The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-16 00:00:00

TIIE, .STOURBEIDG-E OBSERVER.

"Why not yourself, George?"
" Me ! '- -
"Yes. She can't have seen anyone else, an you
would have a clear field. It would please me, my
boy, because of many things, your own happiness
not the least, and--" Mr. Sartoris stopped
abruptly at the sight of his son's expressive_look of
dissent from the scheme.

"You would rather please yourself than me,
then," he said, a little bitterly. "You will not
think of this thing.
"In plain words, sir, no. Not that I wouldn't
do anything to give you pleasure if it lay in my
power," the young man added. "But In the
matter of taking a wife, I should hold that a man's
first duty is to himself, and I am quite certain that
Miss Granton and I should never agree in that
relation. Indeed, l'm almost ashamed to say it, but
1 don't think I've got it in me to care enough for
any woman to marry her."
"Upon my soul, George it's my firm belief you
care for no earthly being but yourself!" vehemently
exclaimed Mr. Sartoris, exasperated. beyond measure
at his son's coolness.

"1 daresay you're right, sir, but I can't help my
disposition," returned the young man. "One thing
is quite clear to me, and that is I do not care
for Gertrude Granton. As for wives in the abstract
—well, I may be mad enough to prove false to my
convictions one of these days—but at present I am
quite sure 'am happier in a state of celibacy, and
feeling so convince 1 I am not such an idiot as to risk
losing my self-content by an experiment such as you
propose.'
"As you' please," coldly replied la. Sartoris.
"Though I can hardly believe that your cynicism
is real, after all. However, I don't want to drive
you into matrimony, and perhaps with such ideas as
yours it is for Gertrude's happiness that my wishcs
can come to nothing. She's a good girl, and
worthy a better husband than you would be likely
to make her."

"Which nobody can deny," murmured George
Sartoris as his father left the room. "I've got well
out of that I fancy, and shan't be badgered on
such a subject in a hurry again, I daresay.
Good Heavens! The bare idea is terrifving—to
imagine that I should consent to tie myself for life
to a girl just fresh from school!"
And finishing. his breakfast in the leisurely
manner in which he was wont to do all things—
nothing, he averred, being so great an enemy to
comfort as hurrying—George Sartoris forthwith dis.
missed the subject from his mind.

(To be continued.)

lecalled from Bechuanaland !,B‘i• iercules .1101)inson,
at whose instance he was aplebinted, and that the
reanns for and the duration of fflTAitlidhawal were as
yet unknown to her Majesty's CovOnment.
Mr. Torster warned the Governmenl that =los they
were firm the recent Convention with Fie' Boers' would
be as futila as its predecessors.
Mr. Ashrtead-Bartlett also made some rttharks ow the
foreign and colonial policy of the GoverAthent, afeAte
which Mr. OT;rien, Mr. Harrington, Mr. Biggar, Mr. A,
O'Connor, and others again reverted to the ez,z-e of Mr.
Bolton, and Mr. O'Donnell spoke on the labole traffic
n the Pacific.
The Appropriatioi Bill was then read a thirttime,
and the House axliourned at seven o'clock until
Thursday.