| Show U SERIAL E aa L S STORY R Y 0 THE LOVES q the LA BY ARABELLA MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL copyright IW abbe taj SYNOPSIS at 14 1 years ot of age A ar ral ial sir peter fol M deeply in love at farst sight with lady arabella abella kr stormont who spurned ills his attentions the lad laa nn an orphan orp liun wits given a berth as mid ionian on the ajax by his uncle olios vernon nephew of at sir thomas Ver bertion tion the hoya boys pal they attended it theater eliere nephew saw lady Arit arabella bolla CHAPTER il II continued no sooner booner had giles said tills this than with the determination to be known ra as a R trian man of spirit 1 I was waa as I 1 sald said but 14 1 I concluded I 1 would go to london too on the day that chat giles vernon verlion got ills hla 24 hours leave I 1 also got the same game mr cluxton looked a little when I 1 asked him for it and said bald something about not allowing the midshipmen to leave portsmouth but I 1 answered readily enough that I 1 wished very much to go on a little expedition with giles vernon which alch would last ove overnight knight As ae the other midshipmen had been allowed similar liberty I 1 got my request and next morning as the alio phoebus coach for london rolled out of the stables into the inner yard I 1 approached olles giles vernon was also on oil hand ills his sur stir was great when ho he saw me you talce tako a risk my lad ho sald said no moro more than you to do I 1 replied stoutly outly et and 1 I too love a roguish eyo and a blushing cheek and mean to go to the playhouse with you to see mistress Mi masti stross oss trenchard at which giles roared out one ona ot of his rich laughs and cried come along then my infant don juan I 1 11 wo we got inside the coach because it was far from unlikely that we might meet some of our own fincers on tho the road or even sir peter hawk shaw himself who traveled tri tra voled much between portsmouth and the admira admiralty ity and had wo we boen been caught there is little littie doubt that we should d have been forced to right about face Is fit oita aalto of f the leave each one of us had ia 3 Ws I 1 pocket pocket so wa we made ourselves extremely small email tun in a corner of 0 the coach a and nd only ventured to peep out once when wo we caught sight of sir peter hawkshawe Hawk traveling chalso chaise going london wards and sir peter himself lying back in it reading ik a newspaper after that you may bo be sure wo we were very circumspect I 1 noticed however the same thing la in the coach that I 1 had observed the first hour I 1 sot sat eyes on giles allea vernon that every woman he mot met was hla his friend there were somo soma trades mens w wives ives a french hairdresser and the usual assortment of women to be found f in a public coach and in halt half an hour giles vornon vernon had said a pleasant word to every one of them and basked in their smiles the day was in april and was bright throughout and the relays of horses were so excellent ent that wo we reached london at four in the afternoon having left portsmouth at nine in the morning wo we went straight to a chophouse for we were ravenously hungry and now dicky boy said giles to ra me e keep a bright lookout for any of our men and it you see one cut your cable and run for it and it if wo we are separated meet me at the white horse cellar at 12 tonight to night to take the midnight coach dy by the time wo we had got our dinner it was timo time to go to the play wo we marched off and mode made our way through the mob of footmen and got seats for the pit and when we went in and I 1 saw the playhouse lighted up and the boxes filled with beautiful beautia creatures I 1 was near beside myself giles laughed at me but that I 1 did not wind mind 1 11 gaped about mo me until suddenly giles gripped my arm rind mid whispered to me dont look to the left there is a box with peter hawkshaw in it and polly and two girls girla one of them the greatest beauty I 1 ever saw though but a slip of a girl it peter or polly sees us lord help us I 1 did not look around immediately but the desire to have a glimpse of the ad adorably orabie lady arabella made me steal a glance that way she was very beautifully dressed and though but little more than 16 such mich a vision of loveliness lovel luesa as fairly to rival reigning beauties of several seasons standing I 1 own that I 1 saw little daphno daphne sitting by lady arabella but I 1 noted her scarcely arcely at all nor could giles keep his eyes off lady Ar arabella aballa and I 1 noticed that oven even when the divino sylvia as ho he called her was on the stage he was not strictly attentive to her but rather sought that fateful box where so much beauty was enthroned r tho the divine sylvia was a delightful ac Hc actress tress I 1 must admit and in spite ol of being 40 it if silo she was a day and thourl with paint she biad aaa something winning in her air and face and I 1 1 could her tremendous popularity with lie young bloods neither sir peter nor polly as giles called her showed any signs what whatever evee of having recognized us ua in fit tho the largo large crowd in tho the pit and we begun began to congratulate ourselves heartily there was waa a seat scat next to us hold held by a gent lemans servant rind and presently lie gave way to a remarkably bly land hand soma young ninn nian of 0 six or seven and twenty A few words passed between master and man and then wo we know that the th handsome gentleman veas vas capt philip overton of the second life Ciu guards ards giles exchanged significant looks with me capt overton seated boated himself quietly and after a careless cai elesa glance at the house seemed to retire into ills his own thoughts quite unmindful of the stage and what was going on upon it I 1 wondered why a man who seemed so little in harmony with ills his surroundings should tako take the trouble to come to the play but it if capt caal overton wits was different to all about him one person the young beauty in lady hawkshawe Hawk shaws box was far from indifferent to him film lady araba arabella ella saw his entrance and from that moment she bile was occupied in trying to obtain ills his attention when at last ho he recognized her and bowed slightly she named flamed all over with color 0 and gave him as aa good an invitation as any man might want to como come to her box hut but overton made no sign of any intention to go to her and when she finally seemed to realize this she bo be came cama as indifferent to all about her as lie he was other persons camo to the box and went during the play bu but they got little heed from lady arabella arabelia little daphne although but a child not yet in her teens showed a interest in all passed and behaved in a most young way nay much to my diversion 1 I was all of two years yeara older than silo she As tho the play progressed I 1 saw that ollea gilea was wag becoming moro more and indre mare infatuated with the beauty and ho even whispered to wo 1110 a suggestion that wo we present ourselves boldly at tho the door of 0 tho box this I 1 received with horrer tearing fearing byth both sir peter and lady hawk beaw indeed I 1 had bad riot not been able to 0 o shake oft this fear of my great ancie aid fand aunt for a moment ones first night at tho the play Is usually a I 1 a magic dream but mine was tempered with the read dread of being caught on tho the spot of being del delayed ayed in our emm 80 V there was nothing for me to do but to walk along beside him return to portsmouth and the torment of seeing the adored of my heart quite absorbed in another man when the play was over we sat still until the hawkshaw party pad had passed out lit and then moro more for the sake of bravado I 1 think than inclination giles ran pell mell to tho the stage door where ho he made one of a mob of gentlemen to see the divine sylvia to her chair and to ray my alarm as soon as tho the lady was within and tho the curtain drawn lie he tipped the wink to one of tho the chairmen who silently gave up his place and giles taking up the pole trudged oft off assisting to carry his portly mistress there was nothing for mo me to do but to walk along beside him amid the rattle and roar of coaches and shouting of at the hackney coachmen the pushing and jostling of of chairmen and link linkboys boys and all the contusion that attends the emptying of a london playhouse mrs trench ards door was not far away and when she was put down and giles sneaked off I 1 observed the handsome capt overton standing at the turn of the street laughing at him giles who was so timid in ills his love was hold bold enough in ia ills his wrath and stepping up to overton said bald coolly sir I 1 perc percelle elve you ou are smiling who Is the harlequin that amuses you may I 1 ask you sir promptly answered overton you are arc too good responded giles and I 1 have before dinkl pinked d my man in beautys quarrel and thon then ho be slapped overton in the mouth the next thing I 1 knew their two swords yore vere flashing in the moonlight I 1 stood paralyzed with fear not so a couple of burly watchmen I 1 who 1 10 running forward clutched the offenders and dragged them apart I 1 but tho the two late en enemies cintes making common commo n causo against tho watchmen fought them oft off and when the watchmen desisted resisted des isted from the light fight to spring their rattles for assistance both giles and the officer ran down a dark alley followed by nie ma as fast as my short legs would carry me and soon all three of us were huddled together in the tho porch of a cli church some distance stanos di away from the scone scene of the fra fratac cats neatly neatly done remarked overton with a smile to giles 1 I should hava feen been in that brawny follows fellows clutches now hut for the clip city over the head you gave him you lid did your share par politely responded giles but time presses and our affairs must iro sett settled leo said overton horo hero Js my cord it is too dark darit to read it but I 1 am capt philip overton of the second lito guards and L I 1 replied olios giles am midshipman olles giles vurnon vernon of the ajax ship of 0 the line now at portsmouth dy by we dim light of it a lantern in the church porch I 1 saw the expression of astonishment upon overtones Ov ertons face then he stammered we are re latea yes replied giles smiling and it if you pierce nio me through throng h sword or pistol it will bo be worth one of the finest estates in tho the kingdom to you provided always that old villain sir thomas vernon vemon does doea not marry and havo have children in spite of us overton reflected halt half laughin giland halt frowning if only you had riot not passed a blow I 1 anything else there could be an accommodation 00 nimo dation for it was most un on fortunate yes as aa it turns turna out responded giles gies but the question Is now when and where can we meet just jus t thou then the great bell of st pauls tolled out tho the halt half before midnight and 1 I who had been an almost unobserved Ji listener jestener spoke out odthe of tha fullness full nesa of my heart giles said 1 I the coach leaves at 12 it if we do not get to portsmouth in time wo we are deserters lot let capt overton write to you and light fight afterward out of the tha mouths months of babes and suc klings comes wisdom replied overton smiling and so in two minutes it was settled overton agreeing to come to portsmouth to fight it 11 giles could not got get leave to meet him halfway half way between portsmouth and london wo we thon then bade him goodby good by and ran off as fast as our legs could carry us and b barely arely made the coach we traveled all night giles sleep ing soundly and snoring very loud in one corner coiner I 1 felt great uneasiness about the coming meeting between him and overton although I 1 believed there was no hostile feeling between them dut but when tro men face each other her with arms in their hands there Is always the possibility of awful catastrophe r epho the roseate morning broko broke when we wa were still some distance from portsmouth the sight eight of the blooming hodge hedge rows rowa the bird songs and all the fair beauty of the morning made me long to be outside and at the last stage my companion still sleeping I 1 got out ani and with a shilling to the tha coachman got the box seat there were only two or three persons besides the guard on oil the coach once up there I 1 could not rest sat failed without handling the ribbons 1 I had bad never oyen even driven a donkey to in my life but neve nevertheless I 1 aspired to drive four fresh roadsters the coachman a good natured foolish fellow gave me the reins down a perfectly smooth lane I 1 seized the whip too lind brought it down across the wheelers backs and the next thing I 1 knew the coach was lying on its side on the road and I 1 was on the ground it wa was ovar over in a wink and it seemed scarcely longer before it had been righted for tho the load was extremely light and no one was hurt except giles ile he scrambled out ot of the coach window his arm hanging down not no broken but out of joint I 1 pointed to it your sword arm I 1 said there was nothing for it but to make for portsmouth as fast as pos sible giles was in extreme pain lie ha said nothing but great drops came out upon his forehead when we reached the town I 1 at once put off in search ol of a surgeon while giles remained ft the inn I 1 soon fetched the surgeon who got the arm into place when tho the man had finished giles asked when he could use ills his arm for pistol shoot ing TO BE BB CONTIN CONTINUED |
