Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-12-16
CHAPTER IL.

Ny dear Leslie, this is a surprise
and a pleasure How are you When
did you get back = aud George Leslie
found his hand grasped by portly,
comfortable-looking gentleman in gold
rimmed glasses and II wideawake hat.
"I-I beg your pardon, L DON'T
cent .apite recall you, though l seem to
mered.
The portly gentleman laughed.
"Well, you're more changed than I
am, dare say, and yet l knew you in
moment. Is it possible that you've
forgotten-"
'1Beauclere Why of course how
stupid of me p and Georges brown face
grew very curious brick color as he
wrung his old friends hand. "I've
been away five years, Mark, and it tells
on all of us.
Il wish it told such fattering tale on
me as it does ON you" Mark said with
smilo. Come and dine with me, old
fellow-no excuses-it won't put us
out in the least Mrs. Beauclere is at
Brighton with Miss Armstrong so Tn
en- qarcOn. We live up at Putney-
Jump in, as a "bus" came up. "and
tell me all about your adventures, and
when you returned"
81 only landed three days ago, and
haven't had any adventures, except of
the most commonplace, practical kind.
The business l went out to manage
turned out very we'll. / made some
money, and I've come to England to
settle down-that's all. How is Mrs
Beauclere
"Quite we'll, thanks. Have you put
on the halter yet, George?"
"No. The Celestial Empire is GER
tainly not the place of all others to
tempt a man to matrimony."
LUCKY fellow 1 wish ] had gone
there with you"
George was silent-it seemed like
treason to echo the wish. 1t was Just
like that monster Mark, ever to express
1t. OF course he made poor Lucy
miserable, that was only to be expected.
How he ever could have become
so supremely dull and commonplace
George couldn't imagine. When he
entered the drawing he couldn't
help noticing little evidences of Lucy
about her old-fashioned work table
| black cat, which he seemed dimlv to
remember-books, and a drawing or
two. His heart beat little quickly ;
and on the whole he was glad that he
had not to meet her on that first even
ing. "Does Miss Armstrong always
live with you p he asked, presently.
Yes, of course where else could
she live? Indeed. l don't know in the
least how the house would get on with
out her. You see, my wife and | go in
for politics and literature, and that sort
of thing and if we hadn't some one to
keep US in order and see to our creature
comforts, I'm afraid we'd starve. If
ever you do marry, George, don't select
a clever woman with a taste for logic
and metaphysics, Mark whispered,
looking round cautiously. "It's simply
awful I"
81 never fancied Mrs. Beauclere
would develop a taste for those sub
jects," George replied; and then he
smiled little sadly as he thought of
Lucy as a blue stocking, and Aunt
Hester, who had always been his special
horror, whisking about the house, up
setting the domestic comfort of every
one, and waving her hands in command
or disapproval, increasingly.
81 never could stand it, 1 know" he
said to himself, as Mark went on giving
him some details of the establishment,
with sort of rueful good humor ga
clever wife and an energetic aunt.in-law
would be too much for me-"
And it had evidently proved too much
for poor Mark Beauclere. He was no
longer slender, sentimental, and
aesthetic; indeed, his chief idea in life
seemed to be thorough enjoyment of
such pleasures as remained to him. He
enjoyed his dinner, for instance,
thoroughly, and grew quite confidential
over his coffee after.
sit was very sudden, your going away,
George" he remarked, after long chat
over the old times at Westwater, and