Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-22

verses from which his father had suffered had
made Philip proud, and had restrained him
from association with the other young men.
Thrown on himself he had become self-con
tanned rigid in his views, his manners and stlH
in his movements When he offered his arm
to Salome she did not like to appear ungrae-
ious and decline it She touched it lightly,and
readily with drew her hand, as she encountered
the eye of Mrs. Sidebottom.
"Ohr' said that lady, Il was only premature,
Philip, in saying that your arm was taken last
night"
'.'Only premature" replied Philip; Il have
persuad ed Miss ellsworth out of that opinion
which you forced on her when you took her
arm"
s.She is, perhaps, easily persuaded" !" said Mrs.
Sdebottom, with a toss of her head:
~ have induced her to agree to enter into
partnership"
be in future Pennycomequick Co..-the Co.
to stand for Cusworth?"
"You ask how" said Philip. 81 reply, as my
wife,
He allowed his aunt a minute to digest the
information, and then added, Il am unable to
ask you to stay longer at present, as must in
form Mrs. ellsworth of the engagement"
"Let me tender my congratulations, said
Mrs Sidebottom; "and let me recommend
new lock on the garden door, lest And Co.
should bring in through it train of rapacious
out-at-elbow relatives, who would be hardly
satisfied with great coat and hat"
Philip was too incensed to answer. He
allowed his aunt to open the front door un-
assisted.
When she was gone, he said to Salome 81
am not in humor to see your mother now.
Besides, it is advisable, for her sake, that the
news should be told her through you. am so
angry with that insolent-I mean with Mrs.
Sidebottom, that 1 might frighten your mother.
I will come later"
He left Salome and mounted to his study,
where he paced up and down, endeavoring to
recover his composure, doubly shaken by his
precipitation in offering marriage without pre-
meditation, and by his aunt's sneer. He had
been surprised into taking the most important
step in life, without having given a thought to
it before. He was astonished at himself that
he, schooled as he had been, should have act
ed without consideration on an impulse. He
had been carried away, not by the passion of
love, but of anger.
In the story of the Frog-Prince, the faithful
Eckhard fastened three iron bands round his
heart to prevent it from bursting with sorrow
when his master was transformed into loath-
some frog When. however the Prince recov-
cred his human form, then the three iron
bands snapped in succession. One hoop after
another of hard constraint had been welded
about the heart of Philip, and now, in an ex-
| plosion of wrath all had given way like tow.
When Philip was alone, and had cooled, he
became fully aware of the gravity of his act;
and, as natural result, reaction set in.
He knew little of Salome, nothing of her
parentage; and though he laid no store on
pedigree, he was keenly aware that union
with one who had, or might have. Objectionable
or impecunious relatives, as difficult to drive
away as horsefies, might subject him to much
| annoyance.
In manufacturing district, little is thought
J. of mans ancestors so long he is himself
respectable and his pockets are full. Those
who begin life as mill hands often emo it as
mill heads, and the richest men are'sometimes
the poorest in social qualifications
Mrs. Sldebottom, with feminine shrewdness
and malice, had touched Philip where she
knew he would feel the touch and would vince.
She had put her finger at once on the weak
point of the situation he was creating for him.
| self.
Philip was vexOd at his own weakness; as