THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5?7 
fitrrarj HttsttHang, 
IN FOLLT3 NET. 
CHAPTER I. 
JEAN MCLEOD. 
“Who Is the girl In white, with diamonds at her 
throat and In her hair, Kingston ?” said Mr. Blair 
to his friend, Harold Kingston, a3 they stood to¬ 
gether among a group of gentlemen, assembled at 
the entrance to Lady Kergenven’s ball-room, one 
night, whert the London season was at Its meridian, 
and every one was Btlll In town. 
••Lotsof girls In white and diamonds, my dear 
fellah,” said Mr. Kingston, contemplating the 
as If she were the head of some clan or tribe, King¬ 
ston. Be more explicit, I beg, and recollect that I 
have just come from the Antipodes, and am not 
yet au centra nt with your fashionable slang, or the 
young ladles w r ho queen It In this Vanity Fair of 
yours.” 
“I'll be as explicit as you like, Blair,” replied 
ills friend, “You shall know all about Miss Mc¬ 
Leod before you are live minutes older. First and 
foremost she Is a great heiress, worth ever so 
many thousands a year; she Is of age, for she 
made her rtebwt three years ago, when she was 
nineteen ; as you say, she Is good-looking, to use a 
very mild term, exceedingly clever, a wee bit of a 
flirt, and no end of a Jolly girl. No nonsense 
about her, you know; not prudish, hut frank and 
outspoken; a regular ‘bonntn, son.sle lasslo.'" 
“ What a tempting description,” remarked Mr. 
“ Yes; they have been engaged a few weeks 
only.” 
“ When does the marriage take place?” 
" Not till Christmas, for Miss McLeod Is still In 
mourning for her mother, who died in the spring 
of last year, and I suppose she enjoys her liberty 
too well to be lit haste to relinquish It.” 
“ Does she care for hls lordship ? Or Is It the title 
which tempts her?” 
'* Not a bit of It; she has refused better chances; 
might have been a Duchess last season If she bad 
chosen. She la spoony on Ivor, of course, and he 
is awfully gone on her.” 
" * Oono on her,’ means in love with her, I sup¬ 
pose,” said Mr. Blair, rather sarcastically. “ Well, 
Harold, I tun going to singe my wings like a poor 
moth, you know ; so come and perform the cere¬ 
mony of Introduction, like a good fellow.” 
returned from Australia,” he added, as, having 
dismissed the first claimant for the honor of a. 
waltz, Miss McLPOd turned her attention to the 
new-comers; “ and for t he last half hour has been 
worrying my life out for this honor.” 
“We found It very difficult to get to you. Miss 
McLeod,” said Mr. Blair, in a deep musical voice, 
which took a soft, tender key as he spoke. 
“ Yes,” she answered, with a frank laugh, “ I 
saw you making signals of distress over the heads 
of all these people.” 
“ Assembled hero for business,” he said, laugh¬ 
ing also; “for you can hardl-y call that kind of 
thing pleasure.” 
Jean McLeod glanced at hlrn rather approvingly 
as he turned hls eyes from her face to the ball¬ 
room with Its dancers, and ornaments, and gay 
hangings, and she slightly moved the rich folds of 
ONftK 
;vj*£fvcT' 
DOES FARMING PAY? 
Design by W. H. H. 
living plcturo before him with that Insufferable 
assumption of IndHTereuoe which some people 
think the hlght. of good breeding and reflnemont. 
“ Which one do you mean ?” 
“l mean the girl opposite, talking to Algernon 
Murray,” said Mr. Blair, rather Impatiently. 
“ Very good style, and good-looking to boot.” 
“Very good style! I should think so,” said 
Mr. Kingston, with as much enthusiasm as It was 
possible for him to evince. " Why, that’s the Mc¬ 
Leod.” 
•“ The McLeod!” ropO(i?)(j Mr, BJfVlr, You talk 
Blair, laughing. “ Do you know her sufllclently 
well to introduce me?” 
“Rather,” answered the other, confidently. 
“ But I must warn you that she Is already appro¬ 
priated.” 
“ Oh! what ft confounded bore !’’ ejaculated Mr. 
Blair. Who Is the lucky man ?” 
“No less a personage than the Karl of Ivor, a 
countryman of hers and yours, bum char 
“Ivor!" An expression of anger, black as a 
thm(lor-cioud, crossed Mr. Blair’s handsome face 
for ft niooieiit. “indeed,.” 
“ You are rash, my dear friend, she Is the most 
fascinating little woman in London, so be careful,” 
added Mr. Kingston, as they began to make their 
way towards the young lady in question—the 
young lady watching their progress towards her 
with a gleam of amusement In her bright, brown 
eyes. 
“May I have the pleasure of Introducing my 
friend, Andrew lllalr, to you, Miss McLeod?” said 
Mr, Kingston, desperately, over the head of a llitlo 
swell who was entreating the honor of Miss Me- 
J.cod’8 JbjDd for thq next WftltZ, »»lip J8 UQt jOhg 
Drawn by Cronin. 
her white silk dress to give him an Intimation 
that he might take a seat beside her—an intima¬ 
tion which A ndrew Blair was not slow to perceive 
and take advantage of. 
“ I hardly dare ask you to give me a dance,” he 
said, sinking on the cushioned seat by her side, 
and looking admiringly at. the lovely, laughing 
face. • The last, time 1 danced was before 1 went 
lo Australia, when you were n litUochild, i should 
Imagine, Miss McLeod; and I should think they 
are not diiacing the gajae wa l, 5 now $$ tbeyfllfj 
tUeo/ f 
