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

Captain Brabazon

BY B. M. CROKER

I itsu»y • FJo m a Dec .of. go a tl? ft»ica

CHAFTER XXlll.— (Continued.) The door of the drawing room was blocked and they hung outside for n considerable time, like a couple of Peris at (he gate. At last they gradually succeed j ed la edging their wiry in, and’found nn immense, long rooni with seats all down the renter, and nn impromptu stage at the further end, immediately facing the audience was a huge picture frame filled la with curtains, which, when parted, revealed some scenes. Just at ike present moment there was a dead silence, a cessation of whispering and laughing, as the curtains slowly parted and revealed "Helen of Troy,” a tall, white-robed, golden-diademed form, thrown,out by a dusky background, The present personator was beautiful enough to represent the Spartan Queen whose fare had launched a thousand ships. ■ The audience gazed at the lovely living picture for some time in appreciative silence, then, aa the curtain gradually hid her from their gaze, they hurst into long and hearty applause. The tableau was over, the people began to talk, to look about, and finally to move, and a great wave of human faces was soon set toward the door, seeing which our two friends retreaded and sought an'it ct u nry. with other belated folk, in a fernrcmbowexed alcove oh the stairs, from which coign of canfage they could see the whole company lie psst In double review order. “We will have to go and make our bow to Mrs. Boh un before we follow the multitude," said Captain Gee; “and this gives one a splendid chance of seeing who is hete.” indicating with a jerk of his head the stream of people now pouring out of the doorway. “Loffk at that lady with the long neck and big eyes; she is thought a great beauty. She’s not my style,” superciliously# “Do you see those two coming out? They are American heiresses. And thnt's a very prettv girl in black, behind the big woman in red satin. Here she is. What do you think of her? There’s nothing like England, home and heauty, eh? Here she comes! Now,” enforcing his remark with a sharp nudge. Miles obediently looked as he was bidlen, and snw within two stepa of him on (he crowded staircase a girl in black, carrying an enormous while bouquet, arm-in-arm with a ruddy-faced young man, who wns talking to lier with eager Cmpressment. Bhr was listening with a smile, her gaze bent on the ground. A block in front compelled them to halt, and, raising her eyes. Esme found herself once more j face to face with hot* faithless Cousin Miles. And it would ho hard to say which 1 waa the paler of the two. This sudden meeting was a shock to both. Each saw In the other the embodiment of two years’ tribulation standing within two feet. Ksme was certainly the most startled. Kite had been thinking of Miles as far away in South Africn, among the Boers and Kaffirs, and to <• nio ir on hi n quite auexpeetedly in a crowd on a Loudon lobby nearly turned her to stone. She was »o overwhelmed with astonishment that St a red vacantly at him without any token of recognition, and In another moment, pressed forward by the crowd, ■he had passed downstairs. Captain Gee, who had been looking at her with all the power of his keen, little, light eyes, wns amazed at the instantaneous alteration her face had undergone. The »oft curves about her smiling Ups, and her lovely color had disappeared a» if by magic, and left instead a rigid expression and a deathlike pallor. Was she going to faint? Who or what had been tho cause of this electrical effect? He glanced inrotuutarily Ht his friend, and beheld the an me extraordinary change reflected ht bis countenance. The look of easy, careless Indifference had given place to one of proud immobility; and yet he was pate, even through his African tan. What • ited him? What ailed her? The secret wns revealed to him in one flash lie waa generally very successful in jumping to conclusions the girl in block was Esmc, poor Teddy’s sister, Miles’ forsaken bride! Before he had time to put his thoughts Into the form of a question a very piquant, little, dark lady, clad in primrose tulle and blazing with diamonds, had paused in front of his companion, with a ■tided exclamation, and. holding out her hand very eagerly, exclaimed! “Why, Miles! It is Miles! -Who on rarth would have expected to find you here? How very nule’of you uot to come nod ace me. Pray, where have you dropped from?” > “From South Africa this morning," he returned laconically, and now with completely restored self-possession. “Mr. Trent,” said Gussie, sweetly, now turning to her cavalier, and withdrawing her hand from his arm with affected reluctance, “this is my cousin, whom I’ve n<rt seen for uges, just home from the C«pc if you don t mind I’ll go down with him,” and, with n charming smile Mr. Trent wns coolly dismissed, and Miles before he had time to ronllze the fuC found himself walking downstairs aim-m arm'with Gussie, leaving Captain G«e glaring after them with nn exprea■iso of indignant amazement, and muttering angry ejaculation sunder his little auaulj mustache.

CHAPTER XXIV. Hr. Hepburn was by no means a stupid ymng man, and be bad not failed to noth* his partner’* violent start, her audios aQence, and her sinking color. In bla •w* mind be attributed these symptoms •a ■ dark, soldierly looking fellow they hwi peaaed on the stairs. Her faint rea®**t for a glass of water, Jhe shaking flawrrs iu her hand, all inuTeated ,aoine aansari>t>«nd pslnfnl sgitntfon; for Miss wane serene, self-possessed young • 4aif. m.w l- not ghaam t 6 demonstrations. H* had ItfMim that has ease was quite hagaicas, and, strange and uncommon as • anay appear, was content, at any rate seriesi i. tp range himself as friend. If hr had wanted further testimony that her

heart could never be his, it hud now been meted out to him abundantly. “Esme, come here!” cried the tactless, the reckless Augusta, who considered it a good thing to get this meeting over, and was fully resolved that it should take place in her presence. “Slip would not miss if for anything,” she fold herself, emphatically; and it was best to put everything on a comfortable footing once for all. “Don’t you see Miles? He onlyarrived to-day!” pointing to him with her fan. Of course Esme saw Miles; she was not blind. She put out her hand very promptly, and said, in a cool, civil tone of voice: “How do you do. Miles?” meeting her late lover's troubled gaze with the utmost composure. He uttered something inaudible. lie was not nearly as self possessed as the young lady; but then she had been schooling herself for this ordeal, and she would Booned die than allow her faithless cousin to imagine that be was anything to her now but the most indifferent acquaintance. Mr. Hepburn and Gussie gazed with, eager interest at this litt’A drama in real life. It was a tableau vivant not included ip thethey were the only spectators, although (he room was crowded; none but they knew that the couple before them had not met since the eve of what was to have'been their wedding day! They seemed like the rest of the company to the casual, careless eye—a tall, pretty, pale girl, a bronzed, dark young man, talking society platitudes; but sharp-sighted Gussie observed how grave Miles was, how strangely set his mouth, how formal his sentences; and Mr. Hppburn was not to be deceived by Miss Brabazon’s present easy manner, and soft, society smiles—they were assumed for the occasion. “Miles, I wish to present you to. Mrs. Bohun,” spoke Captain Gee, and Miles, having made a deep obeisance to his majestic hostess, and uttered one or two disjointed remarks, was despotically borne away, and introduced to a lively young maiden In an aesthetic white garment, with a tousled head, adorned with a very pointed,, fierce-looking green wrpath. Miles mechanically conveyed his partner to the music room and found her a seat. Luckily for him she was a very loquacious individual; he had only to smile, or nod, and drop an occasional monosyllable, to maintain his share of the conversation; and all the time he was revolving this one burning question in his head, “How am 1 to get away?” To be forced to meet Esme and Hepburn—to stand calmly by and see another man in his plnce—was unbearable! Esme and Mr. Hepburn were seated in a window nearly opposite, and, do as lie would, he could not help seeing them—nor resist looking nt them. Tlie young lady beside him, who had not caught his rat e. and who had been relating one or two interesting anecdotes of the company to his inattentive ear, observed that his eyes frequently strayed in one direction, and quite misinterpreting his gaze, said:

"I see you are looking at Miss Brabazon; is she not too utterly perfect—just a picture? 1 know her; we attend the same cooking class." “Indeed!" now all close, concentrated attention. “She is such a nice girl, and immensely admired, but she does not care for anything of that sort. I do think it is so sweet of her,” pausing and surveying Esme, with melancholy meditation. “What do you mean?” rather sharply. “Why does she not care?” “There is," promptly responding to tMs sudden show of interest, “a very romantic story about her. They say she' will never marry, because once,” lowering her voice, “she cared very much for sonic man; ha was in the artny, I believe, the wedding clay was fixed, indeed the bride was dresaed, the church dec-orated, and he never c-atne; he left the country. Wns it n<4 quite too utterly awful? Some people say that she was to blame, that she had flirted with someone else. Still it was a frightful thing to happen to any girl, was it not?” opening her eyes very wide, and surveying her companion interrogatively. “Why—who told you this? llow did you hear ft?” he naked, in a strange voice. "An intimate friend of theirs told me. Site bogged me nut to mention it, and,” coloring guiltily, “of eourse I don’t; but to you, n strangev, it does not matter. It gives her an interest to you, does it not—and accounts for her rather sad and deliciously weary expression,” she concluded, with rapturous enthusiasm. "I am not a stronger,” returned Miles, quickly, seized by some ungovernable impulse that made him speak in spite of himself. ‘ k l can tell you even more than what you have bees so good as to relate to me. I can tell you the whole story," with a look of stern resolve. “Would you care to hear it?" “Yea, 1 should,” «he returned, with frank curiosity, and a glance of mild interrogation, wonderina much at the extraordinary change in ids voice and manner. This new acq.iaintance of hers, with the somber dark eyes and preoccupied manner, was eetjeutly swayed by variable moods. "Then listen to me,” suddenly leaning toward her, and speaking in a low, impressive whisper, an action not lost upon his late lady Sore. “I was the man!" “You?” ejaculated the girl, faintly. "Oh, no, you are jokiqg; you look the very last person in the world, I am sure,” hesitating, “To be guilty of such disgraceful conduct,” he added, completing the sentence for her. “Nevertheless it is true; I was the bridegroom who left the country; It was all o#lng to a mistake, a frightful delusion, that has riist roe-pretty deaf.” Thera was a frankness and simplicity about this confession that almost took •way his hearer's breath. She looked at him, then she looked across at Esme, trying vainly to think of some effective

and sympathetic remark, to remrer tha power of expression. “You will think it strange that I should tell you; I don’t explain why, but 1 wish you to know that it wd| my fault from first to last, I fancied—l—l—was under a delusion about someone else, and X,” ■glancing over involuntarily at Esme, who was now quite feverishly gay,, “fim the only sufferer. If you hear the story again; you, at any rate, know the sequel,” he added in a low voice. The mediaeval-looking maiden beside him was mute. Her bewildered, nervous, puzzled stare was a sight to see; so aghast was she at Captaip, Brabazqn’s amazing announcement as to be quite run short of words until he started another loss personal topic. Meanwhile Mr. Hepburn was leaning Closely and confidentially on the back of Esmc’s chair, presumably whispering soft nothings into her not inattentive ear, and now and then casting a rapid, but searching glance over in the direction of Miles; glances wrongly inter- . preted by that hot-tempered gentleman us so many triumphant challenges, calling to his notice the fact that the jewel he had spurned, and cast away, had been won, and would be worn, by one who knew its value. An hour later Mrs. Vashon and her sister,were rolling homeward in the little green brougham, tete-a-tete at last. “Well, Esme,” exclaimed her chaperon, impressively, “was it not extraordinary our meeting Miles to-night? I nearly screamed when 1 saw him on the stairs; I positively thought if was his ghost! llow nice he is! I wish poor dear Freddy had a little of his good looks. AH the same, looks bring in no income, and you are not to think of him, my love.” She paused expressively, and drew up the window. “You need not alarm yourself, Gussie; everything was at an end long ago between Miles and me,” she replied with an averted face, and a shade of frost in her tone. (To be continued.)