Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-07-29
"AFTER MANY DAYS"

And was she worth the winning :?
'One man thought so, at any rate
Tom Eldridge-you remember him p
The speaker paused. and looked in.
quiringly at the man beside him.
Harry Belton laughed gaily. Re-
member him, my dear fellow? Why
thought the whole world knew we
were chums-the very closest. What
about him.?
Nothing especial, returned the
other, indifferently, 'only-only he
has won the goddess.
The girl you were just speaking of
Well, didn't hear her main points
just run over them again, will You .
Lazy George Arlington looked up
with a slight sign of anger in his
sleepy eyes.
If you haven't been listening to
the largest and most flattering de-
scription of a woman that a man ever
bothered himself to give, and on such
hot summer day, too, you'll have TO
wait till you see her for further news
that's all
And when does she arrive?'
This evening, l believe
Not that | care two pins about the
girl, continued Bolton, meditatively !;
but Id like to see the one who s
roped poor Tom
More likely she is the roped one,
if roped is synonymous with duped,
which, l believe, is the usual meaning
attached to it, drawled George.
The other sat bolt upright, and
squared his chest as if preparing for a
lunge at his companion.
Tom Eldredge is one of the noblest
men alive he exclaimed hotly. How
dare You say she'll be
'Oh, I'm merely thinking in the
matter of appearances, you know.
Toms minus an arm, his eyes are too
small for beauty, not to mention
Your handsome men are not al.
ways the best husbands, cut in Bel.
ton.
Then what devil of a one you'll
make some poor girl, laughed Arling G.
ton, for you've got the shape of Ado
mis- himself
But there came no answering laugh
from Belton. I'm very serious about
it. he said presently, because poor
Tom is very dear to me. Few women
would appreciate his good qualities as
| do, and ii, as you say, the one he's
engaged to is such belle and beauty
there is small chance for his happiness,
I'm afraid. How did he happen to
get her?'
Well, it was ;his way. Her father
was a rich man two years ago, and
the family swelled around Newport
among all the big nobs, till one un-
lucky day old Hartly went to smash.
Isabel and her mother went into re.
treat in some little Jersey village,
while Tom-you know what a queer
unselfsh fellow he is-as soon as he
heard of the misfortune, hurried up
to New York, and offered every dol
lar he owned to Hartly to help him
on his legs again. The long and short
Of it IL he got on EN-, and was able to
set up his family in some sort of COM
fort and style sgain. Natural they
should become acquainted with this
benefactor, eh? And perfectly natu.
raj that Tom should fall in love with
Isabel-whiCh he did. Finally he
proposed. She took three days for
an answer. That's the reason don't
believe she cares for him. Such a
long wait as that means sordid calcu-
lation-toO much weighing of the pros
and cons Of finance for Cupid to have
any hand in the matter. She accept.
ed him, howeyer-sense of gratitude
pleasantly mingled with good proof
OF his enormous wealth, l fancy. And
they are engaged, and she's coming
here to spend a few weeks. and Tom
has been living On the railway track