The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-06-30
CHAPTER Nl
Nm 8 nu1nrDtsnt.


An Engagement,
iT,HE marriage Of Lyda and Wickham
| having duly taken place, and du'}
| been announced hy letter from MI.
Gardiner. tho good uncle also IN
formed the BHuuol itm.ly that Mr. WICK,
ham had entered the regular army ana
WAS ordered to New Castle In the norm
Of England That was the day when
commissions In the British army went
/ by purchase and Mr. Benuct. when b"
heard the news thought 10 himself.
| who the dcyil. | wonder, paid for his
commission" and returned to his hook
/ But BicuteUni. hhu Mrs WiClOham IN
sisted upon rev.sit,ng their ancestral halls
/ at lOnghOurn and Mrs Bennrt MADE
such "A stir about "A prohibition against
/ that very dutiful act being done, that MI
Rcnnet-as submitted. and WICK
/ ham and Lydia appeared They were
both me- happy ms lHrks and Mrs. Ncnnet
would have inyiicl ala tho country to
meet them at ann er had not Jane ana
/ Elizabeth and th'lr fHther refused to
carry matters to puCh hll excess As II
was Mrs Buun,, went nll over the neigh
hurhood talking about her daughter, Mrs
Lieutenant Nickham" and gave few
small dinners
Lydia seemed absolutely unconscious
that there hnd been anything in her
conduct TO call f1r rcprcuch and ne for
] Wickham, he was as self possessed and
.
WAS exceedingly volunblc concerning her
wedding. and among other things snid TO
. Elizabeth, "Nell do YOU know, there WR1
n long talk among some horrid business
men at uncle's house. Just M wns
ready TO 20 To- the church: and uncle
was kent away 20 long that | thought We
should be late. Uncle was 10 give M"
away, YOU know liut, luckily, he came
lbHck In ten minutes # he had not !
should have gone alone for Nj Darcy
would have done ~ well
MIR. Darcy" cried Elizabeth, was
forgot promised not TO tell | prom
ised faithfully what will Wickham say
N II be a secret % replied Elizabeth. ~
wish TO ask sou no more question:. This
was well-mennng nuswcr for Eliza
beth To make Iiut II wps out of nature
that. M she thought ovcl tho matter she
'hould not be determined a. find ont what
ihls presence of Darcy at her sisters we'd
Ing meant
The as'ute Elizabeth therefore wrote
10 her Aunt Gardiner requesting Al
most demanding an explanation OF the
connection OF Nj pnrcy with the mar
rlpgc ~ her sister and Mr Wlckhnm.
The Wiokhnms mad been obliged to 20
TO the north. ns the duties upon when
'hc lieutenant had lust entered required
his immediate presence Aunt Gardiner
answered F.li1abeth's letter promptly
, nd candidly
Aunt Gardiner seemed 10 think thst in
, qulries bs 90 how the matter OF bNdla
marriage had been settled were mrptls,
, Ing coming from Elizabeth who hec
, seemed to he 40 intimate With Mr., Darcy
imt she took It for granted that the IN
, luirieH of her uciCc were s!nCere, Ant
told her ril That is Rll thnt she knew
n II was Mr. pnrCN who had come up u
y London md found tho fuTi'ivrs N "s'
, he who had arranged MI the money mat
tiers and practically forced Nlckhan Il
, the marriage II was he who had hough
, for the young man commission IN 'h'
I, army
Tho contents u this letter threw lDlZa
beth into nuttcr ~ spirits IN which u
WAS difficult ~ discover whether pleas
ur~ ~ pain had the greatest share Sh'
, folt IL necessary to inform her father ~
/, secrecy ~ whnt she had learned. MT
Vcnnc' said "Oh. so II was Darcy, wa
|U' We'll II " hnd t-en your uncle
should have felt obliged 90 pay him back
hut since u stranger has ini"ri"rrd DC
mot know what ! shall do We shall see
I mad no Interest In NiCkham. He, ap'
.uprcntlv had why pny thnt man gam
ling debts Absurd But We VIII see
We win see. And now | must ilnlsh thl'
book DO
Tho news came that the Blngleys wer'
, shortly 10 arrive at Netherfcldl Ther
| one day two gentlemen appeared nj Long
| hpuru- Mi Darcy and Mr. Blngley Ellfa
beth and Jane saw thcm coming WIN
! considerable agitation Elizabeth shd ~
-, little to either ~ civllliy would allow an'
presented to he very much engaged ON
Z picCe Of ncsdrwofk Jnn" looked lttl'
|URlcr than usual but was uH aclOtc M ne
sister Tho rest ~ the household he
|hN,l ne usual when visitors were pres
y 'nt that is. they put ON their COMPANY
manners" Darcy after asking Hitaheu
. how her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner did
' question which she could not answe
without confusion rclnUsed into silence
land the sound ~ her voice WAS not near
= Tor several minutes II had not been -
= In n,thyshltr There. when he could no
y friends
!. R.nglcy was ns charming s ever an,
talked whenever Mrs Bennet let hin
set word In. The manner of Darcy ns
\ tonlshcd and veNcd Elizabeth ,Wh,
shr thought 10 he came only 10 he s,
? lent gave and indifferent. did he COM
" bi nh 4" I, was nearly week later whel
NJ Ulngl,y called early one day
= uplled alone he had been to tho hous
\ three or four times already since hts te
ID turn aud he and Jane wctc ON the b"s
Of terms apparently Now. this tim
when he called tn man ring mother =
= Inttnnrvd u hat lane and hs were lct
alone I'm the drawing room for while
\ Previously to the execution ~ this ma
ruuVcr Nj Bingley Nud Mr. Rcnnct nat
Ilni "A long conversation tokc'nff hnu NJ
found each other much more hgretabl
than either had supposed And nov
: Elizabeth suddenly opening tho door q
I tho drawing ronw saw Hinglcy and Jan
n standing together over the hearth. AZ
Ip3reutN Engaged In serious conversation
The faces ~ both NJ they turned ufoun'
and hastily moved away from each othci
told tho tale NJ once Elizabeth wa
. / about To withdraw iu embarrassment
F, when WnElry whispered few words Y
Ilnnc md ran ont NJ IN" room himself
The sisters embraced nNd Jane cried out
> "Dh. this IL too much, fnr too much
/ WHY Ia not everybody ns happy NJ I am
tcN Nv herself Elizabeth smiled at m
|ihnurN " tho rnplltv prd eare will
; which an affair VAS finally settled tina
had given them so man, previous month
4 ~ surpfi.r and NrsniInu And THIS.
| she though IL tho end NJ pll Darcy
| enIlous Citcumspectun and ot MIS-
| Wuriry's talsehuuhs and contrivnnces'
| when Jana and Rinr'ey went togethe
| s,nit said You are n good girl, and
am al,d yuu are going 10 he happh
i married I am sure YOU VIII get alonI
i Vpr, well together Your tempets ar
much alike You are 10th 50 NioldlnI
J that nihina will ever he decided upon n
ami m generous that you win always cs
4 tpri your income
About week after the engagement n
i Uinrle, tn Jane. ~ he and tho wume
W tho nennet family were sitting tn
| gsihet in tho drawing torm their Rtten
h, The solnd " carriage wheels and the
i perceived "Chsisc and four drlyln
i up 'u the house n was too early fO
i vipliofs and. besides, the "uulpaEe di
n0' answer 10 that ~ any NJ their neigh
i 'ufs The hpr-es were post and neithe
II hW 81 Ia 10,