The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-30

I AZ p I 5ut SO ' it IS Irs.
member her as an infant lying in your
arms; and it does not seem to me that |
have changed much since then And yet
Pauline is woman, and has more char
acter and substance, too, than many a
woman of twice her age. What miracles
time works."
"She is the best girl in the world" said
the mother tenderly.
81 am much inclined to agree with
you," responded the judge.
"She is SO strong, SO clear sighted, so
faithful and upright" pursued Mrs.
Nolen. "And yet there is nothing cold
or unsympathetic about her. When her
emotions are touched, she seems all fire
and spirit, l am sure no sister ever loved
her brother, nor any daughter her moth
er, as Pauline loves Percy and me-"
II can well believe it, And have you
ever seen signs in her of another sort of
love-rot that Of the daughter or the sis
teri"
"Oh, am afraid to think of that!' re-
turned Mrs. Nolen, pressing her white
hands nervously together. at is so easy
for girl : y make mistake; and for her
q mistake would be fatalv
81 think she has good sense enough
not to fall into any serious error" said
the judge, though 1 am no less per-
suaded that, if she loved a man who in
himself was worthy of her, she would
allow no considerations Of merely selfish
prudence to prevent her union with him.
But l was going to ask you," he added,
with q certain subdued anxiety in his
deep toned voice, "whether it has come
to your neutrality-suspicious. you have
any reason to think that she has already
met any one who-whom she would be
likely to prefer to any one else?"
81 have not thought of tit has not
occurred to me!' said Mrs, Nolen, with
an accent Of apprehension, looking at the
judge with wide open eyes.
sit is hardly too soon to take such a
possibility into consideration" he re-
turned pauline is mature for her age;
and it is not too much to say that she is
one of the most beautiful young women
In New York. You take her good deal
into society; she can hardly fail to meet
with admiration"
"Yes, yes, you are right" said the
mother Nov that you speak of it,
see that such thing may happen. But
she has spoken to me of no one, and |
am sure she would have spoken if
do not trust too much to that" he
interposed "a young girl, with a mind
as healthy and pure as hers, does not
readily ask herself if she be in love; she
may become SO before she is aware of it,
and only the avowal of her lover will
open her eyes. Till then you cannot ex-
pect her to speak of it to you And then,
if she have made up her mind, it would
be too late to speak"
"But would you advise me to question
her? Might it not suggest to her some
thing which she otherwise would not
have thought of?'
THAT is not improbable. But why not
approach the matter from the other sidei
Is there no one among the young men
who know her who have shown signs of
any particular interest in herr"
"Ihey all seem to admire her." said
Mrs. Nolen. But can think of no one
in particular unless it be Percy's friend,
Mr.. Martin.
Valentine Martin-the young Eng
lishman?"
Yes. Percy sometimes brings him
here. But his being a friend of Percy
makes a difference between him and the
Others"
GLOW so?"
"1n the fact of his being here oftener.
l mean, if it were not for that should
think his visits had some further signifi-
Cancel
II am not altogether convinced that
his being friend of Percy would de-
prive his visits of significance, said the
Judge. at is conceivable, at any rate
that he might have made friend OF
Percy in order to facilitate his access to
Pauline"
He seemed frank, straightforward
young man, not one you would suspect
of doing anything underhand.
The judge laughed very low, pleas
ant laugh he had, which made those who
heard it disposed at once to like him
you are more like a nun, in your un
suspiciousness and unworldliness, thar
like q married woman who goes in New
York society,"" said he. Let me assuI,
you, my dear, that man in love is moi
to be held q criminal, or even a hypo
critic, if he uses some strategy to get neal
the object of his affection. l should for
give Mr. Martin even if he went so fal
as to pretend cordially for Percy thai
he did not really feel, if so he might in
duce Percy to admit him to the intimacy
of your household. No. if --e are t