been irreprOachable.
She had long been consumed with a
desire to go to Almack's, but up to
that time no actress had ever yet en-.
jOyed the privilege. 1t seemed gro.
tesque enough that n young midship.
man., Of no more consequence than
Giles Vernon, should succeed in carry
ing this through. But such was actual
ly the case: and Giles accomplished It
by that singular power he possessed.
by which no wOman could say him
nay. He worked with much art upon
those great ladies', her grace OF Au-
chester and Lady COnyngham, and got
them pledged to It. or course, the
most violent opposition was devel.
Oped; but Giles, who had a perfect
knowledge of the feminine heart, man.
aged to inspire these two ladies with
! the wish to exercise their sovereignty
owe Almack's by doing what was
never done before. Having led them
into the fight, they had no thought OF
running away; and the result vas In.
Vulnerable heartburnings and jealous.
les, and meanwhile a card for Mrs,
| N.n-nlncI