A CLEVER WOMAN'S BLUNDER.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8964, 30 November 1894, Page 2

A CLEVER WOMAN'S BLUNDER.

St. J dints 8 Gazette. Of all the clever women that have lived in Victoria street, ifc is probable that Miss W-bbe Bradleigh was an easy first. Her Thursdays were big affairs, and her Sunday evenings were apoken of by maiden journalists in the halfpenny papers as " delicious functions." '"And with a shriek that ehe could not repress, the young wife/ dictated Mies Bradleigh, 'having discovered by the merest accident these damning facts of her hneband's past, sank upon the floor. , I think that will do, little Ever afield, for today." "Very well, Mi-w BradVigb. Thet'a about three thousand wordi, I think." " Not bad work, is It, little Everefleld T Little Erersfleld etretched her flngera and put the cover on the-typewriter. "I think." she.said to her tall broad employer, ** that it's very good work, Miss Bradleigb." Even lady writer* are gratified at the receipt of commendation. MUs Bradleigh suited amiably. i "Mr Holwood was- looking some of it through on Sundayj'and he thinks it rather&JwL And Mr Hblwodd Iβ *m»n : wh«> knowt/ , "•£ '" •■ ■... .■ - ', " Y'ee,* , »ald Hitle Eveiefleld, stooptog to tie up a lece of her *hoe that required no rer.?iog. "MrHolwpoa knowe." ••£ *ant you io .«*y, dear, and play some of those aramting French songs and help -cc to the people/* -~.■■. ~ „,. •'Very well, Mi« Bredteigh. "I'll go and change my biouae. ,, ' . . Mr Holwood was one of the first to call. Bolwood we* secretary at. the AgentGeneral's over the way, and was conaeqo«»tly every excuws for his prompt anlVßl. He was a broadishouldered yoQth; with a habit recientlyecqulred of *t:endiu« freqnently at Mlas Brrtdleigh c receptiona. Tbts to Mlsi Bradlel^h , * great satUfdCiion. ... - ~ "Now, this U very thoughtful of you/ .

she said, holding hU hand (or a t moments, "to, come before the m>,?,!!? arrives. I wi«h very much that you »I ?A call when there Iβ an opportunity fl» to have a quiet chat. Somehow wee* , never to be alone together." cc "» •; Mrs Grundy "--p-began Holwood "Nonsense," said Mina Bradlelfffi **> phatlcally, «• who cares for Mrs ufnSSi" nowadays V "muay " Upon my word I scarcely know* , •'Mrs Grundy is as dead as Queen Ann. * "I heard that Queen A..» 0 wan «• fortunately no morv," -aid Hoi wood I wann't sure about the other luflv ru you expect anybody particular this if» » noon ?" uw " "My friends," said Mhs Brndlelgh "up. seldom very particular." ■*• "I mean, ia anyone coming to ulnar " Little Eversflehl, at any rate " "I'm glad of that. I think she , *.., attraction." •">•*& •' Well people like her," *ald Mi.. Bradleigh tolerant ly. She fixed her S nez and beamed broadly on tbe younem'w" " It's good of you to take euch an intwat in her." ra * "Not at all." "She's a dear little girl, but of coaru well, she is not too clever. She Ulkl about getting married some day, whS she had saved up enough money to ♦!, independeut. She has a threat ideiU being independeut, and not indebted to any one —even to her husband.". i " It's a »illy uotion." suld Holwood with some acerbity. "A foolish notion. aJ all this time the youth of her choice it, I suppose waiting f" " Suppose so," said Mhs Bradlelgh. " And —and who is he I " Holwood laughed v little as he pot i. the quention. "Heaven knows," said the. authoress "and, of course, Eversfleld, she won't say." "I don't blame her," remarked Hal. wood. "Hows the new book?" He rose as little Eversfleld came In and bowed to her. Little Everafield receWfd three or four callera and Kept them tftlltfne until hot chief had finished the coutmm. tion with Mr ilohvood. Then HoWr&S strolled across to her. "Extraordinary Mies Efw*.fleld." . . " Very extraordinary; Mr Holwood." - "1 suppose the farmers iv tho country, now, arts beginning " "Go away," whispered little E?ettflfld nervously; "don't be abiurd. Go&tri; at once." "It you call mc absurd,madam, I'll—" "I'm not a madam yet." laid Mia Everstield. "And please, for goodoe** . Hake, bo careful 1 How do yoa jto, jfo Barnes? Mies bradleighis just over thew." There were a good many callers. A rat». taken youug man recited a ''in-culnnotliii , own componltion, and « n> i ted the mandoline; and then, at MUaßiad. Irish's requestj little Even.ll.rla suMfctlw piano and played a t rlef medle\rof Ficnfh comic airs uh prelude to her eoiigw. Ltttla Everafleld had been to Paris and hftd col. lected a budget of the few fairly lrau»Qj. late songs sung at the Amba-sadeute and bad had ihem carefully bowdlerized. "Mr Hoi wool, can you spare fire minutes ? You don't mind, Mis* uoncpevf " I rather wanted. Alias Bndlelgh," began Holwood, " to Helen"—— "So you shall. Come alone." The mature authoress smiled rather anxiously. " You shall lUteu to mc. Just h«re now, What a crowd of folk, aren't there 1 1 think it's rather smart of mc not to concern my»elf about them ac all, don't yob? Uα- . convuntlonal." "Dietinctly unconventional." ,: The only visitor I feel that I want to trouble about, Mr Holwood, U—is yoaf Little Erereueld had started her, flwt song—a long xong with a joyous foslhh refrain at the end of oach verse. " Brudlelgh." said HolwoodHjihtlj, " to lacerate a man's heart by the caralou jest and the word is not ~ worthy of you. Man, you know, is a sensitive person." . '*1 wonder whether he is. I wonder whether ho can under* and when, fo» inntauce. he ie loved by any woman.". "Oh, I think so," uaid Holwood confideutly. "I think most men are pretty fly in that way." MUs braoleigh sighed. It was euca a large nigh that it might really b*T« metut aln>o<4t knythitior. ■ "NowlttUß," she said softly-" let J» put that to the test. Suppoaiug, juib for [,he sake of argument, thai I were to uy that I—mot, qvi vous carle—had beea (Mtee Bradleiscu laughed nervously) '•had been in love with you tor months put. " A. lady novelist," said Holwood gooo» hamowredly, "is capable of tel Hag w 8 "Vutif I assured you that it waa ft; truth?" She spoke hurriedly. "}t IWI you that I was miserable when you W*» away ; that I waR stupidly excited wheal heard your voice ,, -; — "Is this a rehearsal for the next chapter 1" __, _ . "It Iβ real," murmured poorMiaeßrath leigh; "quite, quite real." Her voice w*a half drowned by the music. ■■■■;':.-■■ Qui, out ent zigue «t bon enfanb C'est l'aml Ferdinand. Holwood bad not caught her «prd». He looked at Miseßtadlelgh's &c*# end that lafly gezed down anxiouelr afraer broad slippers. There was a brief liittrval between the verses of the «ong, and» bigh-pltched woman's voice came to tne ea" ,, * «»f 't-h'* , f.wo. . _, -~.. " What I'm prepared to bit if," esld the voicr, "th*. tfplwood daeo Bradl^ghappears in the Marrlegei inlets than six month*." . . Mian iiradlelgh laughed nervourif, att eye« still uaziug at her slippers. n "That is a specimen, I nuppo«e, •Bβ said modestly, ,v of what peopled *MttJ usbehlnd our back*." O1 •• My dear Mi«-i Bradlelgh,"_«al«Lßolwood with genuiiiß concern, M do, y«» think it Iβ Dos<ible»" ■ "Tee, it ie possible. If you witt?, *«» On ' ly imiistTeiyou,"cr! e d , Bradleigh-I rnus , ; fell yoa. **«•* " really no very good mason wb|«« Bhouldn*!; have known before, only JW ahe particularly begged I «hoald keep m Esngagemetit a secret. If I have been W rather often, it hai only been to m* «». [t*« very annoying for you." "It is~it i* rather annoying. - . Mls» Bradteigh ga«ped the ,wotd* wj» pat her baud tv tbe big gold brqoeliwaw tbroat. ' trt mtM » "Don't cay a word to her, wilt g»» Bat this will ebow yoa, Mie« Pw£» that these people* high *oicea «WJ< stopped soon and yon will not bawwe" 0 m Mil* 0 BrSle!«n clasped her knee end looked straight before her. " Qai. qui vale pour Iβ tin Want C'Mt I'aei Ferdinand." " And," went on Holwood witft moeh good humour, " we shall be *ta° l «W?J*! tiapplest couple come tfay> . W,H! flnisbed her «ong now, I eupposj, -Ijj« Sa^^^^ffigS^ 7O^Z er Sll%cnt. Mr Btfggft Little Evernaeld told the maid w**Wj; with the cups and plates aud wettl m« the other room and pinned on'•■MSS toqqe hat. When she "tamed the was seated in tbe low chair to^" 6 _3bß fire witb one foot preeeed herd, *MJJJ fashion, agaldtt the aide of the B»«*F P "*?«! going, Mtwßradlelgb," -1 juSt want to npeak to you beg te Jg go," naW Miss Bradleigh *g capacious cowage moved *^^f! : |M she molHtened lier Hpe with •»«*;«? C °" Not onset, Ml*« Bradleigbl' "No* Not exactly uptttiMw&yjr 1 bif." ♦' That's all right, then." . " "I want to speak to yon 'W*?"^ gagement of youre. How ™° h *2Jia want now before you say yoaare ««»t*^ the pal ient youth V „ r «he "tic'H not'a patient youth retfl/i^ said, flushing: "but be will haTe «p ww TMrnrK". Why, I xtlil w»««t —■ he4 a " Little beut her prewf ***" and whi*i*ered. - u&z " ♦ 'Tla e>. good round earn, , " qaoMO »*«• Bradleigh. » ••-itf , v " Yfe. Ife rather a lamp, i ea Ji!L e ett the K^fa«»b«CT have beeni grtod help to fl*ld, and I tell you what 111 do. i»e yoa your wedding present novr. «w» my cheque-book, dear.