The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-01

"Oh, that r answered rather unsym- pathetically. @l have known for ever % long that that vas coming otf sooner CT later. But came here to sAy-to ask to tell yOu-oh. Mrs. Wilkinson, l am sure you must understand what mean Can you-will you make me as happy as Miss Warde has made MT. Seymour
 She did not answer, and on looking up saw that she was pre- esSing her handker- chief tightly against her lips, and that her features were convulSed by some powerful emotion. That was all very well, but it gave me rather shock to discover presently that it was laughter. not tears, that she was trying to snbdue, G Welt she said quietly when she coald control her voice, am glad that it is over, swore to myself that you should propose to me before the season was at an end, and have kept my vow.'
 Mrs. Wilkinson exclaimed in dis may.
 "Oh, yes," she said calmly !" and per haps 1 may claim some credit for having accomplished what you would have con- sidered a sheer impossibiilty not many weeks ago. think you will understand now that, If had wished to marry your friend Mir. Pole, could have done so without much difficulty. Do you really imagine that l didn't see through you the very first day that you came here 7 Do you i'm Agine that there were not plenty of people kind enough to tell me Of the 1 inquiries that you set On foot about nay parentage and histoYf My dear Colo mel Walmisley. l am willing to believe that you stand without a rival in your knowledge of military statistics; but may tell you that you don't know very great deal about women2 You had much better try ne. to outwit us in future. You see, if l had been what you were so hattering as to think me, you would have rued this day 10 the end of your life. Will you please tell Mir Pole that he need not think himself called upon 10 follow your noble example2 quite understand that he would feel as if he had doLe the proper thing alter proposing to me and being refused but 1t will save trouble if he will consider that performance as having been gone through"
 hardly know how got out of the house. did make some feeble effort to convince Mrs. Wilkinson that l was a, all events sincere in my profession of at- tachnent now, whatever l might have been al an earlier stage of our acquaiu- tance but felt that it was too much to expect of her that she should believe me, and as matter of fact, she did not be- lieve me.
 l assure you, you are not in love with me-" she said. My humble little triumph is that have made you propose to me without being so'
 went straight of to Pole and told him exactly what had happened. This has been a most unfortunate business for me-" said '" but there IS some consola. ton in the thought that you couldn't have pletely successful"
 "I don't know whether you call this getting out of it we'll" returned Pole gIsomily, but don't. What must she think ot me I'll tell you what it is, old chap: don't doubt that your intentions were good, but 1 wish to heaven you hadn't interfered with me-"
 suppose he must have forgotten that 1t was he who asked me to interfere. made no rejoinder, and he went on to say that he had resolved 10 set his family al defiance. He loved Mrs. Wilkinson, and he was going to tell her so, be the conse- auences what they might.
 "Very well," returned " go and tell her then, since you can't be contentcd to let we'll alone. She may refuse you she says she will but wouldn't answer foi her. l am sure you know that l speak without any personal feeling of bitterness but she is quite the most perfect adept al deception that ever met in my lie"
 The next time that saw Pole he in- formed me briefly that Mrs. Wilkinson had dismissed him "l don't want to talk about it." he said !" I've had reg ular facer, and 1 suppose have only my. self to thank for it. All the same, l be- lieve she would have accepted me if il hadn't been for you"
 We'll, that was quite possible; but could not get Pole to see that all had fall .n out for the best, and the whole af. falr brought about coolness between us which am sorry to say has not ye, passed away. Down in the country the other day chanced to encounter Miss Warde, who is shortly about to become Mrs. Seymour, and of course could do TO less than inquire after our common friend Mrs. Wilkinson.
 Miss Warde replied that she was quite we'll, and then looked at me with pecu- liar smile.
 see," said I, that you are in pes session of certain secrets, and I dare say you have worse opinion of me than deserve. consider that l was more sinned against than shining bu, never mind. And now that it is all over, will you ;e!l me one thing? Wha. was the mystery about Mrs. Wilkinson
 There never was any mystery al all. :" she replied l" it was only you who chose to imagine that there must be one. If you had asked my parents, they would have told you that her husband was a natural'z-d Austrian subject and a dis tinguished officer, and that she herself belongs to a good old family. believe she m arried General Wilkinson, who was much older than herself, to please her father. Naturally, she was not well