Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-26

| that, AZ far rs looks and manners go,
she is the equal Of any woman in Lon
don. II had only myself to consider
I shouldn't hesitate for a moment ;
but there are the children to be
thought Of. and then my people have
been botheripg me about it; and If
there's enc thing that hate moro than
another, it's having a row with my
| people" Pole had been for some years
a wi lower, and had two little girls, Of
whom his mother took the principal
charge. 1t had always been expected
that he would marry again some day
but suppose old Mrs. Pole had not
unnatural wish that his second wife
should be, as his first had been, lady
Of rank.
well, who is she ?" ] inquired.
lie said that she was Ms. Wilkinson,
and that she was a widow after which
he came TO q standstill, as though there
were no more TO be told about her.
Yes" said !, "snd afterwardP"
"Ah, my dear fellow, that's just it
there's nothing afterward. | know no.
thing more, and can't find out any
thing more. And then, YOU know, my
mother cuts up rough and begins to
cry. Mrs. Wilkinson is in London;
she has taken house for the season.
and very pretty little house it is-and
she seems to have lots Of friends, only
nobody can tell me her history"
POLE" said gravely, "you did
we'll 10 come 10 me. You must not be
allowed to make fool Of yourself.
May | ask whether you are very much
| in love with this widow"
lie looked little shcepish and an
swered, with a laugh, "Oh. we'll
aren't we rather too old to talk about
that sort of thing? | thought her
awfully kind and pleasant, and have
always felt that as my girls grew up
they would need somebody to look
after them. That was how l began,
and"
~ feel sure that it ought not to 60
on" / interrupted. If your daugh-
ters arc to be provided with step
mother, she mustn't be an unknown
Wilkinson"
"Well, no-perhaps not. But she
may not be utterly unknown, after all.
thought I'd consult you about it, be-
cause, in the first place, you're such a
sober, sensible sort of chap, and also
because Mrs. Wilkinson has a Miss
Warde staying with her whom expect
you to know. Her family live in your
part of the world, and / dare say she
could give you information. didn't
like to pump her myself" AS the
Wardes are neighbors Of mine
in the country, it seemed proba-
bic that | should have no difficulty
in finding out about Mrs. Wilkinson's
antecedents from them ; but my i'm
preston was that Pole was not particu-
LARRY anxious that these should prove
satisfactory. Before he left me l was
able to form tolerably shrewd guess
at the state of affairs. Mypoor friend
had evidently fallen victim to the
stratagems of the willy widow. He
had gone further than he had intended,
and now wished to withdraw, only he
did not see how an honorable with
drawal was TO be accomplished. Now
/ battered myself that | had some
little knowledge of the world and Of
women lam / not forty-two years Of
age and bachelor p, and thought it
would be odd if | couldn't disentangle
this excellent and scrupulous man from
the meshes. Leave it to me-" said |.
Tomorrow you shall take me to call
upon your mysterious Wilkinson, and
whether she proves to be suitable
person or not, you may depend upon it
that she shall not marry you against
your will"
He demurred a little to this way of
putting the case. sit wouldn't be ex-
actly against my will, you know,
Walmisley only it is such bore to
have family rows, isn't it,"
Irepled that it was the first duty of
q good citizen to avoid such calamities {;
and with that we parted. One ought
always to be upon ones guard against
forming preconceivcd notions of people.
The result Of finding them altogether
unlike what one had expected them to
be is that ones judgment is thrown offits
balance, and ones power ofarriving at a
really impartial estimate lost. For some
reason--or no reason-I had taken it
into my head that Mrs. Wilkinson
would be big and handsome that she
would have a good deal of manner ;
that she would still be in half-mourn-
ing for her late husband; that she
would not improbably wear about her
neck large jet locket with the date of
his demise incrusted upon it in dia-
monds and, finally, that she would be
much pleased at adding the readers
humble servant to the list Of her ac-
Quaintances. When, therefore, | was
introduced on the following afternoon to
an extremely pretty and rather demure-
looking little woman, whose blue eyes had
an expression of almost childlike inno-
cence, and whose quiet but perfectly
fitting frock matched these in color, |
was, must confess, somewhat taken
aback. Moreover, although she received
me very civilly and did not look ex-
actly surprised at seeing me, there was
just something in her demeanor which
suggested the query, TO what do
owe this pleasure? and such sug-
gestions are disconcerting. Pole was
not the sort Of man who would see
anything out Of the way in taking one Of
his friends to call upon a lady with
whom he was intimate, but the proceed
ing was, Of course, a trife irregular, and
should never have been guilty of
such an irregularity had not chosen
to assume that Mrs. Wilkinson was a
person with whom there was no occa.
sion to stand upon ceremony. As il
was, | was glad to be able TO explain
my visit by saying that | knew Miss
Warde's father and mother, and hoped
to have an opportunity Of paying my
respects to the young lady herself now
that she was in London. Miss Warde,
however, had gone out; and so We sat
and talked for q while to the widow,
who, as / was obliged to acknowledge
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