Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-14


if necessary. But then, again, on second
thoughts, wouldn't it only be prudent to
lodge this $4,000 with some third person,
some man of position whom all could trust,
and who would send it in installments. to
avoid the risk OF carrying so large sum
about with one? There might be little
harmless condition or two attached, more
over. You undertake, for example, that the
young people shall not have communication
with each other; you say your grand
daughter will do as you wish in all things.
Very well, take her away; disappear, both
of you; you are doing us an immense Kind
ness, and you are acting in the best interests
of all concerned. Never mind little mis-
cry here or there, or the risk OF broken
heart; we can afford to pay for such things;
we can afford to have the moulds of des-
sert service destroyed-and little matter OF
1000 is not much, when we have plans.
And so those two 60 out into the world
again."
He paused for second. "Well, aunt,
you've had your way; and there's no more
to be said, except this, perhaps, that you
don't seem to realize the greatest OF all the
mistakes you have made. Your three years,
even if they should be three years OF alb
sence, will not be years of forgetfulness on
either Maisrie Bethune's part or mine. Oh,
no; nothing of the kind; don't cherish any
illusions on that score. 1t happened curl
ously that Just before they left Brighton she
and had u little talk over one or two
| things; and she asked me for promise,
which I gave her, and which l mean to
| keep"
Well, the handsome lad now standing be-
fore her had great hold on her affection;
and she even admired, 10 a covert way, this
very bigotry of constancy and answering
faith of his, so that Tor an instant her head
swan, and she was on the point OF crying
out 'Vincent-Vincent-go and bring her to
me-and will take her to my heart-for
| your saker' But the next moment she had
recovered from that mad impulse; she saw
that what had been done was not to be un-
| done in that happy -go-lucky fashion, even
| if it could be undone at all; and she was
silent and embarrassed. 1t was he who
spoke.
well, you must excuse me, aunt; I've
| to be down at the House by question time. !"
You're not going like that, VlnP" she
| exclaimed.
"What do you want of me?" he asked in
a coldly civil way.
"I-I-want you to be as you once were,
to all of u.s." she cried, rather incoherentlY.
II want you to 60 back to Grosvenor Place;
and to accept the allowance your father has
made you ever since you came of age; and
to resume the old bygone relations with us.
Surely it would be possible, with little
| consideration on both sides. What we have
done was done entirely out of thoughtful
ness for you; and if we have made mis-
take-we are only human beings! And re-
member, it is quite possible that you may
be mistaken too, Vim; it is one thing to be
able to get up and make clear and clever
speech about some political subject, and
| quite another to- understand some of the
strange sides of human nature. You may
be mistaken just as much as we-and-
| and"
"What you propose, aunt" said he (for
time was precious with him), "even if it
were practicable, would only be temporary.
am looking forward to marrying Maisrie
Bethune-in spite of your three years of
| forgetfulness-and when that happens, your
patched-up state of affairs would all come to
bits again. So what is the use OF protesting
sort of sham reconciliation? I have no
wish to return to Grosvenor Place. I have
taken some rooms at the foot of Bucking-
ham street; and have key that lets me
through by the Embankment gardens into
| Villiers street; it will be convenient for
| getting to the House. And can tide along
| pretty well without any allowance from my
father; In fact, I'm saving little money in
a quiet way"
"But at what a cost, Vincent-at what a
costr' she protested. 81 wish you could see
how worn and i'll you are looking"
"Well, I've had some things to think of
lately-thanks to my kind relatives" said
he. "But really must be Off"
Vincent" she said, making one last des-
pairing effort to- bring things back to their
former footing, 'when are you going to ask
Louie Drexell and me to dine with you at
the House?"
I'm SO busy, aunt, just now said he, as
he opened the door for her. Then he saw
her into her carriage; and she drove away
a most perplexed and unhappy woman.
These rooms that Vincent had taken at
the foot of Buckingham street were right up
at the top of the building; and commanded a
spacious prospect of the river, the embank-
ment gardens, the bridges, the great dusky
world of London lying all around, and the
dome of st. PauPs rising dim and phantas-
NAL in the East. They were bachelor cham
bers, that had doubtless seen many tenants
| (the name of one, George Brand, was still
over the door, and Vincent did not think il
worth while to change it), but the young
man had no sooner entered into possession
than he began a series of alterations and
Improvements that bachelor chambers did
not seem to demand. Not in any hurry,
however, nor perhaps with any fixed
intent; it was kind of amusement
for this or that odd halt-hour he
could snatch from his multifarious
duties. To begin with, he had the wood
work painted deep Indian red, and the
walls pearly blue-gray; while the former
color was repeated in the Japanese window
curtains, and the latter by the great world
outside, on the lambent moonlight nights,
or sometimes in the awakening of the dawn,
as he lay in low easy chair and watched
the vast, silent city coming out of its sleep.
This top floor was a very still place, except
for the early chattering of the tree sparrows,
into whose nests, swaviUg on the branches
Just beneath him, he could have tossed q
biscuit And then his peregrinations
through London, rapid though they were Us
a rule, occasionally brought him face to
face with bric-a-brac shop; and from time
to time he picked up one thing or another,
Just as it happened to strike his fancy. Per.
haps these modest purchases were just a
trifle too elegant for a bachelors apart
ments, the sitting room away up in that
lofty situation came to look rather
like boudoir; for example, there
was music stand in rosewood and
ormula-a tall stand it was, az
if for a violin player-which he him.
self never used. Pictures he could moi
afford; but books he could; and the volumes
which were one by one added to those
shelves were of more graceful and literary
stamp than you would have expected to find
in the library of young and busy member
of Parliament. 1t was not lordly palace
Of art, this humble suite OF apartments in
the neighborhood of the Strand; but there
was a prevailing air of selection and good