CHAPTER IX.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 296, 5 September 1888, Page 4

CHAPTER IX.

\ STUANGK KNCOUNTUt. Sh\ERVL days went by, and (leoffiey heaid nothing more either of or from the sophomores who had attempted to haze him. Neither did he happen to meet any ot them on his way to or from his lecitations, and he hoped that the occuncnce would gradually be forgotten and occasion no more trouble. He did nob mention it to anyone, and he bore none of the actors any ill-will, for he well knew that hazing had been an cstab lished custom in many col eges, and that every freshman was liable to be subjected to the ordeal. The lot had fallen to him for one, and having shown a disposition to allow his uninvited guests to get all the fun they could out of the affair, yet an intolerance of anything like downright insult, he felt that hazeis and ha/.ed were quits, and hoping that the matter would never be lcvned again, he pursued the even tenor of hib way, and troubled himself no mote about it. But the aflaii was destined to be more serious, eventually, than he imagined an occurrence of that kind could ever become. Young Mnpleson realised, as soon as his passion began to cool somewhat, that he should bo obliged to abandon all thoughts? ot retaliation lor a season, for none ot Ins comrades would bear him out in any plan for levenge ; but he vowed in his heart that there should yet come a day ot reckoning between himself and Huntress for the indignity to which ho had been subjected befoie hi& companions. He was furious with them for not having come to his release, and he raved over tho affair all the way back to his room after lea% ing Geoffrey's. But they made light of it, and tried to pass the whole tiling off as a joke. This only enraged him the more, although he began to see the wisdom of keeping still about it, since he could get no sympathy from them. There is no telling what rash act lie might not have committed it he had been allowed to go and come as usual while this fierce mood lasted. But he had w ought himself into an excessive perspiration, and then going out into the chill night air afterward, he had taken a violent cold, and tor j three week-, he wa& confined to his room with a threatened fever. At the end of that time, although hi« anger had not abated one whit toward Geoffrey and he was no less determined to | have his levenge. he had come to see the wisdomot refraining fron all ra.shnebs which might rebound injuriously upon himself, ! and lie resolved to conceal his puipose in hi 4 - own breast and watch his opportunity to -strike his foe down at some time in the future, when the blow would be felt with bitter ioroe. So, upon reco\ei ing his usual health, lie i esuiued hit studie- and his intercom >-c u ith his fellow -students as if nothing had ocemredto ruille him, and those who had p.u ticipalo'l in tho 'lazing 1 of Geofhey Huntress imagined that the unpleasant aflaii liacl blown safely over and become a thing ot tho past. Thus the fall and winter passed. Meantime Gladys was winning golden opinions fjr herself at Vatsar. Study was a perfect delight to hei , consequently excellence in every department was but a natuial icsult. The name of Gladys Ilonticss became blip synomm for all that was learned and bi illiant in ht-r class, and there was not one who did not pi edict that the first honour would be conferred upon her at the end of the course No one appeared to be jealous of her, oithei, on account of it, tor she was a geneial favouiite with both teacheis and scholar^, always having a pleasant word and a kind smile for everybody. During the recess., which occurred between the winter and spring teims of her second year at Vassar, she was in New York city ior a few dayt, with hei chosen friend and room-mate, Addie Loring. There was considerable shopping to be done to prepare lor the warm weather, dress-making to attend to, besides a gay round of social duties, and the two girls were all the time in a delightful fluttei of business and pleasure. One morning, after a long siege of shopping, feeling both weary and hungry, they entered an up-town cafe" to obtain a lunch and rest a little before going home. At the cashier's desk near the door, as they stepped inside, there stood a tall, handsome young man in the act of paying for his dinner. Gladys caught sight of him instantly, and she started and flushed a vivid crimson. Then a smile of joy illumined her whole face as she sprang: forward, and, laying her hand lightly on the young man's arm, exclaimed in delighted tones : ' Why, Geoffrey, where did you drop from ? 1 imagined you a solitary recluse at Yale, and hard at work over .Lawn and Greek, ' to gain time ' as you wrote in your last lebfcei I . ' The young man turned quickly as the sweet, ladylike voice fell upon his ear, his whole body thrilling at that light touch upon his arm, and found himself face to face with the most beautiful girl ho had ever seen. A tall, slender, perfect form, clad in a bewitching suit of modest grey, stood before him. Her small head was proudly poised

on a pair of graceful shoulders and crowned with a jaunty turban of grey velvet in which thore gleamed a scarlet feather. The face was delicate in outline, with lovely features and a complexion of pure white and rose. Her eyes of dark blue were lighted with surprise and gladness, her lips wreathed with a tender smile of welcome which parted them just enough to reveal the small milk-whito teeth between them. A look of admiration shot into the young man's eyes, and then they began to gleam with amusement. He raised his hat with all the gallantly of which he was master, and bowed low, as he replied : ' !^ou have made a slight mistake, lady. I do not answer to the name by which you have addressed me, though I might bo tempted to do so, perhaps, if I could there by secure the pleasure of your acquaintance. Allow me,' he concluded, drawing a card from hi< pocket-book, and respectfully presenting it to her. At the first sound of his voice Gladys was conscious that she had made a dreadful blunder, and she was instantly covered with confusion. She knew at onco that this man could not be Geoffrey, and yet who was he ? So like him jn face and form, with his very eyes and hair, and that familiar way ot throwing up his head when suddenly addressed ! ' Everct Mapleson, Richmond, Virginia,' she read upon the card thaL he had gh en her and instantly the startled thought shot, through her niind : 'Can it be possible that he and Geoilroy are related ?' ' I beg your pardon, Mr Maploson,' she said, recovering herself somewhat, while she searched hi 5 ! i;i ;l cc for something by which <*he could distinguish him from GeofT1 cv . ' J perceive that I have made a mistake, but you so stiangely resemble my Mr Geoffrey Huntress that I mistook you for him.' She had been about to say 'my brother,' but suddenly checked herself, for, since Geoflrey had shown so much of his heart to her and she had Detjun to analyse her own feelings toward him, !»ho had been a cry shy about calling him brother. 'Ah! Mr Geoflrey Huntress,' lepeated Everet Mapleson, with a quick Hash from his eyes, while his keen mind at once made a shrewd guess, ,tnd argued therefrom that this beautiful gill must be either the sister or the cousin of his enemy. 'I have met bin's gentleman, tor I also am a student at Yule,' he continued, 'and — pardon my boldness — 1 presume I now have the pleasure of meeting his. sister, Miss Huntress." I ' No, lam not his sister, Mr Mapleson,' Gladys replied, her colour coining and ifoing in soft, little sunrise (lushes, ' but we are members of the same family, and J am Miss Huntress.' ' Ah, yes — excuse me- you are cousins, i presume. Huntress once told me that he was reared by an uncle lam '•oiry, upon my word,' he went on, with an appealing look, 'if our singular resemblance has caused you any annoyance bo-day ; pray think no more of it, since it was a \ery natural mistake. We are often addressed by each other's name — indeed, we aie known at Yale as the mysterious double.' All the time the young man was speaking he was rlosely observing the young girl. He had noticed liei fluctuating colour when *he spoke of Geotiicy: he remarked the tendei inflection of her voice as she übteu'd hi* name, and how eager she had been to con eel his mistake in supposing them to be hi other and sister. c They are cuu-ins — perhaps not first cou>ins either — and the girl loves him,' he said to himself. 'Of course he returns her affection — no fellow in his senses could help it. T wonder how it would work if I should try my own luck in this dhection. 1 have never paid ofl' that old grudge against him, and this would be a hue way to settle it.' But Gladys, all unconscious of this secret plotting against her own and Geoffrey's happiness, looked up with a merry smile at his last woicls to hei, and remaikerl - ' The resemblance is surely very striking, although your voices are unlike 1 knew the moment you spoke that I had made a mistake, and my apparent rudeness must have been quite startling to you,' t>he concluded, colouring again as she remembered how eagerly she had approached him and laid her hand upon his ai m. 'No, indeed — you are yen haul upon yourself, Miss Huntress. Believe me I shall consider the incident a most fortunate cii cumstance if 1 may be allowed to consider it a-, a formal introduction to you and thus secure the pleasure of your acquaintance. lie was so gentlemanly and aflable, so refined m his language and manner, that Gladys thought him veiy agiceablc, and, since he claimed to know Geoffrey, she thought there could be no possible harm in iecei"ing him as an acquaintance. StilNliewasnor quite sure that it would be propel, and thi.s made her a libble guaulod in her iepl\. '1 am always glad Lo meet any of Geoffrey's fiiemls,' .she .said, with one ot her chaiming smiles ; but if she could have known hov\ lie cringed under her words and what venomous hatied was rankling in his heart against him who was her ideal of all manly excellence, she would have fled from him in dismay. But nothing ot this nor of the mi&eiablo plot which was rapidly taking form in his mind appealed on the surface, while bofore he could tiame a suitable reply Gladys turned quickly and drew Addie Loring to her .side, saying : ' Allow me to introduce my friend — Miss Loiing, Mr Mapleson.' He lifted his hat in acknowledgment of the presentation while ho was still inwardly chafing over that last guarded speech of hei s. 'She wouldn't look at me if she knew ihe truth,' he thought, ' and that clever cousin will be letting all out when he learns that we have met. Never mind. I'll make hay while the sun shines, and do my best to ingratiate myself with her before he finds it out ; she is doucodly pretty and it would suit me finely if I could cud him on t. ' He detained the young ladies for a few moments longer — for he had the power of making himself very agreeable when he chose — then Addie Lonug pulled forth a little gem of a watch, and remarked, with a look of surprise : ' Gladys, dear, we promised mamma to be at home by four, and it is nearly three now, while we ha\ c flowers yet to get tor Mrs Brevort's reception.' Everct Mapleson'p heart gave a great bound at these last words. For the friends at who&e he was visiting also had cards for Mrs Brevort's reception, and he mentally resolved that he would grace that lady's elegant drawing-room with his presence that evening, although he and Al. Vandewater had previously planned for something entirely different. He took pretty Miss Loring's hint, however, begged pardon for having detained them so long, then made his adieus and passed out of the cafe, while the young girls moved forward to an empty table, where they chatted over the strange encounter as they ate their croam and cake. Later, Gladys began to wonder why Geoffrey had in his letter never mentioned Mr Mapleson, and the wonderful likeness he bore to himself.

' I am very much surprised that he has never said anything about it,' she mused, ' for he must have had some suspicion that the remarkable resemblance cannot have been entirely accidental. It is the most singular case I ever heard of. One often sees twins who look very nearly alike, but such an exact counterpart is marvelloup.' • Gladys ?' Everet Mapleson repeated, as he stepped out upon the street and kept on up town ; 'nothing" could be more appropriate for that bright bit of sunshine in human form. Even the sight of her is enough to make the heart of anyone glad. What would it be to have her in one's horn all the time, I wonder ?'

{To he, Covlimicd.)