The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-22


man from the country, and, not less imp9r-
tant, Tramlay's manfer toward the younger
guest. He could also note the effect of the
young man and his ways upon Mrs. Tramlay;
for did he not know how to translate every
expression of her facet 1t was his own fault
if he did not, for he had been one of her
suffers nearly quarter of century before,
and the lady had never ceased to be mildly
grateful for this compliment, and to repose as
much confidence in him as a loyal wife might
without harm grant an acquaintance who
never had been offensive
That Mrs. Tramlay wanted Lucia to be-
come Mrs. Marge was one of these conf
dences-not spoken, but none the less dis
tinctly understood-and it had taken all of
Marges adroitness to maintain his position
with the family, since Lucia's coming out"
to avoid being brought to propose Several
years earlier he had fully intended to make
Lucia his own when she should reach mar
riageable age, and many and acceptable had
been the attentions by which he had endeav-
ored to secure the first place in the girls re-
gard. But somehow, as his prospects gradu-
ally yet distinctly frightened, the profits of
the iron trade as gradually and distinctly
waned; Marge was not in the iron trade him
self, but Lucias father was, and bachelors at
IS generally expect something with a bride
besides a fathers blessing. What the girls
father thought of him Marge hadnever taken
time to wonder, for if he was satisfactory to
his fastidious self how could he be otherwise
to a plodding family man? Hissocial position
was good his name had never been part of a
scandal; he had no debts; he never borrowed
money, and, although club man, no one had
ever seen him drunk or heard of his being
fond Z: -esses. If all this did not make a
man pot merely irreproachable, but highly
desirable as a son-in-law, what did parents
expecti
The arrangement of seats at the table suit
ed Lucia also. She knew her mothers mat
rimonial intentions regarding her. She was
not in love with Marge, but girls in her set
did not think it good form to be very fond of
men whom hey probably would have to
marry. If, however, Marge meant business,
she wished he would be more attentive TO it.
She felt thai she was missing great deal of
pleasure for lack of proper escort Twice in
the course of the last season Marge had taken
her and her mother to the opera; Lucia
Rdored opera-that is, she liked to look about
the house, and see who was with who, and
how the prima donna dressed, and TO have
6SANiShiOi StA1 dS Lei DOA DtbmcCu dSlo-Dub
two operas were merely sips at cup she
longed to drain, and only once had she been
able to persuade her father to mitigate the
privation. If apparent interest in Phil at
table could have any effect upon Marge's
languid purpose, the provoking fellow should
not lack stimulus. To have to devote herself
for whole hour to one young man, in the
long hair and country garbwhich regained
her father announced that Phil was coming
to dinner, seemed hard task; but when the
young man made his appearance Lucia was
so agreeably surprised that what had seemed
task at once became by anticipation posi-
tive pleasure.
The evening soon opened promisingly for
Marge, for Phil took soup a second time-a
proceeding which inflicted upon Mrs. Tram
lay several moments of uncontrolled annoy
ance and caused profound silence. aron9d the