Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-03-16
CHAPTER II.

M u6dr Leslie, lnlS Is d sur prise
and pleasure! How are you? When
did you get back?" and George Leslie
found his hand grasped by a portly,
comfortable-looking gentleman in gold
trimmed glasses and wideawake hat.
CT beg your pardon, [ DON'T
can't quite recall you, though seem
to remember your voice." George stam-
mered.
The porty gentleman laughed. "Well,
you're more changed than [ am, I
dare say, and yet knew you in mo-
ment. Is it possible that you've for
gotten"
"Beauclere =? Why of course; how
stupid of me !" and Georges brown face
grew a very curious brick color as he
wrung his old friends hand. give been
away five years, and it tells on all of
u.s."
81 wish it told such fattering tale on
me as it does on you" Mark said with a
smile. "Ceme and dine with me, old
fellow-no excuse-it Won't put us out
in the least. Mrs. Beauclere is at
Brighton with Miss Armstrong, so I'm
en- gdrcOn. We live up at Putney-
Jump in," as a "bus" came up land
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 | 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 man to matrimony."
Lucky fellow? l wish | had gone
there with you,"
George was silent-it seemed like
treason to echo the wish It was just
like that monster Mark, ever to express
it. OF course he made poor Lucy mis-
cradle, that was only to be expected.
How he ever could have become so
supremacy dull and commonplace
George couldn't imagine. When he
entered the drawing-room he couldn't
help noticing little evidences of Lucy
about; her old-fashioned work table
black cat which he seemed dimly 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 your he asked, presently.
Eyes, Of course, where else could
she live? Indeed, I 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, Pm 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 eau
tinusly. at simply awful
az never fancied Mrs. Beauclere
would develop taste for those SUBJ
jects," George replied; and then he
smiled a little sadly as he thought of
Lucy as blue stocking, and Aunt Hes
ter, who had always been his special
horror, whisking about the house, up
setting the domestic comfort of every
one, and waving her hands in COM
mand or disapproval, increasingly
al never could stand it, I know" he
said to himself. as Mark went on giving
him some details of the establishment,
with a sort of rueful good humor. ga
clever wife and an energetic aunt-in-l law
would be too much for me-
And it had evidently proved too much
for poor Mark Beauclere. He was no
longer slender, sentim entail, and e3thet-
ic; indeed. his chief idea i'll life SEEM
ed to be thorough enjoyment of such
pleasures as remained to him. He en-
joyed his dinner, for instance, thorough
ly, and grew quite confidential over his
coffee after.
1T was very sudden, your going away,
George" he remarked, after long chat
over the old times at Westwater, and
the pleasant evenings they used to have
at 'The Nest" "Doy you know thought
once that you had rather fancy for
Lucy" ...-
George grew brick-red again, and
bent his eyes resolutely on the table.
at would have been capital thing
for you; and / believe she liked you,
for she seemd altogether out of sorts
when she got your letter. In fact,
George you might have done much
worse than have married Lucy Arm
strong"