The Thin End.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 123, Issue 123, 17 April 1895, Page 3

The Thin End.

' So they say I'm too much abou with Captain Burton ?' ' Yes, they do.' 'Do thev sa v I'm too much abou with you ?'

' N—no.' . , ' Then I do. Good morning. •"Well I'm d d!' remarked Graham, as she wheeled her horse and cantered off in quite another direction. Graham dropped his eyeglass, seeing a good deal better without it, and slipped his feet down into the stirrups. Later on in the day he observed to a friend at the club that he didn't understand women. 'Then you've boon trying, poor beggar!' replied the friend. Ella Glendower cantered on, the corners of her mouth slightly drawn back, and her eyes looking straight between her horse's ears, so that she did not see Captain Burton, who happened to bo coming in the opposite direction, till she was close upon him. Ho raised bis hat, and really did look as if bo had not seen her coming. You see he was prepared With the right expression. She pulled up. ' Captain Burton,' she said (he thought the name acquired a certain sweetness of sound), ' you asked me aJ question last night. The answer is— Ah ! you shall havo it to-night.' The corners of her mouth were rpiite soft again, and a little blush began to climb'up on her cheeks, where it must boon happy. , ' To-night'?' Ho put out his hand, as she was moving off. 'Yes - ' and, as if she could not help it, she just touched it with her's. ' That is to be the answer i" Sho turned her head, and gavo a quick glance over her shoulder. It seemed to be enough for him, and lie astonished his horse by giving him a sudden dig with the spur, which made that outraged animal snort and start off with a bound almost vigorous enough to express the rider's feelings. That afternoon, at an 'At Home,' Graham had a talk with Lady Tapir, Ella Glendower's aunt. She was the • They ' who hud got him into trouble with the young lady. < I told her, you know, said he, Screwing in bis eyeglass, as if ho were glazing his head, ' I told her that she ought not to go about so much frith Captain Burton---put in the thin end of the wedge, as you told mo to, you know.' t ' And what did sho say ?'

' Asked me if sho said sho went about too much withme. Don't see what that had to do with it.' ' Then what did sho say?' ' Said thoy ought to—or sho did, or something. Anyhow, sho bolted.' ' Ah ! then it had. some effect. It would never do. Is that Mrs Trc iegar I sco talking to Mr Fane ? I must yeaHy speak to her.' Thorc was a dance that evening at Mrs Hortleigh's. Mr Graham was there, for lie know Miss Glendower was to be present. It was somo time before ho could iiud her, and when lie did sho was with Captain Burton. Ho asked for a dance, though ho hardly expected to get one ; but ho was, as ho expressed it, a good deal gone on her. She readily gave him tho dance, and ho took it as a proof of contrition on her part. This did not astonish him in the least. He reasoned that sho would uaturallywish to boon good terms with a man of his peisonal attractions and property, and only suspected she might hold out to attract bim the more. The presenco of Captain Burton was, of course, another lure. Ho saw through all that sort of thing, don't you know. ' Hope you weren't annoyed at what I said this morning, Miss Glendower ?' 'Not in the least. It was very kind of you, I'm sure. You did the best you could, I know, and you didn't know any better, did you ?' ' No, indeed I didn't, Miss Glendower. If I'd thought it would have lost me a minute of your society, I wouldn't have done it, you know.' He considered this rather well put, and let his eyeglass fall in his excitement. ' I think, perhaps, you were right, and that I was too much with Captain Burton —in tho circumstances. But I have changed all that now.' ' Yes ; quite right, you know, quito right.' ' Then you approve of what I have done, do you not r ' Oh, certainly, don't you know, and all that. Couldn't do anything else, fib?' 1 Thank you ; I knew you would be kind. Now, I want you to do something for me. 1 want you to toll my aunt, Lady Tapir. You will, won't you ?' 4 Well, you know, she told mo to.' 4 To—what ?' 4 To toll you, eh ?' 'Oh, well, please tell her that no ono will say in future that I am too much with Captain Burton,' ' That's all over, then—yes, of course I will. It's going to bo my turn now, eh ? She always favoured me. you know.' 4 Favoured you ? Oh ! Yes, I'll do all I can for you with her. How secret you have kept it, Mr Graham.' 4 She told me to. It wasn't any use as long as Burton was about—so sho said, but it's all right now. It is all right, eh ?' You know best, of course. I may congratulate my aunt ?' 4 Eh ?' 4 Congratulate my aunt on her engagement. * * * You will be very happy, I'm sure, and you know you. have my best and most sincero wishes.' There was a gleam in his eyeglass &a she glancedat him. She knew how

dangerous a fool can be, and how impervious to hints when bome accident has given him an idea. She hastened to enlightonhirn. ' I want j'ou to tell my aunt that the reason I shall not be too much with Captain Burton in future is that I am engaged to bo married to him.' 'Oh ! Ah i' replied Graham. ' Since wh—when ?' ' I think it -was half an hour ago ; or it may have been at half-past; eleven this morning.' ' Why, that's when you loft me, for I saw Parkinson look at his watch and asked him the time when I got to the club. Didn't I warn you ?' ' Do you know, Mr Graham, that I think your warning had something to do with it V

' Oh, I say ; look here now !'

' I am afraid our dance is ever, and wo have not had even one turn. But we have had a pleasant talk, and I hopo j'ou will do as you promised and tell my aunt, and I will congrata 1 ate her on her own account and yours later on. They said you were so much together, you know.'

Beforo Graham could recover from his stupefaction sho had bowed to him and taken the arm of her jiartnor, who happened to be Captain Burton, no sought out Lady Tapir, and told her tho nows of her niece's engagement to that detrimental Captain Burton.

' I thought it very probable,' said she. ' You see, it suits tho familyvery well since the death of his uncle —last night. My niece did not know of that, and perhaps she does not know now, unless, to bo sure, ho has told her. I almost think that you may have precipitated matters.' ' But j'ou told mo to introduce tho thin end of the wedge.' ' It seems to mo, Mr Graham, that j'ou introduced tho thick end.'

' I am afraid it was rather too thin !' Mr Graham had an idea at last.

POOR FRANCE! French pride has just suffered tho cruellest of cruel blows. Towards the end of January tho Chamber of Deputies passed a resolution, with tho cordial assent of the Government, that every contract, large or small, for the Madagascar expedition, should be offered to Trench firms only. It was understood that not a halfpenny of French money should go abroad. It was not merely a question of protection, but also of patriotism and prestige. Somo days later ono of the deputies, a certaiu M. Breton, put a very awkward question to the Minister of War. 'lsit a fact,' ho asked that gentleman, ' that a contract has been entered into between tho War Oilico and an English steamship company for the transporting to Madagascar of tho whole or part of tho military stores ?' This at once raised a storm. Tho Minister admittod that his predecessor had perpetrated this heinous piece of treason, but ho pleaded extenuating circumstances. Tho contract was not, he explained, for the entire military stores of the expedition, but only for the gunboats and river boats. Tho French merchant licet had no ships litted for tho transportation of theso portions of the armament. This admission was received with howls of indignation, which may bo excused when wo remember what an incubus tho pampered and premiumfed merchant navy of France is upon tho finances of tho country. There was it seems, one firm at Havre that was ready to undertake the contract, but it was not sure of being able to convoy everything, and it asked £-10,000 for tho work. An English shipbrokor was found who would undertake the contract for £IB,OOO and guarantee every satisfaction. The last statement was greeted in the Chamber of Deputies with groans and with cries that Franco was at the mercy of England. Ono of the members moved that the contract with the British broker should be cancelled. It was scandalous, he shrieked, that English assistance should be asked for a French military expedition. The cost was nothing ; it was a epicstion of national honour. Of course tho motion was supported by scores of fiery Gauls, who would not hear of their beloved country being under any obligation to tho ' rival nation,' but tho Premier protested that if tho contract were broken off damages would have to be paid, and perhaps the gunboats would not reach Madagascar in time. At length an hour's adjournment was agreed to in order to hear the now Minister of Marine. This official repeated tho explanation of the Premier. If tho contract were cancelled he would not undertake to bo ready in time. Ono or two indig nant spirits still sought to Rave Franco from tho humiliation of employing English ships, but the majority of the Chamber thought it better to pocket their pride than imperil tho success of the expedition, and finally the adverse motion was rejected.