The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-17
SUN, MD. FRIDAY, OCTOBER

ed. Now look at my precious wife.
She accepted me with positive alacrity,
after five weeks acquaintance, and
having to start for India we were mar
ried in three more. Well, you know the
result"
"Alas!'
"Alas be hanged. She's gother punish.
ment and my freedom. l was wildly
spooney, admit, but it was for the fifti-
eth time. So was she for perhaps the hum
dredth. Well, two years after she bolts
with little Fitzcramp, of the artillery, her
excuse, as she keeps on writing to me,
that he was her fate, that she had never
really 10 led before. Now she calls me
all the names she knows because 1 won't
apply for divorced Merci. 1 don't
happen to approve of divorce and con-
slider the spectacle of woman happily
married after boiling from her first hus-
band to be highly injurious to public
morality"
"You argue from all this that one is
quite as well off without any violent, sem
sible passion before marriage as with it?''
81 do" said the mentor, "and better a
hundred times"
And so ended the momentous inter-
view.
John returned to Hampshire, cheered
his mothers heart with a willing con-
sent. and after the briefest wooing found
himself the betrothed of the best match
in the county.
And vet
All. Why do we not speak and act for
ourselves? Vain question. AS well ask
why we have not all strong characters.
Well, by this time the equestrians have
had Il good breather, and by common
consent they pull up on reaching the
brow of a steepish decline and prepare to
descend at a foot's pace.
els this your first visit to these parts,
Miss Templemore?" asks Dalyell by way
of beginning, while he cannot but no.
tice that the fair round little face is even
lovelier than he thought it at first,
flushed and animated as it now is by
their gallop through the breezy air.
EYES," she replies, turning to him with
q frank smile; 81 was never south of Lon
don bridge before. 1t is my first trip to
Hampshire, but hope it won't be my
last, for l am already enchanted with
everything 1 see"
"Only fancy, john" put in his fiancee,
''she has not only Travelled all night, but
never even lain down."
"And why, may one ask?'
81 had two changes and the trains
were all so full"
'But are you not dead tired in spite of
Appearances he says, smiling.
81 am never tired she replies simply.
Then adds with a roguish twinkle of the
eyes, ''except of doing nothing"
81 shouldn't think that often happened
to you?"
''No indeed, I'm pretty good hand at
finding some mischief or other to busy
myself with"
Mischief" says her friend. "Why,
John, she is the cleverest little thing in
the world. There is nothing she cannot
40, and is an adept at all she attempts.
You shall come in to tea and hear her
play and sing. She will beat even you,
John, at tennis or, as to that, at billiards.;
she'-
'Now, Marian," interrupts the little
northerner, eff you won't spare my
bushes 1 shall canter on and let you
finish the catalogue" Suiting the ac-
tion to the word, she bounds lightly for
ward, but turns as she does so to dart a
sly glance at the pair, as much as to say:
eff you like to believe that ye may,
but know lovers like to have few
minutes to themselves and in moment
she is well out of earshot.
Dalyelrs first impulse is to break forth
into praise of Marians friend, but he
somehow checks the words, not trusting
himself to do SO.
SIS she not charming?" asked Miss
Peyton.
II have no doubt of it," he says cold
ly. 81 have only known her half an
hour, remember"
''But cannot you see? Oh, think her
little darling! John, you must promise
me to be very fond of her, for my sake.
She must be often with us"
Marian is looking away after the little
Amazon, but sudden shadow has fallen
athwart her fiances countenance at the
bare thoughts suggested.
Of course, it is impossible that in one
brief half hour this man of the world,
till now unscathed by the shafts of the
blind god, realized to himself that he sud-
denly loved for the first time Neverthe-
less, did lie vaguely feel that change as
mighty as it was subtle had unaccount-
ably fallen over sea, earth and sky; that
existence was from the present hour and
evermore to prove for him, John Dalyell,
something highly strung, tremendous,
which it had never been before.