Daily Republican., 1888-10-03

I'll start for the North Pole. James, !"
70 his servant, "1'm sure I heard a
child cry In the next room last night.
Have they had the impudence to put
family so near meP"
eyes, sir. Widow, very pretty
with two little boys. Name is Mrs.
Meredith. Only here for a short
time"
"That settles 1t. give up my
room," said the Colonel, bounding out
Of bed. al can't stand squalling chill
dren. Now get me the morning
paper"
Alter breakfast, when he returned
to his room, he found 1t occupied by
lovely young woman In a white morn.
ing wrapper and holding charming
little boy in her lap. For a moment
the sight revived the thought in the
old bachelors mind of what might
have been had he only married
Eleanor Dare when they were both
young people.
81 beg your pardon, SIR" said the
lady, "but / believe this is my ROOM"
Excuse me, but 1t is mine," look
ing OF his dressing case. mo. As
can't be mistaken"
pray excuse nie,' she stammered.
~ thought 1t was No. 80, the furni.
ture is 30 much alike"
"a very natural mistake, ma'am,
very natural indeed. Mrs. Meredith,
l presume.-a charming little boy is
that of yours"
Mrs. Meredith smiled-her mother
heart fell straightway into the snare .
and before she returned to her own
room she and Colonel Chixley were on
excellent terms, and she had promised
TO go out for drive with him that
very afternoon.
mot that care for driving myself
so very much" she said, "but the dear
little boys"
"oh, the dear little boys, OF coursep'
nodded the Colonel, complacently.
And when she was gone he looked
after her admlringly.
''Never saw such q graceful, gazelle
eyed little thing in my liieP' he
thought, Mrs. Meredith, eh? l won.
der who and what the deceased Mere
dith was. She has the manners of q
duchess, at all events"
And the Colonel fell to wondering
vaguely what Aunt LucretiR woulC
say if-when at last James entered Il
tell the Colonel that his bathing house
was unoccupied.
Eyes, yes; to be surel" said Colone
Chixley, starting from his slight rev.
erie. "Jamesp'
"Yes, slr.'
"You needn't change my room afte,
all. Those children seem very quiet
and-and / dare say shall get along
verl we'll"
"Yes, sir" said James.
He was sitting on the veranda tina
afternoon smoking his post. prandia
cigar, when little Pinkie Meredith, thu
eldest child, ran laughingly to hia
and clasped him around the knees.
"DesT heart alive, sir" said thu
} nurse, with giggle, the takes you TO
his grsndpal Plnkie, come herep
The Colonel WINGED little.
LET him stay, my good GIRL" sail
, he. I'll don't dislike children"
Quite a concession that for the Colo
nell
He took the whole party drivin
when the twilight came on; he spen
the evening on the veranda with Mrs
Meredith and Pinkie, and even listen
ed complacently TO the whole of tn,
lIouse-that-J ack- Built from the lips o
. the infant prsttler.
az don't care ii she is widow,
= said the Colonel to himself. 81 dom
care if am twice her age; l don't car
il there are two children, don't car,
II people do say l am making fool o
! myself"
And inspired by this conscious valo
the Colonel rushed out and bought
diamond ring, the glitter whereof wa
like miniature sun.
, "Oh, Colonel" demonstrated Mrt
. Meredith, II ought not TO receive sue
} a valuable gift from you"
at belonged to my grandmother,
d lied the Colonel, ''snd 1t really is {
no use to me should have given
TO my sister if she had lived, but
81 will accept it then-in a purel
d sisterly fashion," smiled Mrs. Mert
dith; and the Colonel looked complI
lcently at its sparkle on the pretty tape
Il suppose that amounts to an Ell
gagemeut," said he to himself.
"a Mrs. Meredith failed to make h
appearance at the tea-table that eveI
. ing, and consequently Colonel Chi
ley had no appetite TO speak of. I
! hurried through his meal and sougl
j the veIanda as quickly as possible
There she sat, as he had expected
= and yet not as expected. For close
~ her, with one arm thrown over Il
y back of her bamboo chair, was a grea
swarthy giant, with beard foot lou
u and cigar whose clouds he puffe
ls deliberately up into her face.
y The Colonel came to a dead halt
:, amazement. Mrs. Meredith smile
= beamingly up with tie most innocel
ef OF expressions in her velvet soft eye
=. "oh, here's Pinkie's dear frient
Or Colonel Cbixley," she exclsimet
a. Colonel, this is my husbandp
q Mr., Meredith bowed in an of han
"a manner, without rising from his cha
q or laying aside his cigar.
" "Glad to see you, sir" said h
"Bessie here has been telling me no
!. kind you have been to the little fe
rs lows. Well, don't wonder. The
ye are pretty nice children"
u Colonel Chixley stood like oil
;, transfxed. Her husbandl And att
" all the drives and bouquets and Ne
politan ices. and-most appalling r
J. Election Of all-after the diamond rim
Her husbandi And yet, when he can
soberly to reflect over the matter,
e. oo,,id nj hit odY,,it ~ hiD,ualf tho II al