Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-12-13
CHAPTER
THE PROGRESS OF


who is Miss Delorme, Clarry?' said |
Sephmus, after he had got into the street.
We'll, pa, it strikes me rs very curious
question, after you We pronounced Miss De-
lorme the most charming woman you ever
met i'll your life except ma, not even CIV
ing me chance, to ask who she is, said
Clarry, laughing.
"Yes No!-that is, | mean-oh, You
know what mean" stammered Septimus.
She told me almost everything yesterday.
That is, she told Inc that she was a book
keeper in a large importing house down
town. know the house, and they stand
A No. l; but it seems very strange that they
should have woman in that position.
"It's because she's woman, pa. They
pay her Just half what they would pay a
man to do the same work. She conducts
ali the foreign correspondence, and speaks
five languages iluently, while poor me can
hardly get along with little French and
German, though l study hard"
And | can't get along with English, my
dear. But that isn't what | meant, Clarry.
mean, what is she to Stanley Are they
engaged, or what?"
L guess, what, papa. But I'll tell you
all about it, as far as I've heard"
And then she told Septimus all that she
knew about Stanley and Miss Delorme for
Clarry was accustomed to more condolences
with her father than with her mother.
strange to say, and up to this time she had
never spoken to her mother about Stanley,
except in casual way, as one whom she
had met as she had met a hundred others;
but she had never invited Stanley to her
home, nor given her mother the least cause
to suspect, in any of her acquaintance, that
she would take the serious part, being the
matrimonial, when it came to that off her
hands.
And now, after she had told Septimus all
she had to tell about Stanley and Miss De-
lorme, he smiled grim smile of satisfac-
ton, and Clarry had hope that he would
question her further. But, no. the old
dolt, absorbed that moment in paint, oil,
and putty-and Miss Delorme-could not
see love peeping through the whole revela-
ton.
1T seems to me, Clarry," said Septimus.
thoughtfully, that this Stanley lives rather
extensively for-well- young t1inter"
Il don't know, papa, as he does. He
can make money very fast when he chooses,
but he cares more for reputation than
money. Why, you have just paid him five
thousand dollars for a picture, and look on
it as favor at that. while he values it SO
little that he gives it to Miss Delorme as q
marriage dover.
How do you know that?" snapped Sep
timus, suddenly.
Never mind, pa; woman can find out
what man can't, sometimes. It's tue,
though. Moreover, you know, papa, Mr..
Stanley was brought up with different
tastes and habits from you. He has had
his struggling days, have heard, and had
rich relatives who let him struggle. He
has got through that, and now he takes his
reward, for, though he works very hard, as
am told, he enjoys himself.
"Hem!" coughed Septimus, II should
think SO. His studio, as they call it, is fur
nished handsomer than our parlor, and, if
I'm to judge by the price ] paid for the
in pictures alone. Then that piano, a
grand, you know, must have cost him a
thousand dollars at least
Il hope you don't begrudge it to him,
papa. do your" said Clarry, in an upbraid-
ing tone.
"Begrudge i'll Why, how silly you talk,
child. It's none of my business, and yet
can't help noticing it. don't you see, though.
as you say, it's all matter of taste and
habit" And with this sage remark Sept.
mus dropped Stanley and went to Miss De-
lorme. shes fine girl, Clarrv, and il
won't do You any harm to, as your mother
calls it, cultivate her. She'll improve you,
Clarry."
And how about Mr.. Stanley, papa? Do
you think he'll improve me if l cultivate
him?" asked Clarry, laughing.
"Um! that's something l can't tell you
anything about, my child" said Septimus
gravely. "Its something don't pretend to
understand, and so / leave it all to your
mother"
And still the dolt that walked beside little
Garry did not see the love beaming in her
eyes-the love that had prompted her to
fly so quickly to the defense of it's object.
That evening, again. under the care OF
Jimmy Marks, Fitz made his appearance at
the Dufrom mansion, the landlady being as
deeply interested in the progress of the af-
fair as Miss Delorme. The latter had au-
nounced to her friend, the landlady, that
Fitz was coming again en- grande seigneur,
and Jimmy Marks had told her that his
friend Fitz James was struck.
Every much struck, Mrs. Dufrom, as
sure you, madam never saw SO total a
crush in all my life. The poor fellow is
perfectly imbecile on account of it. He
can talk of nothing but Miss Delorme. You
see, Mrs. Dufrom, his family, that is, his
mother, who is terribly aristocratic. noble
family, don't you see, says Fitz James must
marry for money, but Fitz, with that no.
bility which he inherits from the mothers
side, says, No; if / see the woman love
will have her, though she be not worth q
penny and he loves Miss Delorme madly.
After this call, Mrs. Dufrom. shall leave
Ftz to get along by himself, and l suggest
to you that it is just as well to leave the
young couple by themselves as much as
possible. only come this time by particu-
lar request.
Mrs. Dufrom entirely agreed with every
thing that Mr.. Marks said, and went imme-
diately to report it, word for word, to Ma
rion, who laughed heartily.
Poor fellow!" she said. She had al
ready told Mrs. Dufrom about the acct
dental making acquaintance with Fits
father and sister, but charged her to say
nothing to Mr.. Marks about it. I'm really
sorry for him, but somehow, Amely" MRS.
Dufroms name was Amelia), Mr.. Marks
account don't agree with Mr.. Smiths, Sc
nior. / noticed that, when the old gentle
man gave way to what Percy calls blast
about his son, Clarry took up the cudgels.
and, though it was labor of love. it was
very weakly performed one. Now. / have
a better opinion of young Smith than his
father has, and even his father cannot say
that there's anything vicious about him.
feel sure that there can't he anything radi-
cally wrong in a man who is loved and adj
mired by sister, and l am sure that Fitz,