, 1888-11-11
CONFUSION OF TITLES.

.'And so Fields had a wife and six
children!" Mr.. Scott smiled gently to
himself as he thought of it. "And not
only a wife and six children, but he had
been married twice-he had had two
wives" There was nothing absurd nor
remarkable about these facts, except as
Mr.. Scott chose to make them so. He
had known Thomas Fields for ten or ff-
teen years on Wall street, and he had al
ways fancied him an old bachelor, while
in truth he was mourning one wife and
counting another.
Il wonder il he made lover said Mr..
Scott to himself, and again he smiled.
Then he wondered if the six boys looked
Alike their father. And there was no rea-
son why they should not have been will
ing to look like him, for he was by no
means i'll favored, although he was tall
and spare, and had the anxious, worried
look Of a man whose anxieties and re-
sponsibilities outrun his resources. But
as far as money goes this was not true Of
Nh. Fields, who was a very rich man in
deed.
Perhaps it pleased Mr.. Scott to be
facetious, and to take a lively and con
trary view of life. 1t was late afternoon
anu near lIdll llllb, dlu III tlb NOullS
people and the wives whose husbands
went to the city every day had gone to
the station, so that the two men were
almost alone under the tree on the lawn
where they had placed their chairs. They
were smoking, and Mr.. Scott was toying
with a tennis racquet left in his care.
After a while Mr.. Scott spoke, not the
substance but the shadow of his thoughts;
a.Vn,,r HAva OUGHT 10 no n nraat comfort
to you, Fields. Six sons! They oughtto
carry on your business and perpetuate
your name"
They will not carry on my business
not one of them. When Dick made
up his mind hat he wanted to go to
West Point, and Bob determined to study
medicine, l didn't care, because there
were the four left; but Logan has taken
TO farming, Fred has gone into law, and
Harry has a perfect craze about becom-
ing a minister; SO you see the business
will go into other hands. 1t is not right
not at all right"
"But there are six of them? How
about the SIXTH"
"Phil2 He is the greatest disappoint-
ment of all. The brightest boy I have,
Mr.. Scott"
..Well?"
Phil has very reprehensible ideas.
He writes verses, and will not go into
business nor into a profession. He says
he can live on his allowance. And he
does, I'll say that for him-and ON his
salary"
His salary2 Why, then, he is in
business?n
Just now he is. In a brewery. He
is a clerk in n brewery, and gets $3.50 a
year. That is like Phil. Obstinate-a.
perfect pig headed fellow for obstinacy."
But l don't understand, said Mr.,
Scott. Don't you want him to be in a
brewery, or does he do it to spite you?"
Not to spite me, but he is very ag-
gravating. l nave talked to him a good
deal, and l have said some plain truths to
him. One day he told me that he would
prove that he was not lazy, and that he
could earn his living at a tread mil if he
chose, and so he found this situation and
took it. He says he means to stay a
year"
why, l like that" cried Mr.. Scott.
The boy has grit"
Il don't like grit, " replied Mr.. Fields,
when it gets between my teeth"
"Well," said Mr.. Scott, I've often
wished we nae a son, but six of them can
make life lively. My daughter is as good
a girl as any one need desire, but she has
her vagaries.
Your daughter is a very nice girl"
Mr., Fields warmly responded, ''and a
very pretty one too. l have noticed her
n good deal. If l had a daughter l
should be perfectly satisfied to nave her
exactly like your Regina"
She is a very good girl, - repeated the
father, with modest pride; "'but it is a
great responsibility to nave n marriagea-
BILE daughter"
Mr.. Fields grimly smiled. "She seems
to have her choice. All the young g.,l
here nave eyes for her only"
lit is the poor quality of the young
men, Mr.. Fields-the men of today.
Why, there is not a man at Oak Hill tC
whom l would give Regina. No, nor il
New York, as far as 1 know. 1t is q
serious matter, and one to be looked al
from every point Of view, this choosing
of a husband for a girl. She gives VI
everything when she marries-name,
home everything into which she has
grown. To choose for a girl e tc
blindly take for her either misery or hap.
piness."
You are fortunate if you are allowed
to choose" Mr.. Fields dryly answered.
Logan married well, and Bob is en-.
gagged to n very nice girl, one of the
Hookers-Hooker, Hood & Co.. but here
comes another of Pills perversities. He
wants to marry a professional"
"a PROFESSIONAL Is the lady on tho
stage:"
Worse than that-she-she is an ath
lete, a sort of female prize fighter"
why, that is horriblel I'd seId hic