The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-30

imagine that / should toss up with
another fellow who had three also.
double or quits till l lost them all But
wen make sure of dinner without any
such hazardous proceeding" Then
they went into the dining-room and en-
ioyed themselves, without any refer
ence having been made to the business
which had brought John Gordon into
the neighborhood,
you'll find that port wine rather
good. can't afford claret, because it
takes such lot to go far enough. i"
"Why do you make ceremony with
mep'
Because it's so pleasant to have an
excuse for such a ceremony. 1t wasn't
you only was thinking Of. Think
what it is to have a prudent mind. ]
had to get it myself out of the cellar,
because girls can't understand that
wine shouldn't be treated in the same
way as physic. By-the.by what
brought you into this part of the world
at allp'
81 came to see one Mr.. Whittle-
staff"
What! old William Whittlestaa'p
Then, lot me tell you, you have come to
see as honest fellow, and as good
hearted u Christian, as any that |
know"
"You do know himp"
ooh, yes, | know him. I'd like to
see the man whose bond is better than
old Whittlestaa's. Did you hear what
he did about that young lady who is
living with himP She was the daughter
of q friend-simply of a friend--who
died in pecuniary distress, Old Whittle-
staff brought her into his house and
made her his own daughter. 1t isn't
every one who will do that, you
know"
"Why do you call him oldP" said
John Gordon.
"Well. / don't know. He is old"
"Just turned fifty"
"Fifty is old Perhaps, if he had
been married man, he'd looked
younger. He has got a very nice young
girl there with him; and il he isn't too
old to think of such things, he may
marry her. Do you know Miss Law
rieP'
''Yes; / know her."
"Don't you think she's nice? Only
my goose is cooked, I'd 90 in for her
sooner than any one can see about. "
"Sooner than your own sluire's four
daughters9"
"Well, yes. They're nice girls too.
| But don't fancy one out Of four. And
they'd look higher than the curate."
"a prebendary is as high as squire, "
said Gordon.
There are prebendaries and there
are squires Our squire isn't q swell,
though he's an uncommonly good fel.
low. If get wife from one and a
living from the other, / shall think my
self very lucky. Miss Lawrie is q hand
some girl. and everything that she
ought TO be; but if you were to see Kat
tie Forester, think you would say that
she was A l. / sometimes wonder
whether old Whittlestaff will think OF
marrying"
Gordon sat silent. How supremely
happy was this young parson with his
Katie Forester and his promised liz
ing, and with his bottle of port wine
and comfortable house! All the world
seemed TO have smiled with Montague
Blake. But with him, though there
had been much success, there had been
none of the worlds smiles. He was
aware, or thought that he was aware,
that the world would never smile on
him-unless he should succeed in per-
suading Mr.. Whittlestaf to give up the
wife whom he had chosen. Then he
felt tempted to tell his own story 70
this young parson. They were alone
together, and il seemed as though Prov
idence had provided him with a friend.
And the subject Of Mary Lawrie's in.
tended marriage had been brought for
ward in peculiar manner. But he
was by nature altogether different from
Mr. Blake, and could not blurt out bis
love-story with easy indifference. "Dc
you know Mr.. Whittlestaf woll?" hC
asked
"Pretty we'll I've bfen here foul
| 1Adlot ahh uO AOul llOLHlDOls
think / do know him we'll"
''Is he a sort of man likely to fall il
love with such a girl as Miss Lawrie
seeing that she is an inmate OF hi
bouseP"
"Well," said the parson, after som,
consideration, ''if you ask me, l DON
think he is. He seems TO have settled
down 10 certain manner OF life, ant
will not, l should say, be stirred from
IL very quickly. II you have any view
in that direction, don't think he'll b,
your rival"
"Is he a man to care much for
girls loveP''
81 should say not"
"But II he had once brought himsel
10 ask herP" said Gordon.
Sand If she accepted himp" sug
gested the other.
That's what mean"
81 don't think he'd let her 90 very
easily. He's sort Of dog whom yoI
can not easily persuade to giveup a bone
II he has set his heart upon matrimon,
he will not be turned from 1t. Do yoi
know anything of his ihtentionsP''
81 fancy that he is thinking Of it."
"And you mean that you we're think
ing Of II, too, with the same lady,"
"No, / didn't mean that" Then h
added, aftafa pause, That is jus. wha
/ did not mean TO say. did not meai
| IN talk ahouf rnvealf Rut o;noa ,o,