The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-08-16
BYNG'S ROMANCE.

BYNG'S ROMANCE.
 Mir. Addeziey Besyon Byng was nearly, if not quite, the richest commoner in England. He was about thirty five years ef age, tall and slight, with pale, inter esting face, and a faded yealsv nous tache. His vices were comparatively lev, and of a Rentemanly description His near relations consisted of couple of married sisters. He had no entangle- ments, and was not . gambler. Need- less to say, therefore, that he vas ac- knowledged by common consent to be the most eligible part in London. But, charms of the fair sex, Byng va: unusu- ally difficult to please. The loveliest young debutantes and the most astute mothers had for years angled unsuccess- fully for the gtttering prize. But each recurring season brought with 1t some fresher beauty or some more confident mamma, and hence the hunting of Byng went merrily on.
 He hked to talk to women about pie tures, about poetry, love, transcendental philosophy, and matters generally mys- tical and ethereal. He found them 90 much more tolerant than men, and @ much less apt to detect his utter and ghastly ignorance of nearly every subject upon which he conversed. Men, in fact, considered Byng an affected nincompoop, and only endured him for the sake of his wealth.
 sWhy the deuce don't you marry, Ad- derley ?~ remarked Captain Tom Carbury one day.
 Tom Carbury was Byng's devoted ad- herent. He had lived upon him for some years, and it was only when his eccen- tricity and vanity became utterly weari- some to the practical henchman that he hinted at matrimony. Carbury. more- over, did not see why he should not make pretty good thing out of his patrons marriage by a judicious arrangement with the brides family.
 My dear Tom," answered the trans cendentaliss, where am l to find wo- man with a kindred spirit; with soul above the common things of earth one who can really sympathise with my own idiosyncrasy%
 "Blessed' if know answered the captain, puzzled by his patrons long words "but if were in your shoes l should get rather sick of being hunted about by all the old dowagers in London, and ogled by every girl who comes out. 1 should marry one of them just to spite the rest"
 "I certainly cannot marry them all, unused Byng, languidly. "Well, Carbury, I'll think abeut it"
 The captain also determined to think it over, for, e stassd, he was getting little tired of his position. He was thick-set, bullnecked man of two or three and forty, vezy fond of good living, and devoted b Lo0dOa and Payi& Byng, on the eehsr hand, psoSessed to despsse frivolous amusemeats, lived like an anchogite for months together, and vas in the habit of occasionally rushing oif to wild and uncivilised paEts of the globe, where the unfortunate captain was forced to submit to very unwelcome privations. A journey through Tartary had brought the captain to the verge of rebellion, and, although he did not like the idea of quar- reling with his bread and butter, he felt that ke could not endure many more such terrible experiences, % he began to look about him for helpmase suitable for the e.rant philosopher.
 Mir. Byug's difficulty naturally lay in the abundance of maaezlal from which he had to make the selection. After mature consideration, however, he decided in favor of . certain Miss Constance Laxing- ton. She was exceedingly preeay, t vas her first season, and her oely near rela- tive was her 6ther, a gentleman whose pedigree vas much longer than his rent roll. Besides Ar. L2xingsoa, as the cap tain knew, was by no means overbur- deusd uith cash, and was not likely to have Any hesitation ip arranging some little scheme by which CaSbury might share in the advantages Miss Lazing- ton would derive from . hxilliaDt mar riage.
 "What a deuced pretty girl your daughfex is" said the capeain one evening to that young lady's father, as they szt h the smoking-Foom of the LAVE club.
 "Think so:" inquired the other, who knew that Carbury was not likely to make such a remark out of pure good nature
 Might marry any one," continued the captain, thoughtfully.
 Laxington began to prick up his ezrx, and said, Ye, think she ought to do we'll"
 AifE . Ettle more preliminary fencing, Carbuxy began to approach the point. q She doesat kDow Byng, does she =
 No, cd I sAouldnf tAink is mach ne f she di4 H4s sot . mauying naa. is he
 sW4 dont quite undezstand what onasGleMnss . Hnnyiag msn,s rejoised enn1joas cnV1nia: buf these tAi1gs 0 hnppn an thD sana. sAoaA he vssy gisd nyssM e sse Byng maEzisd so nice q" i" = added. s9ni6canfIy; 1t vould do lin loe q goods
 LaninGeoa 0rew his cA2ir close1 up to CaEhuEy, and the twe hecame meaeed h . conversation apparently of the most ab-