Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-10

y
looking at me suddenly, and, as
thought afterwards, speculatively.
ITO stand godfather to your son, Of
course"
THAT Is one reason; but ha We an
other. May and have laid plot.
Pm afraid Pm spelling sport by telling
you, but Pm hanged II / can hold my
tongue"
clam the victim OF your plot sup
pOse% inquired mildly.
'YoH are, my boy. We want to
make you as happy as ourselves by
marrying you to one of the brightest
and best of girls. She is just the one to
make you as happy as you could de
sire"
Upon my life, you are awfully good
both of you, but i have no inclination
To Join the list Of martyrs-I mean
to enter into the holy bonds OF mat
rimOny."
1--WE will say no more about her until
YOU see her"
"When will that be-" | asked,
feeling rather curious to see the woman
my friends had decided was to make ma
happy man.
ION "Wednesday morning; she IL to
be one Of the gOdmOthers."
There was much ado about that chris
teninp. The cake was of y gigantic size,
as if ordered with a merciful cOnSidera-
ton for the healthy appetites OF the
sisters, cousins and auutS OF Tom Phelan
and his wife. The previous night din
ner was given to celebrate the event
more fitly. / was dressed early and
went down into the drawing-room,
where Tom was talking to Mrs. Mac
FUN, a little woman, with a twinkle
in her ewes, and Juvenile cap on her
head, who prfded herself on being con-
nected with the family of the great Nc
Fums, TO whom Briau Born himself
was but an upstart, and the lords OF
Kildare and LeinsteF but mushrooms,
me dear, if it comes to that as she
used 10 say, with a sense of pride, eX-
pressed by a sudden backward Jerk OF
her head, that made the lace of her cap
futter airily, and the roses tremble from
exaltation, III more senses than one, or
their wire stems. When my host had
introduced me, and she had nodded her
juvenile cap in recognition of my best
| bow. she went on with the narrative OF
what her dear friend Lady Ariadne had
| said 10 her when she was last IN Lon
don, which Tom had interrupted for
| the purpose Of introducing me.
ISaw that he was impatient to get
| away, but there was no Use in striving
! 10 stir from Mrs. MacFUm just then,
| who started with fresh aneedote OF
what Tom Moore had told her he had
said TO Lady BlessingtOn, when she
sang believe me if all" and so | was
left to make my acquaintance with the
guests already arrived, all of whom
were strangers to me.
Charming day this has been" said
a young lady, who evidently took pity
on my fOrlOru condition.
Charming beautiful" | replied,
looking ut the speaker, who had the
NEST wonderful, gray-blue Irish eyes
had ever seen, which had now u merry
look i'm them they strOve In vain To con-
ceal.
She gave a pleasant, soft musical
laugh, when l had spoken.
"You forget that it has been raining
all day." she said, looking at me with
QuizZing gaze.
$50 il has" said |, remembering the
fact, and laughing with her ut my mis-
take; all the while l felt myself blush
ing.
al only spoke of the weather to break
the conversational ice, - she said.
"You are mcrciful," | answered,
wondering if she was laughing at me.
"Am |" saw you were stranger
to us, and Mr. Phelan is being instruct
ed in the pedigree of the MacFums, |
suppose, and cannot get away for a
-, ham. - trO1I1pn "
she said, with frieadlinesS that set me
ut my case ut once.
"Wfl you allow me to do myself
IL think can spare you the trouble"
she replied in the most musical Of
voices.
"You have come from London to
stand godfather to baby?'
IL have" l answered, wondering.
how she knew, and watching with
pleasure the arch look that suddenly
darted into her wonderful eyes. be-
gan to think that she had one of the
most interesting faces i had ever seen.
Her lips were red and saucy, and were,
l thought just then, made to kiss and.
be kissed.
"Shall point you out the godmoth-
er?" she asked, watching my face rs
she spoke.
mo that is, yes" l replied, think
ing of what Tom had told me, and just
a little curious to see his beau ideal of
my future wife.
itThere she is at the other side Of the
room, in a gray silk dress, talking with
the stout little man with the brown
wig
"Do you mean"
AYES, that tall, angular lady, with
the little bunch Of curlI ut each side OF
her face. She has been beauty in her
day, and has Just come in for q thou.
sand year, since which time she has
had six proposals Of marriage, and has
stood godmOther to l23 children. Be
fore she came in for that legacy, no one
ever noticed herand, though her man
nCrS have not changed i'm the least, the
world has only nOwisuddenly discovered
that she Is one of the most amiable
women living. Now, always knew
that fact, and stated it openly, though
no one would believe it."
While my new friend spoke I felt that
she was watching my face keeuly. This,
I then, ] said to myself, vas the woman
! whom Tom Phelan had assured me
would make me happy man.
The lady was at least twen-
/ ~ years older than / was;
hut any disparity in that way Tom evil
IDENTIFY thought would be made to me by
the iact Of my future wife possessing a
thousand year Ibegan to think that
my friends character bad undergone a
change. had always considered him
far from mercenary; but probably the
cares and expenses of his life had made
him regard money in a different light
| from what he had done in the old days;
and he thought he would do me q
| friendly turn 10y marrying me to wo-
man old enough to be my mother, be-
| cause Of her wealth. When | conSid-
| cred over these things l was sorry for
Tom Phelan. Marriage, thought, had
not raised the tone of his mind. l
looked at him then, and saw a cheerful
look on his round, pleasant face, as if
something had occurred that made him
very happy. Probably, | said mentally,
il is one Of Mrs. MacFum's tales that