Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-07-24

expression.
I'VE must take care that dear Jack
has plenty of opportunities. 1t will be
shocking if all the men will run after
her." she answered gravely.
THE best thing YOU can do is to give
out that Jack is engaged" said Clare.
"You can do that for me, dear. :"
.-Of course but you viii have to en-
tertain and make much of them-Ameri-
cans are mad after society and our set !"
at will be very expensive, but sup
pose there is nothing else to be done"
sighed Lady Francis. -
The Browns arrived in London and
put up st the Langham hotel. Lady
Francis called upon them immediately
after their arrival She was delighted
with Katie, and told her friend Clare
that with the exception of her Ameri-
can accent ''she was just as good style
as anyone else" They are so quaint
and original. my dear. Fancy. they
call their father Uncle Sam. +"
They will soon settle down to our
ways. Look at Lady Wilton-who
would imagine that she was an Ameri-
canP" said Clara soothingly.
That's true, dear. l assure you,
Katie will create quite sensation. She
is really very pretty and graceful and
full of vivscity.
'.If she is so nice Jack will have to
be careful, and you had better not in
troduce her to any one until it is all
arranged"
so l told him, dear, but he won't
listen to me. He SAYS we must give 8
dinner to them next Thursday, get all
our set to call, and give ball next
week"
81 don't think it WISE" said Clare
Melton seriously.
.:Perhaps not. dear. but what can 1
do? Jack is so obstinate. and posi-
lively believe he is serious st last"
Lady Francis had half dozen of her
relatives to meet the Browns. The
dinner was, OF course. perfection, and
the guests well chosen-two lords and
a duke and their respective wiyes-and
as there were no young men Jack had
Katie all to himself Samuel w. Brown
did not appear at all sbashed in the
presence of the old nobility. He was
shrewd man who had studied human
nature, and had seen many phases OF
life, and his anecdotes of America were
most interesting. He described graph
ically his experiences of Californian
life in the old days of gold mining and
wild speculation, and his noble listen
ers, who had never before met char
acter like Samuel, were deeply inter-
ested in his narrative,
Next day, when Lady Francis was
talking over the dinner with her old
friend, she said:
"OhI 1 am so nervous and excited
about it all. Fancy! the duchess praised
her most warmly"
'.Her position then will be assured"
added Clare decisively.
'.And Lord Oldin wants to get the
eldest sister for his son." continued
Lady Francis. at will be such nice
connection"
but, when is Jack going to pro-
poser"
II am sure, l don't know. Perhaps
at the ball. l wish, dear. it was all ar
ranged. for it will be most expensive
for me if it lasts long. and l really cam
not afford it."
1t was most expensive for Jack got
his mother to pay for everything, and
he and Henry Smiley, Lord Oldin's
second son, had pleasant time of it,
running the heiresses," as Jack ex-
pressed il, at her expense.
The ball was great success, and
Katie c. Brown created quite sensa-
tion. Jack was most attentive to her
and she actually danced six times with
him. He allowed. however, the oppo.-
tunity to pass without proposing to hef.
much to Lady Francis Indignation.
Jack and the Browns once again re-
lapsed into the same pleasant Bohs-
mian life. One day they went TO
Windsor, the next to Hampton court
or Sandown races, and so on. Lady
Francis was nervous and shocked, for
Samuel Washington Brown allowed the
girls to do exactly as they liked. and
seldom accompanied them.
81 calculate young people like being
: left to themselves. You and l did
long ago, Lady Francis, he used to
say.
''Yes, but it is not our CUSTOM" she
protested.
Il don't believe English girls are
half as wicked as you think. Why
don't you trust then little more?" he
asked.
She did not know exactly what an
swer to make, so muttered something
incoherently abeut society.
'.All artificial, Lady Francis; all
. humbug. 1t is a great pity is is so.
Society spoils you all Do you know
that duke of yours would make good
fellow if he was not duke, and Lord
Oldin has his head as well screwed on
as any man in the states. You, too,
are clever woman yourself, Lady
Francis" he continued. al like you,
and guess like your nobility. too
when they thaw."
Lady Francis could not altogether
understand or appreciate Samuel w.
Brown. Indeed she was growing quite
concerned about him. He had habit
of calling on her at all sorts of strange
hours, giving as an excuse that the
girls were ''away with the boys" and
he was lonely.
Il really believe" said Lady Francis
with shudder, to her friend Glare
Il really believe that wretched man is
making love to me-"
Good gracious, my dear, how terri
BILE! 1t will spoil it all if you have to
refuse him. exclaimed Clare Melton.
By this time Samuel w. Brown and
the Misses Brown were celebrities.
Everyone had heard of the great Amer
lean heiress. but Jack Trimston did not
seem a bit nearer to marriage. Lady
Francis was in despair. .'They will
ruin me, between them," she mosned.
''Why, have actually overdrawn my
account at the bank"
at will be all right, mother, when
marry Katie. Old Sam will stump up
the dollars as he expressed it," laugh
ed Jack.
81 wish You would propose at once.
We really cannot go on living in this
extravagant manner. l am positively
ruined" moaned Lady Francis.
Fancy half a million OF money. mo-
ther! Why, you can have as much as
you like when it is mine.
Matters, however gradually became
desperate. Every one was talking of
Jack and the heiress and WAS wonder-