The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-03-17

the most respected houses III the city
of London, and that as am quite aware
shat an acquaintance of this casual nat
ure b apt to give rise to erroneous i'm
pressions in the minds of people who
only Judge by appearances. with your
permission nothing would give me
greater pleasure than to call upon your
aunt at Brighton"
At the mention of the name Greysark
the girls color deepened somewhat,
and she raised her eyes to his face for
few seconds. Then she said:
81 am sure thatmy aunt would be de-
lighted to make your acquaintance, Mr..
Greysark."
Accordingly, on the following Sum
day Mr. Greysark, instead of perform
ing his usual weekly duty to society
by an afternoon lounge ON the Green,
betook himself to Regency square and
was ushered into the presence of a
smiling, gray-haired lady, who might
have stepped from an ancestral pict-
ure-frame, and who received him with
the stately urbanity of a courtier of the
old school. Being man of business,
Jonathan Greysark lost no time in
beating about the bush, but plunged at
once in medals res. described the orr
gin of his acquaintance with Phyllis,
expressed himself in such happy Ian
guage, blew his own trumpet IN such
pleasant, unassuming manner declared
his devotion in such fervid phrases, iH
fact, put matters before the old lady in
such an attractive light, that she was
completely won over.
"Of course, Mr. Greysark," she said,
in reply, "as / am only the girls aunt,
have no direct authority in the mat
ter. But if Phyllis regards your suit as
favorably as | do, can only recon-
mend that you should address letter
to her father in London, state the case
as you have stated it to me, and abide
by his decision"
''But it is an extraordinary phase of
our acquaintance, said the merchant,
"that l do not know your neice's sur
name yet"
| Perhaps the old lady was struck by
the strangeness of this avowal, but at
any rate, she hesitated moment,
seemed little confused and then re-
piled: "Her name is Fleming, Mr..
Greysark; a letter addressed to Mr..
Robert Fleming and given to me will
insure its safe dispatch"
"But would it not be better for me
to call upon Mr.. Fleming MYSELF"
said Greysark. "My business expert
ence has taught me that one personal
interview is worth dozen letters"
$50 it is, as a general rule, Mr..
Greysark, replied the old lady. "But
Mr. Jennings movements are so I'M
certain, his business SO frequently TAX
ing him away from home, that the
course l have suggested would, l
think, be the better"
And, after little general converse
ton, Mr.. Greysark took his leave, re-
solved that he would without delay
formally propose to Phyllis, and if her
answer should be favorable, as he had
not the slightest reason to doubt it
would be, indite his letter to Mr. Flem-
ing. Accordingly, the next morning,
upon arrival at London bridge, instead
of handing Phyllis into a Mansion
House omnibus, as usual, he insisted
that she should walk there with him.
And, by the time King Williams statue
was reached he had poured out his soul
to her, and received her ready assent
to his proposal, conditional upon the
approval of her father.
, One or two little circumstances con.
t nected with his visit to Regency square,
{ on the previous day, struck Jonathan
r Greysark as being curious, as he sat in
his room at the office playing listlessly
= with the heap of unopened letters be.
fore him. OF course, he had observed
the old lady's hesitation in giving the
: name of Fleming; and her suggestion
) that the letter should be forwarded
, through her instead of to a direc,
( address was rather unusual. Per
: haps Fleming was strange sort Of
l man--under a cloud, or of eccentric
, habits. At any rate, Phyllis was 9
, lady, as was her aunt; the surrounding
of the rooms in Regency square showed
: refinement, if not opulence; and, al
D though money with wife was no OBJ
: ject with him, he preferred that the
2 lady honored by his choice should no
) be an utter stranger to the style of life
' to which as Mrs. Greysark she would
! be introduced. But his ardent affection
for the supplemented, bright-facet
: girl overcame whatever little shades O
$ doubt or scruples the above strang,
: circumstances might have awakened
: within him, and, after having hurriedly
8 perused his business letters, he calle(
Y Mr.. Penn in, gave him instructions t.
, show nobody into the private room fo
\ an hour, and settled himself down tt
I ndite the epistle to Mr. Fleming. Afte
( much destruction of best cream-lait
Y note, he produced the following:
: DEAR SIR: 1t is with no little difIidenc
= that address one who Is complete strange
u to me upon a subject of such Importance a
S that which now occupies my pen: but al
A sure Judge you rightly when think that yol
= will pardon the liberty ! am taking by tn
time you arrive ut the end of the letter
!, "In short / wish to obtain your consent Il
, my marriage with your charming daughter
> Phyllis. As this Is to some extent a matter o
It business ! may inform you that l made tn
r young lady's acquaintance in the Brighton
: train, by which we have been fellow-passen
gers daily for some weeks past; that then OF
!, tanned not only her consent to my proposal
n but the entire appreciation of her aunt, upo
Z whom had the pleasure of calling, with you
q daughters p rmssion.
!. For your satisfaction may add that, a
though am not very young man, am i
:. the full v;gor of health and strength; that
d am the sole and responsible head of one O
! the best-known and most respected bushes
: houses in the City of London; and that al
n in position, which YOU may verify, if 20
N please, by the most minute investigation, Z
" maintain your daughter in a fitting postio
Q as n lady.
h THE entire happiness of my life, and l dar
add that of your daughters. rest upon you
decision as to whether she should be my Wit
It or not, and implore you not TO be influence