Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-27
choose to drop it 1 may go and see the old

choose to drop 1t i may go and see the old
woman next week"
While he had been talking had been think
NO" said !, 81 can see her this afternoon"
ana walked into my private room.
for some reason, which could not well ex-
plain to myself, felt that would like to pro-
tect the unknown young lady from Mr.. Curper Q
ootrnsive curiosity, and knew very well that
II Mrs Grome talked to him about her his zeal
IN pursuit OF her identity would be greatly i'm
creased. OF course, my feelings in the matter
were entirely disinterested: but If this Janet
Floyd was the kind and generous girl there was
every reason To suppose her to be, ana was,
inofeover, person OF culture and taste, as was
lnd1cated by her preference for the demon
plaque when there were SO many pretty things
among Mrs. Gromes treasures; and II, too, she
had that frank and honest spirit which was
shown in her letter to Curper, and in her aban-
comment of all pretense in coming TO see Mrs.
Grome, felt that my office associate was not
the man who should be hunting her up. There
was nothing positively bad about Curper, and
should be lOath to say ythRg that would
1nJure his character; but he was young man
who paid rather too much attention to his
dress. who was rather too much of a club man,
VINO was rather too fond of being considered !,
man about town, who was rather too much given
To expensive cigars and other eXtravagaccieS,
ana who, in fact, had SO good an opinion of
himself that he naturally aroused a spirit Of
opposition on the subject in those with whom
he associated. There was general air about
him which indicated that he was all right, and
what he did was all right, and If other people
did not agree with him ii was matter of very
little Importance to MIR. Curper. had no right
10 take any active steps 10 prevent him from
discovering the unknown lady, but certainly
did not intend to help him to do so, and ii in
any indirect way / could assist Miss Janet
Floyd in preserving her incognito would do
it. As had been asked to engage in the affair
1 considered that this attention to her wishes
was as much duty as anything else. had
nothing whatever to gain by this course, but 1
am man of principle, and must also admit
that CurperS manner was such as to arouse in
me, in moderate degree, that spirit of oppos-
ton to which l have alluded. For these rea-
sons was very willing to visit Mrs. Grome
again; and, besides, 1 had no objections to have
another look at the demon plaque OF which 1
determined to obtain the refusal in case the
young lady did not buy it.
When saw Mrs. Grome that afternoon and
told her what had heard of the facts in her
dispute with Mr.. Haskell, she lifted ND her
hands, opened wide her eyes and mouth, and
uttered an exclamation of enraged amaze
ment.
did old Billy tell you that?" she cried
NO., said l; 81 did not see him when went
over there, but another gentleman, a lawyer,
called upon him and he told me how the matter
stood"
"A pretty gentleman he must be-" exclaimed
Mrs. Grome, "to believe such stuff as that
that I'd go and starve boss that expected
to work my farm. The truth is, the wretched
beast died because he was too old to eat"
Too old to eat!' l exclaimed.
: "Thats jest how twas" said she. "Billy