The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-08

DuO occ, yOuT ldOucT IL SOluSt dlu u u . pihLS
for Ethel to be returning with me. Good
by for the present, and if you and your
father care for our society, come and lunch
with US N day next week." Here the
cam up in time for the invita-
which he accepted with a positive
chuckle of delight.
So l had committed myself, and could not
now retract. Farewell, Ethel, my vision OF
light, farewell to all my hopes and dreams
for the future, henceforth-
"Father," / exclaimed, with a dignified
sneer, as soon as we were left alone, per
init me to express my gratitude for the able
manner in which you have helped me upon
the most trying occasion of my life"
"Why, you young cub, you don't know
when you are well off. Miss Damian is a
from your description that she could be such
a delightful creature. Made up indeed;
o puppies of moderns seem to think that
no woman who has outgrown the follies of
the school-room can retain a vestige of nat
ural beauty.o
"Thank you" 1 replied, sullenly, "but
whatever Miss Damian's preventative
qualities may be, 1 nave no wish to marry
a woman old enough to be my mother"
"You have only yourself to thank in the
matter, and must abide by the conse-
quences. Don't blame me. As it happens,
you have done by accident perhaps the
wisest action of your life, and selected a
wife in every way fitted to enhance your
position and keep you out of mischief"
l clearly saw it was no use to go on
arguing with the governor while he was in
this mood. so, with a half smothered ejacu-
lation which was not a blessing, l let the
matter drop for the time.
For several days after this / went about
with a hang-dog expression which seemed
to cause no little amusement to my cousin
Ralph, who was forever popping in upon
me and rallying me upon my appear
ance in a manner which he, no doubt,
thought very witty. l wonder l did not
kill Ralph when I look back at that time.
He richly deserved it.
The governor and I had accepted Miss
Damian's invitation to lunch for the fol-
lowing Wednesday,. / was rather at a loss
to understand his evident impatience for
the starting hour to arrive as soon as the
/ day came round.
He had disappeared unusually early to
make his toilet, 1 thought, as 1 sat smoking
in the library and f~eelingfar from comfort
able at the prospect of this luncheon with
my elderly betrothed.
While 1 was engaged in this manner the
governor entered, dressed to a state of dis
comfort that almost looked like anticipat-
ing the wedding.
"Why, dad,"I exclaimed, 81 never saw
you look so young before! You seem to
have cast off twenty years of your life
with your old coat, just like a snake.
Where did you get that gardenia fromf"
Nonsense, my boy, nonsense, there is
nothing unusual suppose, inmaking ones
self look respectablei but h are you
doing here, Charlie, at this hour? You
ought to be ready to start, n for goodness
SAX throw away that filthy cigar. 1 don't
want to go to Miss Damian's reeking of to-
bacco." (The governor never used to OBJ
ject to tobacco at any time of his life; he
was an iuveterate smoker himself.)
SIT wants more than half an hour to the
time," I replied, nonchalently; mo hurry
we shall be there quite soon enough"
"There, that's just the way with all you
modern young men-you ought to be
1t was considered an atrocious breach of
good manners to keep a lady waiting,
but you youngsters are all so stuck up in
your own conceit that believe it is a part
of your religion to go late everywhere for
the satisfaction of creating an excitement,
just like a parcel of young misses, but
don't intend any of these degenerate habits
to influence me. Go and make yourself
presentable at once, and for Heavens sake
use some eau de cologne to Danish that odoI
of smoke, sir; Miss Damian's is not a poi
house,"
1slunk up stairs without further parley
and made the necessary alterations in my
dress, then we drove off together to Ken
sington.
Who shall say that acting is only &C
quired by practice? 1 believe Charlie.
Matthews himself-could not have schooleG
his natural instincts to affect a greater ali
of polite empressment than 1 managed tc
infuse into my greeting to Miss Damian.
And Ethel was obliged to command
my feelings still more severely with her
perhaps not quite so successfully, for I fell
the t~ell-tale blush moun to my face, ant
my hand trembled visibly as I t1asped hel
dainty fingers for the space of the orthodox
few seconds
Luncheon was over. 1t had not gone of
SO badly as l had anticipated, all things
considered. The governor had been NOR,
animated b l ever remembered having
seen him, and he most considerably mic
nopolized nearly all Miss Damian's atten
tion during the meal. Now he had, appar
emily with some reluctance, given up hi
seat next Miss Damian to me. We wert
sitting half shaded by a screen, and Ethe
was making conversation in her gracefr
manner with the governor.
"And so l am really TO believe that yol
hold 10 the declaration you made to ME III
the river last week, Mr., CarewW
"Can you doubt nies Did 1 not repeat i
to you in all earnestness in the How only
few days ago, Miss Banian?"
, "Youa are a very chivalrous young man
: the apt pupil of a chivalrous father. L won
der if you mean all you say, and still
: more 1 wonder if you distinctly remembe
what you really did say at the picnic.
have always had my doubts on that sui
ject."
"Miss Damian, do YOU wish me to repea
1t nowS
"Certainiy not. for t ami sure You coul
not if you tried, but to relievs you of a
further anxiety on the subject l will tel
you; not oil that you said, for that woul
be to repeat too much good-humored nor
sense, but the n important declaratio
S which evidently. weighs so heavily upo
u your conscience
+ liam all attention"
"Well, yct confded to me, of course i
g the strictest secrecy, that you never coul
4 | =, n r.rxr n -, ~ ~ if xrN,, A1,,r cl,n 500,
e capable of consuming as much lobster sala
as any one of those three young ladies die
against whom you seemed to bear such
S grudge for refusing to firt with You In th
very presence Of their frances. There,
thought you would feel relieved; but it
a very bad compliment to me to let it /
e so apparent"
v n3dd heavens! and this was all? Her
had l been making myself miserable an
Objectionable to all my friends for the pas
week, N for nothing. Even my habitui
p s~elf-control failed me now. and the expire
t sion of delight on MY uountenanee n
dodbt ,desertediy called firth Mis-
Damian's reproof.
was a free man again, yet honor to
bade me to jump at the position to
".Yes. ea.pct think;" Z saidl ssthas til
little misunderstanding can alter the reli
S tions between u.s."
"Relations! What relations? l don
understand you, Mr.. Carew."
"Surely, you could not have mistake
the nature of,my offer te you she other da
in the Rdw?",
She burst into a little fit of laughte
"You foolish boy, do you take me for a
ogress? Could you not see that l was onl
amusing myself? L value the freedom
my motherhood a great deal too much
part with it so easily, An old maid an
and ah old maid l MEAN to be to the end
d the chapter. Besides; do you think ! ha,
no eyes? am far top experienced in rea,
y ing the signs Of love not to have observe
where Your heart is fixed, perhaps not wit
out good grounds" and she looked EXPIRE
sively across the room to where Ethel w;
u sitting. Love at first sight is no such u
common occurrence after all, is it, N
Carewf"
] raised her taper hand, did f'e5vveffent
kissed it. ''Miss Damian, you nave taug
me u most gracious lesson, and 1 stxruld
ungrateful not to profit by it. Believe n
this time when | assert that my allegian
] to you is, in another form, stronger ths
t. ever"
d "Ttlat is we'll, and now go and talk
ID Ethel, and leave me to amuse your fathe