The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-05

X
such an attractive light, that she was
completely won over.
III course, Mr.. Grersafk, 2 she said,
IN ! rerri.y, ''as / asn only the girls aunt,
! nave. nc 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 en- extraordinary phase OF
our acquaintance, said the merchant,
THAT do not know your neice's sur
name yet.
Perhaps the old lady was struck by
the strangeness of this avowaI, but at
any rate, she hesitated a 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 nnyselfP"
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. sBut
Mr. Flemings movements are so un-
certain, his business so frequently tax
ing him eway from home, that the
course 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 tc doubt it
would be. indite his letter to 1dr. Tlem-
| 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 William S 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-
nected with his visit to Regency square,
on the previous day, struck Jonathan
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
5he old lady's hesitation in giving the
name of Fleming; and her suggestion
| that the letter should be forwarded
through her instead of to direct
address was rather unusual. Per-
haps Fleming was strange sort of
man-under cloud, or OF eccentric
habits At any rate, Phyllis was
lady, as was her aunt; the surroundings
OF the rooms in Regency square showed
refinement, if not opulenoe; and, al
though money with wife was no OBJ
Ject with him, he preferred that the
lady honored by his choice should not
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-faced
| girl overcame whatever little shades of
doubt or scruples the above strange
circumstances might have awakened
within him, and, after having hurriedly
perused his business letters, he called
Mr.. Penn in, gave him instructions to
show nobody into the private room for
All hour, and settled himself down to
indite the epistle to Mr.. Fleming. After
much destruction of best cream-laid
note, he produced the following:
DEAR SIR: It is with TO little diffidence
| tnat address one who is & complete stranger
| to me upou subject of such Importance as
that WHICH now occupies, my pen: but am
| sure Judge you rightly when think that you
| Will pardon the liberty | taking nv hn
! time you arrive at the end of the letter.
| In short, wish to obtsil your consent to
my marriage with your charming daughter.
Phyllis AS this is to some extent matter of
business, may inform you that | made the
| young lady's acquaintance in the Brighton
| train. by which we have been fellow-passen-
| gers daily for some weeks past; that then OBJ
tanned not only her consent to my proposal
but the entire appreciation of her aunt upon
whom had the pleasure of calling, with your
daughters omission.
For your satisfaction may add that al
though am not a very young man, am in
the fun vigor of health and strength; that
am the sole and responsible head of one of
/ the bestknown and most respected business
| houses IN the City of London; and that am
i'll position, which you may verify il you
| please, by the most minute investigation, to
maintain your daughter in a fitting position
| as a lady.
THE entire happiness of my life, and dare
add that OF your daughters, rest upon your
| decision as to whether she should he nv wife
| or not, and implore you not to be influenced
in your opinion by the somewhat peculiar cir
cumstances under which our meeting took
| place. and our consequent acquaintance and
| intimacy were formed.
! " III you will kindly take a week 10 consider
| this, 70 me, vital question. / shall be mex
presslhly obliged; and thanking you heartily
| IN advance for the sanction which feel GER
! tain you will accord, l am, my dear sir your
very obedient servant
JONATHAN GREYsARK"
Having read this two or three times
over to assure himself that he had not
said too much on too little, Jonathan
Greysark placed it in an envelope adj
dressed to Robert Fleming, Esq, and
that again in an envelope which he
purposed to hand to the old lady at
Brighton
The week seemed interminable to the
enamored Jonathan. Men remarked
that he appeared absent-minded and
| preoccupied, but two or three of his
tellow-passengers by the S:45, who were
in the same market, told the story of
his capture by the pretty girl in the
train, and so accounted for his pecu-
liarity. He himself, however, was in a
state of anxiety to which he had long
been stranger. Tuesday, Wednesday
Thursday passed, and no answer from
the mysterious Mr.. Fleming arrived.
Perhaps the old lady had forgotten to
forward his missive. Old ladies, so
strangely mindful of long-past occur
! rences, were, he knew, often oblivious
about matters present. Perhaps-but
he shuddered at the thought, and cast
it from him-for Phyllis was too good,
too honest, too much of lady, to be
SO base and cruel; on the other hand,
possibly Mr.. Fleming was instituting
inquiries. 1t was natural that an af-
fectionate father should do so, and
every time Penn brought in a visit
or's name the merchant expected to
hear "Mr. Robert Fleming" announced.
On the Friday afternoon he called in
Mr.. Penn.
Kindly shut the door, he said;
81 have something of Importance to
speak to you about"
MIR. Penn obeyed, and anxiously in
spected his employers face.
"Mr. PENN" began the merchant.