Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1900 — Captain Brabazon [ARTICLE]

Captain Brabazon

BY B. M CROKER

litany*

' CHAPTER V.— (Continued.) “Oh, Kame!” exclaimed her sister. In a ebeked voice, “you will be the death of me. After your saying you would only how to him; after hearing that he was so deadly shy. Oh—oh—oh!" holding her aides, and rocking herself backward and forward in absolute convulsions of laughter, while the unlucky heroine of this, to flussie, killing nd venture, stood in the middle of the room, a tall, tragic looking figure, and surveyed her with stony-eyed resentment. “And—and—what am I to say?” panted Guasie, recovering her breath at last, and drying her eyes as she spoke. “How is your absence to be accounted for, pray ? Am I to tell Mrs. B. that having already embraced ” “Say,” with an indignant gesture, pausing in her walk—“say that I am extremely ill; and so I am, in mind.” “If I give her, that message she will immediately send for Df. Goggin. and your last state will be worse than your first.” “Then say anything you like,” irritably. “Say that I’m not going down; no, not if she came and carried me herself. Indeed, Gussie, you must think of some excuse. You know very well,” stammering with excitement, “that you yourself would not go into public after such a frightful disgrace; and I think," now recommencing to cry, “that I shall never be able to look anyone in the face again.” “Did he recognize you, do you think? Did he return your embrace with equal ardor?” “Not he; he rather hold back, which naturally surprised me. He was too much astonished to speak, and I never gave him time to open his mouth. 1 was so sure and certain it was Teddy; only, if 1 had not been an idiot, I might have remembered that Ted would be in uniform; but I never gave myself time to think, land just sprang on him like a tigress." “And did he see your face?” “I’m not sure," slowly. “I think not. 1 need scarcely tell you that one glance was enough for me, and I ran. I believe you are enjoying the whole thing, and thinking it a splendid joke,” said she, angrily; “and it’s very unfeeling of you. You may tell Nokcs to send me a cup of tea. I’m going straight to bed. And ■ow be sure nnd give n proper, probable •ccaunt of my illness. Impress upon them that it will be tedious. I have it—a bad headache. I know I’m going to have ■one,” running after her sister to the head •I the stairs, and gesticulating eagerly •ver the balusters. “Be sure you say a beadache, and remember that I’m very bad.” To all this Gussie nodded a confidential, smiling acquiescence, as she tripped hurriedly downstairs. “Where is Esme?” demanded Mrs. Brabason, in a tone of sharp surprise, as her eldest stepdaughter entered the drawing room alone. * “She is not feeling very well, Mrs. iftabason, and begs you will excuse her,” returned Gussie, avoiding, as she spoke, three pairs of inquisitive eyes. “Esme 111—rubbish!” ejaculated Florian. “I saw her in the avenue an hour ago." Brothers are sometimes brutal. “She won’t be able to come down to dinner,” protested Gussie. “She has a bad toothache—no, I mean to say a splitting headache,” becoming very red, and floundering about in a sea of vague excuses, while her mother and brother voiced exclamations and cross-questioned, •nd Miles sat by, pulling Waggy’a ears, with a command of countenance that would have reflected credit on a North American Indian.

CHAPTER VI. “What fine old timber you hare. Splendid trees,” remarked Miles, who, under the escort of the sprightly Augusta, was sauntering through the pleasure ground the morning after his arrival, Esme being still in retirement. “We could hardly beat you, even in Burmah.” “Yes, we rather pride ourselves on our old oaks, all but Flo,” rejoined Gussie, complacently. “He considers them so siuch sunken capital, and would give anything to cut down the timber, melt the silver and sell the place.” “Sell the place!” echoed her companion, is a tone of indignant amazement, “that has been in the family since the time of James the First—or was it Elizabeth—” “Oh, pray don’t ask me. Esme could tell you, but my knowledge of history ia on a par with the woman's who, pointing •ut a castle, remarked that ‘one of the Johns had died there,’ ” opening the garden gate as she concluded, and tripping through in her well-starched pink cotton. “I wish you could sbe Esme!” “1 wish I couldy’ he replied, "for I’m going away to-morrow morning.” “Oh, nonsense!” aghast. “No; I'm quite serious. Is your sister like you?" “Oh, dear, no! Far, tar better tooting. Mhe Is lovoly. The prettiest girl in Thomshire. Very tall, and slight, and active. Dances beautifully; and you should just see her runt” He could testify to that, he said to himself, with a smile. “She is younger than you are. I believe F’ “Yes, three years; but she is far more dike the eldest. She takes the lead in everything, she has such a strong will, sad what Mr. Bell calls ’great force of character.* I hope," laughing, “that you haven’t a strong will and a great force ‘jf character, for two pf a trade never agree." “Oh, dear no; nothing to apeak of,” shaking his head. “And I suppose your sister has lota of admirers, too,” be added. without raising his eyes from a very striking, almost speaking sketch of Mrs. Brabazon, which he was almost unconactously touching off, with his cane, in the fine gravel before him. „ “No, not one," triumphantly; "nor ever had." “Oh, I say—come,” he expostulated, with- a vivid recollection of the gate scene. “I— I-—know what you ere thinking of.” •spiled Gusale. mysteriously, “but 1 aa-

sure you,” lucidly, “that that was no one.” “And you say that she is the prettiest girl in Thornshire,” observed Miles, not w-ishing to enter upon a discussion of the little episode of the previous evening with the loquacious Augusta. L—“I don’t say It alone; everybody says it. When we go into a room everybody looks at her; she is what you would call the cynosure of every eye. And so far so good; but*'once men begin to talk to her, their enthusiasm cools. Bho is so stiff and cold and stand-off; and if they presunn, in spite of this, to pay her compliments, or to make sweet little speeches, she smites them so unmercifully that they go away nearly crying, and, I need scarcely remark, never more return. Oh, never, never more.” “A lively lookout for me, isn’t it?" expressively. “Oh, you must not mind her. Don’t •seem tonotiee her or admire her, and treat her quite in an every day manner, as If she were nothing nt all out of the common, and she will be as pleasant as possible. She says herself that the moment any man seems disposed to be extra civil—you know what I mean?" nodding her head expressively—“she can't help taking the most violent dislike to hitn. But it’s nearly all shyness, nothing else. She has been to one or two small parties; very slow affairs they were; ami do you know that the first time she was going she was just trembling all over, and cold with fright? Now, I’m quite different. I delight in society from first to last. I love dressing, driving, dancing, etc.” “Etc., ! suppose, means flirting?” slightly elevating his eyebrows. “Never mind what it means. 1 can go into a room with my head in the air, a kind of femnle Coetir de Lion.” “Exclaiming, come one, come all!" added her companion with a quiet suggestiveness. “Now, Miles, I won’t have you chaff me—yet; and you must not interrupt. But Esme’s courage is of a different description. She’s awfully brave in accidents, and would face a tramp or a savage dog just like a man; while 1 woul«J be cowering behind her, my knees literally knocking together and my teeth chattering in my head. And she is the only one of us that dares brave Mrs. B. now.” The last word was suggestive, and suddenly recalled to Miles the gap in the family circle. “Ob, by the way, Gussie,” he said, "1 was very sorry to hear about your young est brother. I never knew of it till last night. Annie never told me. 1 suppose it happened some time ago?” “Yes,” she erturned, looking rather red and embarrassed; but to her cousin’s disgust there was not a trace of regret in her little round face. “Please don’t talk about him; above all to Esme or Mrs. B.” “What had this young fellow done,” Miles asked himself, “that his name was thus tabooed, his memory consigned to oblivion?” During the afternoon Miles paid a formal visit to his Aunt Jane. The three young people set out for the village together, Gussie and Florian being en route to a “tennis party” at the Rectory, and the former impressing most eagerly on her cousin that he was not to atay long at the \\ bite House, but to be sure and follow them in a quarter of an hour, “which will give you five minutes for the weather, five minutes for Burmah and five for Esme. Mind you come. I will never forgive you if you don’t turn up!” Miles resolved to go for a long walk to sort his ideas and to make up his mind which at present was in a somewhat chaotic condition. He was not, it must be confessed, in a particularly urbane or genial humor as he strolled through the fields that lovely August afternoon, cane in hand, viciously decapitating harmless meadow sweets. After walking for some time along a deeply rutted, sandy, shady bridle path, a sudden turn in the lane brought him in sight of a closed wooden gate right across his present track, at the other side of which he beheld, with a thrill of unaccountable recognition, the figure of a girl, in a blue habit, riding a large dun pony. He could see, even at a distance, by the gestures of the young lady, and the shape of the pony’s back, that they were having a serious difference of opinion. The human being wished to open the gate from the saddle, without dismounting, and the dumb animal positively declined to entertain the idea for one second.. They had been contending thus for quite ten minutes, and Esme was getting hot nnd angry; and the words, “hideous beast, hateful Imp of a pony," were borne to Miles’ ears by a gentle little afternoon breexc that daintily rustled the ash trees ana the hedgerows. la her aC-absorbiug struggle with Jacky, Esme had never noticed that sho and he were not alone, that there was a spectator on the scene—a alight, dark young man, in a tweed suit, with a daisy in bis buttonhole, rapidly coming to her assistance. No, the stiff-necked quadruped occupied her whole attention. She relinquished the struggle, and jumped off his back, and was hastily proceeding to unfasten the hasp, when her obstinate, unruly animal backed suddenly, threw bls head with a violent jerk, and. wrenching the bride out of his mistress' hand, lashed out playfully, and galloped down the field, a loose and triumphant pony. “Ob. you demon of the deepest dye!" cried Esme passionately. Then suddenly catching sight of a gentleman at the other side of the bone of contention, she exclaimed eagerly; "Ob, do please help me to catch him. He will knock the saddle all to pieces, and perhaps break hfat knees;” and gathering up her skirt, without waiting for an answer, set a laudable example by starling off at once In hot pursuit. Of all the cunning, tiresome animals that ever was shod, Jacky must have the tirecedcoce. They would succeed in huntng him into a corner, and he would pause, and leisurely crop the grass, with

streaming reins and one malicious whiteyblue eye cocked in their direction, and just as they fondly imagined they had him, he would give one contemptuous kick, accompanied by a squeal of derision, and thunder past them forty miles an hour. At last Miles captured Jacky by dint of sheer pertinacity, and brought him tri umphantly back to his mistress, who stood under a tree, with her hat off and a small branch of horse chestnut in her hand, with which she had been fanning herself, in the tain hope of cooling'Yter hot cheeks. > The prettiest girl in Thornshire, there could be no doubt about that, said Miles to himself as be approached her, with the bridle of the captive over his arm. The recent chase had loosened various stray little locks and curls about her temples; her cheeks were an exquisite rose Color, her eyes like two sapphires, but both defiant and bashful; and, had he known the truth, she was on the brink of running away; for, now that the excitement of the pony hunt was at au end, she began to realize that at last she was really face to face with her much-dreaded cousin Miles. And now came the Critlcaf moment; why was not z Gussie there to see? “I’ve got him at last.” he cried cheerfully, while still at some distance. “What a cunning old beggar he is. I thiuk,” now being quite close to her aud dotting his hat, "that you must be my Cousin Esme. I,” coloring a little, but looking nt her steadily, “am Miles Brabazon.” “I suppose so,” she returned, becoming crimson, tossing away her impromptu fan, but making no attempt whatever to shake hands. “Just lead him up to that stone, will you; and hold him tight or he will bite,” she added, rather cavalierly. ■He-lritd fancied that a smile, a word of thanks, would have rewarded his success. But, no, her eyes did not even meet his; all he beheld was an averted, disdainful face. “May 1 not put you up?” he asked humbly. "Oh, uo, no, thanks,” impatiently, mounting as she spoke with nimble ease, and settling herself in the saddle. “Does he often play you these tricks?” he ventured to ask, taking, as be spoke, a wisp of grass out of Jacky’s reluctant mouth, and putting the reins in her bands. "Yes, ofteh,” snappishly. “And yet it does not cool your ardor for riding him?” "No!” very shortly. “And now, if you will be so good as to open the gate, I shall be much obliged,” she added, with ostentatious politeness. The gate was duly opened, and Jacky condescended to pfice through, Miss Esme bestowing on her cousin a stately little bow, evidently meaning to part company with him then aud there. But no such idea was in Jacky’s mind. He planted his feet firmly together, as it were, rooted himself in the soil of the next field, and positively declined to stir one step further, merely shaking his ears disapprovingly, and at last' showing a strong desire to lie down. It was a humiliating situation for Esme, and ludicrous in the extreme. She could not honestly say, if she had been asked on oath at the moment, which of the two she hated most, her cousin or the pony. There was a twinkle in Miles’ eye that had not escaped her; and, indeed, it was only by putting a strong restraint upon himself that he had been able to command his countenance. After a time a compromise was effected ’.Jacky was satisfied to proceed, provided that he was geutly and indulgently led by the bridle. And in this way the trio slowly left the fields and proceeded along the narrow lanes leading to Mr. Hogben’s farm. Miles struggled bravely to make conversation, about the weather, the beauty of the country, and the lovely wild flowers in the hedges; but bis well-meant efforts resembled a monologue, until, by a brilliant inspiration, he touched up the delinquencies of Jacky, aud tlien Esme fouud speech; her peut-up imliguatioa broke forth. “Odious, ungrateful, ugly little wretch! Would you believe that he Is twenty-four years old, and has hardly a tooth in hia head?” “No, indeed, I would oiot; he seems to be as lively as a two-year-old,” delighted that this fair aud disdainful divinity had found voice at last. “Yes, that he is; and his temper is getting worse every year. Would anyone imagine that ages and ages ago,, when he was being led out to be shot, along with the old carriage horses and another pouy, I actually went down on my knees to Mrs. Brabazon, I groveled to her, to spare Jacky!" “Aud did she?” inquired Miles, thought-, Ipssjy, eager to keep the ball of conversation rolling at any price. "Did she? What a stupid question!" lifting her eyebrows contemptuously. “If he had been shot, how could be be here now? But be u’ds spared because Jacobs said he had a lot of work in him, and he would do very well for carting. Yon may let him loose now, thanks; he knows there is no bqlp for it aud that he is going to M<"*. Hogben’s.” •To be continued.!