St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-16
AQUEER STORY.
London Truth

not quite, the richest commoner in England.
He was about thirty-ive years of age, tall and
slight, with pale, interesting face, and Il
faded, yellow mustache. His vices were
comparatively few, and of a gentlemanly
description. His near relations consisted of
n couple Of married sisters He had no en-
tangements, and was not gambler. Need
less to say, therefore, that he was acknow-
lodged by common consent to be the most
eligible parH in London. But though by no
means impervious to the charms of the fair
sex, Byng was terribly difficult to please.
The loveliest young deb,aa,lteS and the most
astute mothers had for years angled unsuc-
cessfully for the glitterng prize. But each
recurring season brought with it some fresh
er beauty or some more confident mamma,
and hence the hunting of Byng went mer-
rily on.
He liked to talk to women about pictures,
about poetry, love, trancendental philosophy
and matters generally mystical and ethereal.
He found them 50 much more tolerant than
men, and SO much less apt to detect his
utter and most CHASTITY 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.
Why the deuce don't you marry Adder
iey!' remarked Captain Tom Carbury, one
day.
Tom Carbury was Byng's man-of-all-work
and devoted adherent. lie had lived upon
him for some years, and it was only when
his eccentricity and vanity became utterly
wearisome to the practical henchman that he
hinted at matrimony. Carbury, moreover,
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 trancen
dentalist, ''wherc am l to find a woman with
kindred spirit; with soul above the com
mon things of earth; one who can really
sympathse with my own idiosyncrasy?"
BLESSED if know" answered the Cap
tain, terribly puzzled by his Patrons words;
''but if | were in your shoes l should get
rather sick of being hunted about by all the
old dowagers in London, and oged by every
girl who comes out. should marry one Of
them just to spite the rest.''
II certainly cannot marry them all,
mused Byiug, languidy ''Well, Carbury
Ili think about it,
The captain also determined to think it
over, for as stated hc was getting little
tired of his position. He was a thick-set,
bul-neckcd man of two or three and forty,
very fond OF good living, and devoted to
London and Paris. Bylngs, on the other
land, profcssed to despite frivolous amusc-
ments lived like an anchoritc for months to-
tr4t in Iob e Ill,
running off to wild and unciviized
parts Of the globe, where the unfortunate
captain was forced to submit to very unwel-
come privations a journey through Tarta-
ry had brought the captain to the verge of
rebellion, and though he did not like the
idea of quarreling with his bread ana butter,
he felt tnat he could not endure many more
such terrible experiences. so he began to
look about him for helpmate suitable to
the crraut philosopher. His difficulty nat
urally lay in the abundance of material
from which he had to make his selection
After mature consideration, however he de-
Cidcd in favor of a certain Miss Constance
Lexington. She was exceedingly pretty, it
her first season, and her only near rela-
tive was her father, gentleman whose ped
igrec was much longer than his rent-ron
Besides Mr. Lexington, the captain knew,
was by no means overburdcned with cash,
and was not likely to have any hesitation in
arranging some little scheme by which Car
bury might share in the advantages Laxing-
ton would derive from a brilliant marriage
"What a deuced pretty girl your daughter
isl' said the captain one evening to that
young lady's father, as they sat in the
smol,iug-ro room of the Lawn club.
''Ghnk so:' inquired the other, who
knew that Carhury was not likely to make
such a remark out Of pure good nature.
might marry any one,n continued the
captain thought(uly
Lexington began to prick up his ears, and
said, YES, think she ought to do we'll"
After little more preliminary fencing,
Carbury began to approach the point, she
doesn't know Byng, does shel'
mo, aud ! shouldn't think it much use
II she did. He's not Il marrying man, is
hcN
''Wcll, I don't quite understand what
constitutes a marrying man,n rejoined the
cautious captain; but these things do hap
pen all the same. | should be very glad my
self to see Byng married to Il nice girl" he
added significantly; lit would do him lot
of good
Lexington drew his chair closer to Car
bury, and the two became engaged in con-
versaton apparently of the most absorbing
arose to go.
Il suppose must agree" remarked Lax
inSton; ''but you are a terrible fellow to
deal with"
''An right" answered the other; ''half
when she's engaged, and the other half on
the wcddiugday Man alive it will be the
making of voum
\ couple of days later Captain Carbury
contrived that Miss darlington, chaperoned
by her aunt, Lady Carraway, should be in
truduced to the philosophical Byng at house
In Grosveuor square.
you might do worse than marry that Lax
iugtun girl remarked the captain to his
patron the next morning; young and love-
IN and all that; cot no iucouvcnieut brothers;
aud YOU would not be plagued with mother
iu-lAw. Not much money, but that doesn't
matter to you.'
''She seems q nice girl" said Byug, in his
usual lauguid manner; "but how about the
father!'
''Oh, Laxiugtou's all right; CANDLES and
races 3 bit, but he always settles and has
never been caught cheating. What more
can you expect uow-a-daysW
Byug was obviously impressed by the pro
bity OF his father-in-law ia posse,
I'm call on Lady Carraway," he an
swcred; and the subject dropped.
Byng duly visited her ladyship, who was
naturally delighted 70 see him, and he made
himself exceedingly Agreeable to the fair
Constance. That young lady heightened the
favorable impression she had already made
upon him. for although iueN aerienced she
was clever girl, and very soon discovered
the pet weaknesses of her admirer. In fact,
by the time he left the house he began to
think that Carbury was man Of unusual dis