Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-02
He generally did turn up trumps at a real

! in the Row, as he said to distract my attention
rom the painful and absorbing topic that en-
We had been walking up and down, stopping
now and again 10 greet some passing friend,
when suddenly saw my vision before me. It
could be no other: there was not "A face among
| al the beauties present that could have COM
pared with or be mistaken for hers. She was
sitting under the shade of one of the grea. eiIns
daintily dressed in some diaphanous, creamy
white material, and looking more bewitching
than ever. And that lady sitting beside her
why that, of course, was she 10 whom l be-
| lieved myself engaged, my elderly charmer.
| In my self-accusing hour OF remorse I had
| done her an injustice. There was no make
| up there. She was dressed in good TASTE and
| as become her age. Any DISTINGUISHED person
| would have pronounced her decidedly ele-
| CANT woman, we'll preserved for forty, If. in
| deed. she were SO much, and with no small pre-
tensions to good looks.
| observed it,
well, Charlie, what's amiss nowe-
Why [ answered, suddenly growing scar
let tai; ri over, there she is?'
lover there. sitting under that tree, and talk
| ing 10 that lovely girl in white
Now for 1t, my boy. Introduce me-"
| walked forward and raised my hat
Miss Daman-"
"Ah, so we have met sooner than we ex-
| pected, Dir. Carew; accept my apologies for hav-
| ing cold yesterday when You called; yet can
| hardly blame the cold for it was caught at the
| picnic, and is now gone, aud had it not been
ior the picnic we should not have met, and you
would not have called at all. dare say my
niece qua the honors Tor me better than should
nave done them myself
All the answer that could make to this was
10 look rapturously at Ethel, and humble in
arIiculately to Miss Damian.
nhere was certainly touch of coquetry in
Aunt Barbara's speech; but it was the permissi-
ole coquetry OF a lady who knew her position
and could maintain it.
introduced the Governor by way of hiding
my ldlotic confusion, and the conversation be-
came general, or rather broke up into twoS for
sieZed the vacant chair next to Ethel and left
the Governor to Miss Damian, altogether.
Vp m Int iS flo
true that forgot all about my dilemma from
the moment plunged into that heavenly tete-
rOundingS.
At last my trance was broken. Miss Damian
leaned forward and pointedly addressed me:
Il am telling your father, Sir. Carew, that he
must change places with you, and give me a
c1ance OF renewing our pleasant acquaintance
The Governor did not seem to have exerted
himself much in my cause; he was beaming all
| over with an expression of gratified vanity,
evidently the result of a battle fought in my
favor.
1 tore myself away from Ethels side. and
''Do you think that am going to let my
preux chevalier of the picnic imagine he is
going to shelve me in that easy fashion. to-day?
HAD you q very bad headache yesterday morn
ing. Mr.. Carew? / know you attacked that
champagne great deal too severely, nasty as it
was but no matter. compliments aside confess
that you were Unfortunately bored at the feast
and that you only fell back upon me as q Dis
aller pour passer lie temps Engaged lovers are
u,
tainly. No, you wont? Well, then, shall
Keep you to every word that you uttered on
coming! Then had proposed to herD .Do YOU
remember all that passed as WILDLY as do? If
So your head is stronger than most young
What in the world was she driving at I WON
deTed-had proposed to her or not? Ifso, why
dld she adopt this maternal tone toward me q
was 2o1; and If not, what did this occasional CO
quetry of manner portend?
DO you know, Mr.. Carew, that although
~ ri Tod
asked you at least two plain questions within
Inc last nve minutes, you have remained abso-
What had been the use of nv Introducing the
Governor II this was the quagmire of embarrass-
ment In which he left me. He had not even
collected my senses-there was no escape
Miss -, Damian, l began seriously, 'believe any
e mot seS the
slider its quality at the time), but my memory
IS not so faulty as you imagine, and at least ac-
cept my assurance that anything uttered to
you the day before yesterday am prepared to
stand by now, and If the sincere devotion of
She interrupted me with an incomprehensible
smile. An, that Is what you all say, but how
can place any dependence on such expressions
when you seize the first opportunity to leave
me for the society of my niece?"
MISS Damlan, believe me-"
"Mr Carew, will believe nothing now but
see, your father is going, and ii is time for Ethel
to be returning with me. Goodbye for the pre-
sent, and If you and your father care for our So
week" Here the Governor came up in time for
the invitation which he accepted with posi-
tive chuckle Of delight.
So l had committed myself and could not
now retract. Farewell, Ethel, my vision Of
light, farewell to all my hopes and dreams for
the future, henceforth-" -
as soon as we were left alone permit me to
express esl pres my gratitude for the able manner in
ssn of nePsa me upon the most try
"Why, you young cub; you don't know when
soa are wen Oh Mis; 4aman is perfectly iy
description that she could be such a delightful
creature Made-up. indeed, you puppies of
moderns seem to think that nowoman who has
out grown the fOllies of the school room can re-
tain VestiSe of natural beauty"
Thank you" replied, sullenly; 'sbut what
be, have no wish to marry q woman Old
enough to be my mother"
You have only yourself to thank in the mat
Ter, and must abide by the consequences. Don't
blame me. As 1t happens, you have done by
ACCIDENT perhaps the wisest action in your life,
and selected wife in every way suited to en-,
chief" Alas
l clearly saw it was no use to 90 on areutng
Win the Governor while he was in this mood
SO with half-smoothered ejaculation which
was not blessing, let the matter drop for the
time. ~ "
For several days after this went about with
hangdog expression. which seemed to cause
no little amusement to my cousin Ralph, who
was forever popping In upon me and raiiying
me upon my appearance in a manner which he
no doubt, thought very witty. I wonder / did
not Kill Ralph when l look back ut that time
be richly deserved it.
The Governor and had accepted Miss Da-
mlan invitation to lunch for the following
Wednesday. 1 was rather at q loss to under.
stand his evident Impotence for the starting
hour 10 arrive as soon as the day came around
he had disappeared unusually early to make
| his toilet, l thought, as sat smoking i'm the
library, and feeling far from comfortable at the
prospect of this luncheon with my elderly be-
trOthed. w
| While was engaged in this manner the Gov
| ernor entered, dressed to state OF discom fort
that almost looked like anticipating the wed.
| ding. WV
"Why, Dad" exclaimed, 81 never saw Won
look SO young before. You seem to have cast off
twenty years OF your life with your old coat
Just like a snake Where did you get that gar
| denia frOm?"
Nonsense my boy, nonsense;there is nothing
unusuai, suppose, in making ones self look
| respectable; but what are You doing here. Char
! ne, at this hour: You ought to be ready to
start, and for goodness sake throw away that
hlthy cigar. don't want to go to Miss Damian' q
! reeking with tobacco" (The Governor never
used TO object to tobacco at any time of his life
| Ior ne was an fnveterate smoker himself)
Ut wants more than half an hour to the time -
| replied nonchalantly-"noh hurry, we shall be
/ there quite soon enough"
IheIe, that just the way with all you mod
efh young men, you ought to be ashamed OF
yourselves. When was young 1t was consid-
ereu an atrocl0us breach of good manners to
keep iadE waiting but you youngsters are all
SO STUCK up In your own cOnceit that believe
II part Oh your religion to go late everywhere
| ior the satisfaction of creating an excitement
lust like parcel of young misses, but don't
/ intend any OF these degenerate habits to infiu-
ence.me. Go and make yourself preSentahle a