Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-27


disliked like Christopher. or Tobias, or
Alonzo, or Simon, he would never for
give me when he grew up, and would hate
me to the day of his death.
"What nonsense you talk, Fritz You |
can talk it over with May, and come to
some arrangement.
zone question" said / abruptly, stop
pine IN our walk toward the broughnm
TINT was to carry us to Toms comforta-
BILE home "Shall have to hold him at
the font ?"
"Ycs-that is, no ; upon my life cant
say. Why?"
''Becarse have never held one before,
and am sure | should let it fall. ! have
never seen one-having no married rela-
tivos and fritnds-except in bus or IN n
perambulntor in the streets and I'm
afri6d of them. | am upon my life. l
think theg are all bad tempered and bad
hammered, and have common habit OF
working themselves into frightful pas
sons about nothing i'll particular. Just to
plague people and make them uncom-
Portable"
For answer, my fat friend shook his fat
sides with laughter, aud, when he could
speak, said:
"You talk like bachelor, Fritz"
"You forget | have not had twelve
months experience of matrimony, l
said, hitting him home.
He only laughed all the more at this.
Ny reply seemed to please his fancy.
at wttld be the best thing in life for
you if you had it would make you
happy man." hc said, when he recovered
himself. Take my word it, you don't
know what comfort is till you're mar
riel."
81 am not very miserable in my pres
ent state of blessed bnchelorhood, and in
no hurry to make change" said l.
"Then you ane wrong, my boy. Do
you know why | sent for You ?" he said,
locking at me suddenly and, MS | thought
| aftcrward, speculatively.
"To stand godfather to your son, OF
course"
"That is one reason but have an
other. May and / have laid n plot. I'm
afraid I'm spelling sport by telling you,
but I'm hanged if l can hold my tongue. "
ri am the victim of your plot. | sup
pose ?" / inquired mildly"
you 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 mako You as
happy rs you could desire"
Upon my life, you are awfully good,
both Of you but have no inclination
to Join the list of martyrs mean toto
enter into the holy bonds of matrimony. ="
1--WE will say no more about her until
you see her"
"When will that be ?" asked, feeling
rather olgious to see the woman who my
friends id decided was to make me n
happy b..
"On wednesday morning she is to be
one of the godmothers.
There was much ado about that chris
tening. The cake was of II gigantic size,
as if ordered with merciful considera-
ton for the healthy appetites of the sis
tiers, cousins and aunts of Tom Phelan
and his wife. The previous night din
ner was given to celebrate the event more
fifty. was dressed early, and went down
into the drawing room, where Tom was
talking to Mrs. McFum, little woman
with n twinkle in her eyes and n juvenile
cap on her head, wisp prided herself on
being connected with the family of the
great McFums, of whom Brian Born him
self was but an upstart, and the lords of
Kildare and Leinster but mushrooms,
me dear, if it comes to that, as she used
to say, with n sense of pride, expressed
by = sudden backward jerk Of her head,
that made the lace Of her cap iiutter airly,
and theroses tremble from exultation, i'll
more senses than one, on their wire stems.
When my host had introduced me, and
she had nodded her juvenile cap in recog
milton of ny beet bow, she went on with
10 narrative of what her dear friend,
L\ly Aradpe, had said to her when she
was last in London, which Tom had in
terrnpted for the purpose of introducing
me.
1 saw that he WINS impatient to get
away, but there was no use in his striv-
ing to stir from Mrs. McFum, Just then,
who started with fresh anecdote of what
Tom Moore had told her he had said to
Lady Blessin gton, when she.sang, BE
lieve me if all !" and so l 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 ( rlorn condition.
"Chsrming-beautiful,' Ireplied, look
ing at the speaker, who had the most
wonderful gray-blue Irish eyes / had ever
seen, which had now merry look i'll
them they etrove in vain to conceal.
Sheg pleasant, soft, musical laugh,
when had spoken.
"You forget that it has been raining all
day" she said, looking at me with aquiz-
zing gaze.
$50 { has" said ], remembering the
fact, and laughing with her at my mis-
take all the while ! felt myself blush
ing.
II only spoke of the weather to break
the conversational ice, she said.
you are merciful," answered, won
dering if she was laughing at me.
"Am |? ! saw you were stranger to
us, and Mr.. Phelan is being instructed in
the pedigree Of the McFums, 1 suppose,
and cannot get away for quarter of an
hoM to introduce you," she said, with
friehdliness that set me at my ease at
once,
will you allow me to do myself that
pleasrAe?"
81 think can spare you the trouble,
she replied, ip the most musical of voices.
"You have come from London to stand
godfatlIy to the baby?"
II lsEe, answered, wondering how
she knew, and watched with pleasure the
arch look that suddenly darted into her
wonderful eyes. / began to think that
she had one of the most interesting faces
had ever seen. Her lips We're red and
snudy, and were, / thought Just then,
made TO kiss and be kissed.
"Shall point you out the godmother?"
she asked, watching my face as she spoke.
"No-that is, yes" replied thinking
of what Tom had told me, and Just lit
tic curious to see his beau ideal of my
future wife.
"There she is, ut the other side of the
room, in gray silk dress, talking with
that stout little man with the brown
wig"
eyes. that tall, angular lady with the