Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-03

preciate your feelings at this critical moment.
Your feelings are naturally wrenched, as
mine would be, but l am sure you will rise
above your commercial self and treat your
daughter in the abstract as | would do"
Mr.. Baxter was still angry, but plainly
getting interested
''As howf be asked
''Let me explain, u said the perfect stranger.
81 hold it a self evident fact that these deli
cate affairs of the heart tthe French term
does not at present occur to mel should not
be settled by the interested parties. Let me
ask if any one of you three can, by any
chance, strike that nice balance which is
possible to perfect strangerf You, young
sir, are blindly in love- and, by heaven
envy you your blindness. You, young lady,
do not know the price of beef or what it
means to be restricted in your laundress bill.
You, sir, are man of affairs, who have
loved so long ago that you have forgotten
the sensation. If am asked if you three are
qualified to pass an opinion worth hearing,
/ answer, 'No.'h
Delmar could not restrain a smile.
''To be told, said he, that one is not com
petent to manage his own affairs is not COM |
plimentary.'
''Truth rarely Is" retorted the stranger,
with politeness, but a touch of sternness.
'Look We, sir; if you have pain in your
chest do you consult Tom, Dick and Harry,
or do you go to doctor, who knows you
only as a case, and prescribes accordingly
And YOU, sir, as man of business, if you
fall into the meshes of defalcation or pro
tested notes, do you call caucus of your
relatives or do you HE to an unSentimental
LAWYER who would have taken fee from the
other side if they had gone up the steps ahead
OF you"
81 begin to see your drift" observed Mr..
Baxter.
''Of course you do. But I wander 1t is
then admitted that the question is left for
me to settle
No one had admitted anything of the kind,
but no one protested. There was a calm
audacity about the stranger which silenced,
if it did not convince 1--WE will walk along
the sands" continued the stranger, land dis
cuss this matter further. To begin, | will
ask if there if any tangible objection to this
young MANI Does he drink, smoke or gamble
| to excessf Has be hidden wife or is he, as
| the six cent novelists say, under the shadow
| of great crimef
| "No!" cried Delmar, violently.
Il was sure not. To the lady then: Is she
| engaged to anotherl Has she a dreadful past
| Or an incurable maladyl Is she of unsound
mind or tickle dispositionp
81 am sure l am not, sobhed Winnie cling
ing to Delmar in nervous Indignation.
Again l am right" said the stranger. "On
you, sir, them taking the amazed but inter
bty ha iost "a
source. Have you destined your daughter
for a convent Have you another sutton in
your minds eyel Do you know aught against
this young mans character or your daugh-
ter's disposition
NO. stammered Mr.. Baxter, vainly try.
ing to evade the large and full blue eyes Of
the stranger, 4 cannot say that have any
particular reason"
'Why, look you, sirln cried the stranger
dropping Mr.. Baxter's arm, '.it is as plain Il,
q pikestaf There is no objection to the bann'
being published. He does not object, sh'
does not object, you DO not object; it is q
perfect conjugatios of the verb to marry"
Mrs Baxter said that lady's husband
uneasilv, II fear that shen-
"Ho!" cried the stranger, switching the ali
lightly with his cane. You are master il
your own house, if mistake not"
The flattery was not misplaced.
81 think | am" returned Mr. Baxter witt
a portentous cough,
Then there is no more TO be said. l Sc
the hotel within speaking distance, and if
can be assured that the young folks hav
your blessing l will retire with the consciou:
ness of duty well performed
s.Tf hot I rri1- = col
Mr.. Baxter, still evading the eyes, Il Gel
, tainly do. Perhaps | was hasty, Delmal
1 your hand-I was young myself once"
D Thank you, SIR said Delmar, grippin
, him firmly And you, sir
I But the stranger merely smote the cir again
4 This said he with a gracious smil
''would be the proper time for me TO reve'
myself, but alas! have nothing to revea
h | said l was a perfect stranger and an
h Good-byn
He raised his hat again with benevolel
o grace and disappeared i'll the shades of Il
decorated hallway
u Mrs. Baxter was still clutching the ope
glasses in her neryeless hand when the TT
= surged in upon her and began to explain
l. chorus. 1t took tllree-quarters of an hour
the hardest kind of work to bring her aroun
y but the good soul broke down at last and thu
:, animosity was supplsnted BY curiosity.
= st was ungenerous as well as impolit
. john" she said, steruly. "You might
:. least have brought him here for a bri
- period"
- 81 will fetch him here, = said Delmar, doug
-, tily, passing out and down to the hotel des
y, ~ accompanied by his prospective father-i
~ :, law
-, ~ "Stout gentleman, with gray hair !
peated the austere clerk. English loI
baron or some such rank, 1 believe. R
II down from Long Branch for two or thu
as days and leaves on the 2:30 train
g, "a lord" exclaimed Mr. Baxter, great
he agitated How exasperated Jane will
when she hears that he has gonel"
r. 'Do you mean the stout man, with the r
face, who always carries a thin canef' ask
ed Mr. Devine who had been concealed in
corner, counting up the days losses, "Ths
or not the English lord; its comic actor
ne his vacation; some sort of name like w
an BILE; left this afternoon, as everybody dc
mt blast it all"
ay This places us in a dilemma said
tut Baxter to Deimar
he at does said Demar
81 say" cried the porter, entering at Il
nat instant, with all the audacity of a man VIII
ide wages are in arrears, there's been the Y,
devil to pay on the second floor"
/ The clerk stared at him with haughtint
which at another time might have been
ay, pressive.
I've 1.-THE fat man. went on the porter,
the abashed, "him with the black suit and
lie, smile, has just been snatched up and run
Ter, on the train"
lily ''Has he paid his bill'o demanded Mr..
vine, with pale face.
rly 'No baggage-paid in advance" said
the clerk, CURLY.
"What of himF demanded Delmar.
ing ''They say he is mad" explained the
der ter, land two keepers came after him Fl
It l the asylum | thought mesef he was rat
dis queer"
age Mr.. Baxter looked at Delmar and Dell
the looked at him.
ter Then they turned on their heels and
parted, musing. Harvey Smith
ter. The Epoch.
lree -------
low Mamma Was Not Forgotten.
%Ethcl,n asked a Lewiston mother Of
ltly daughter as the fair young girl sat dow
Will a late breakfast in her morning gown,
ftop-rra fC, mo last q