Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-11-30

When these two friends were left to-
gether Lord GuiSe threw himself back
in his chair and laughed until the tears
came into his eyes
Upon my word, he exclaimed, ''thiS
is about the best joke | have ever heard
off,
1t may be-" answered Percy rather
grimly, though some people might
thiuk that it was little Spoilt by be-
ing so IN natured."
III natured, What do you mean?
You look aS if you meant me, but | hope
YOU aren't so unjust as that. Is it my
fault that three men over whose actions
have no cOntrol-eXcept the limited
control which they have been so kind
as 10 give me-have seen fit to play the
fool NJ one and the same time? | sup
pose | may call that singular coinci-
dence Joke without giving offenSe,
may InOt?"
YES: but what you are chuckling over
is the way in which you have check
mated Us all 1 don't deny that it is
funny: only | don't call il exactly
| friendly"
-Thorold, you are very ungrateful.
Much aS dislike matrimOny in the alb
Stract. l fully recognize the fact that
we'll 10 do men with domestic proclivi-
ties are bound TO marry, and if my vot-
ing for YOU would have done you any
good YOU should hove had my vote. To
the best of my knowledge and belief
Miss Leslie is unexceptionable; but
MoretOn and Schneider, you see, think
otherwise. / can't help that"
.'And have only myself TO thank
for the absurd fix that am in. That is
true enough, suppose: but at any rate
have 10 thank you for suggesting this
| foul project. What on earth made you
do it?''
Lord Guise lighted a fresh cigar
tucked one leg under him and swung
the other too and fro laziiy.
My dear fellow" he replied, Il will
be perfectly candid with you. l con
Tess that started this society with a
special as well as 4 general object
and | trust you won't think me I'M
! friendly when | tell you that that
special object was your welfare.
You are so evidently 4 marrying man
that | foreSaw how easily you
would be captured again, and | wished
to protect you against widows and girls
in their fourth season and other design
ing persons. | wasn't even quite GER
tain that | might not have to protect
YOU once more agrinSt Sybil BelvOir her
self. for that woman is so capriciouS and
so malignant that nobody except Il
hardened philosopher such as am can
be considered safe from her
II only wish she would try her hand
on YOU" exclaimed Percy, who was not
at all gratited by this ayowal of a be-
neyolent interest i'm his private affairs.
Il sincerely wish She would" an
swered Lord GuiSe with laugh; THAT
would keep her out of mischief for
time and it wouldn't do me any harm.
But YOU may depend upon it that she
won't. She prefers TO practice her arts
upon an unfortunate wretch like More
ton. who had the audacity to imagine
that he could resist her, or upon a
millionaire like Schneider, whom she
NAV have thought of marrying. won
der whether she would have married
him? They say she has been outrun-
ming the constable of late, you know.
Il don't know anything about it,"
returned Percy impatiently: lit IS no
business of mine. and why you should
look upon il as your business | can't
think"
For the sake of my weaker breth-
rem, replied Lord GuiSe, Il feet it my
duty to keep a watchful eye upon the
WAYS and wiles of the other sex. Schnei-
der will live to thank me with tears in
his eyes
Possibly, and dare say tits because
am more selfish than you that don't
care little bit what becomes of Schnei-
der. What / should like TO know, if you
could tell me-but of course you can't
is how am to account to Miss Leslie
for my extraordinary behavior. As |
fully intend asking her TO be- my wife in
January next | must manage to find
some reason which won't sound hope
leSSly inadequate, for taking no notice
of her between now and then"
That's easily done. Go to Persia, or
China, or Japan, or some such place.
Parliament will be up in week or two,
and you won't be wanted again before
February, so that you will be quite free
20 leave the country. Tell her you want
to study the working of the Chinese con-
StitutiOn, or that you are anxious to pick
up some specimens of ancient Japanese
art before the last of them is sold"
Yes" agreed ThorOld gloomily, 81
suppose that is what | will have to say.
| should think there was very little
chance of her believing me, though"
Lord Guise shrugged his shoulders.
''Oh, | dare say she won't quite believe
YOU" he admitted, ''but that, as l told
you before, is entirely your own fault.