, 1889-08-28
After this the wedding prenaratioD,

amer. ats all up, old man" he said,
with desperate frankness.
Great heavensl what do you mean2'
exclaimed Brooks, aghast
Miller laughed n little. "Oh, it isn't
as bad rs that" no said, ''only Miss
Howard can't come; she has sprained
her ankle. Lucky it was no worse. She
was thrown from her horse. Her father
must be an idiot to let her ride horse
back. suppose he wants to break her
neck"
Brooks laughed in spite OF his disap-
pointment. "Oh, you're not yourself at
all, Miller" he said; land small blame
to you. However. as you say, it is lucky
it is no worse"
Eyes; but what shall you dor
II? shall send her out some flowers,
and n note to say that l am SORRY"
Miller looked relieved. "And you'll
be oil hand yourself all the samey' he
said.
do you take me for a childy' an
swered Brooks, with some asperity. "Of
course will"
He was as good as his word.
you're a trump, Brooks" Miller said
to him, in a hasty aside at the reception.
navy oANhOlC NOuIstll lO-nlknL.
Don't say n word" returned Brooks.
in a low, delighted voice. 81 have a
note from Miss Howard in my pocket,
asking me to come out tomorrow after
noon and tell ner about it. So l am
playing society reporter tonight. seeing
everything and everybody"
Miller laughed. Alas! poor Rad
fordf" he said, significantly.
On the following afternoon, therefore,
a pretty young lady with an interesting
pillowed foot was relating circumstan-
TALLY the story of her temporary in
validism and its cause to a brown u
tached young man seated near her, who
showed an absorbing interest in the sub
ject.
1t was an attractive picture for con-
temptation on a warm day. A shady
veranda, with the gentle breeze coming
toward it over an odorous velvet lawn;
n small afternoon tea table set forth with
fruit and cooling beverages, and n young
and attractive pair of people l~uxuriously
disposed to enjoy their beautiful sur.
roundings and Zach others society.
1t was a reality doubly fair in the eyes
of the young man, who was exchanging
for it the monotony of business routine
in the dusty city. Not that his lot was
n hard one. An only son in business
with his prosperous father is in the ma
jority of cases rather overpaid than
overworked; still such n day, such n
situation and such a companion formed
nm unusual combination. 1t was the
first tete-a-tete hat he had ever enjoyed
with her wherein the certainty of an
IN tarrr,VttA@ ,-,. - .. -.
now-now no carriage waited at the
curb to bear her from him; no partner
all too prompt would come to claim his
waltz. Brooks had known for many n
day that there was more happiness to be
found in the society of this young lady
than in that of any other, but the differ
ence had never shown so plainly as now.
Presently she raised a great bunch of
rare roses which lay on the couch beside
her and held them admiringly above her
eyes. These are the second you have
sent already" she said. II understand
something from them"
80 much the better" he returned,
boldly. 81 intended that you should"
She glanced at him over her flowers
and then fastened her eyes upon them.
81 understand" she said, that you are
very e~xtravagant and very young"
"Young!" he echoed, paying no heed
to the less shocking adjective. by that
you mean foolish, | suppose. However,
the flowers pleased you, didn't theyy'
"Yes, but they did not please papa"
Ali here was mention of that bette
noire at last. He had almost forgotten
its existence. your father-is-hard to
Ylnnun 10 Ra tNntyf Ia a,f1 h,I,.--I. al
think l have heard that he was not al
ways quite amicably disposed toward
such as l."
She covered her face completely with
the roses at this, but when she spoke he
could divine nothing from her manner
Papa likes to nave his own way" she
said, half apoloSeticdlly. Then seeming
to cast ~concealment to the winds, "IIe
has a high temper" she confessed. you
know some people have, but his is some
thing quite terrible, the storming, raving
kind; not toward me-he is the dearest,
most devoted father in the world; but
toward young men, especially young
men who sen me flowers, he is quite
violent sometimes"
He nodded seriously, thinking of Rad
ford's fate; at least that fate should not
be his. 81 shall meet Mr.. Howard at
dinner, shall l not?' he asked, wishing
the flowers in Jericho which so entirely
concealed her face. II suppose that if IA
man conducts himself like n gentleman
in his presence he is treated like one"
"Oh, certainly-that is, sometimes
nearly always. But he has beer asking
n great many questions about you since
these came. He says that he has known
your father all his life, and he always
admired him. Still, papa is hard to
please; although he likes your father he
may not like you. You are not your
father, you know"
And you are not yours, thank heaven;
so let us dismiss the subject, and defer
the evil hour as long as possible. Will
OF put down those roses, or shall 1 take
lemy' He stretched forth a HAND toward
them, but she avoided it.
"You have not told me u word about
the wedding" she said, hastily; 81 am
dying to zeal about it. Begin at once"
"oh, certainly" he acquiesced, with