The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-10-26
PRINCE CHARMING.
His Fondest Hopes Crushed at a
Single Blow.

k04ASAO OAS"s
"You ought to be ashamed of your
self. Gwendolen"
Mrs. John Walters spoke with con-
siderable emphasis. but without pro-
ducing any visible effect on the smiling
face which Gwendolen turned to her
from the window.
'And why ought l to be ashamed
of myself, Sylvia?" she replied, good
humoredly. when aperson is very
much bored in dull London lodgings,
may not that person take her painting
to the window and make a study of the
bricks and mortar on the opposite side
of the street? | assure you, Sylvia,
that, when it is finished-if it ever is
finished-it will be a most original
thing in studies"
Il tell you, Gwen" repeated Mrs.
Waltcrs-ignoring the explanation
THAT you ought to be ashamed of
yourself. You know you don't care a
bit to make study of bricks and NOR
tar any more than l do myself. You
only want real good excuse for stand
ing there the whole morning and look
ing across the street at the opposite
house"
Il confess" replied Gwen, with the
same imperturbable smile, that you
have fathomed my motive; but 1 am
not in the least ashamed of myself.
You see, unless Iwere to dress up as a
housemaid, 1 could not stand at the
window for more than quarter of an
hour without some respectable pre-
tense. | think the ingenuity of mine
reflects credit on my inventive powers;
and don't really see," she resumed
after a pause, "why you should try to
lecture me because l am interested in
q handsome Prince Charming who lives
over the way. A couple of years ago,
before you married, guess you would
have been capable of something quite
rs reprehensible. You were nineteen
then. and l am barely twenty now. If
you Airted, as you know you did"
THAT is neither here nor there,
Gwen" interrupted Mrs. Walters,
with slightly heightened color. II
may have done silly things in my time;
but there was always some one to keep
me in order. am not SO particular
with you as mother and Aunt Lucy
were with me-"
Mother and Aunt Lucy" echoed
Gwen, contemptuously. You don't
mean to say you are going to take on
the tone of middle-aged woman?
wouldn't be middle-aged just yet, if |
were you. thought at first, when
told you about Prince Charming across
the street. and how eagerly he watched
us once or twice, that you were going
to be quite as much amused by it as
am: when suddenly, for some mex
plicable reason, you draw in your
horns. and have violent attack of
propricty."
"Gwendolen," said Mrs. Walters,
''you know quite we'll did not en-
courage you. You know have scarcely
seen the man."
We'll, you had better come to the
window and look at him now" said
Gwen, with the same unrufiied equa-
nimity. HE is at the window for the
twentieth time, should think. o
dear"-and Gwen sighed Ito think
that we are only separated by few
yards of street! How wide is street,
Sylvia? haven't a notion. What a
pity there is no mutual friend who
could bridge it over by an introduce
TONI
Gwen" said Sylvia. making sud-
den attempt to turn the conversation,
don't you think to-day we might go
and buy those things l want for the
drawing room? We have scarcely
done any shopping yet"
"Shopping?' CALCULATED Gwen; "shop-
ping has no interest left for me. What
is the use of going to Liberty's and
choosing pretty things for drawing
room in an out-of-the-way Cornish viii
lage, where no one knows one fashion
from another? 1t is perfectly prepos-
terous.n
And Gwendolen heaved another sigh.
''Poor Gwen!' said Sylvia, looking
at her sister with affeetionate concern.
I'm afraid your life is rather dull
one just at present"
YOU'RE afraidr re-echoed Gwen.
''lndGcd, there is no doubt at all upon
she subject Nevertheless. l am not