The Forrest City times., 1890-06-14
Uncle Archie's Wife.
CHATTER Rv.-(CoNrrxurp.) ]

| However there was not much usc
 wasting time in conjecture, but jus
 then the dinner-bcll rang. and uncle
 Archie came hurricdiy in. He looked. | I thought. rather relieved that we had
 not fallen out in deadly fashion during
 his brief absence. Poor uncle Archie,
 how plainly every nervous look and | gesture betrayed his consciousness Of
 the terrible error he had made. The rest of tho evening pa sgd
 away in quiet uncventul fashion
 Mother dozcd as usual by the chim-
 ney-corner; Estellc Gerrard with Il
 calm indifference to all the duties of J u hostess, took up n b ok and bc ame apparently absorbed in i $ contents; ] uncle Archie, after ono or two half l hearted attempts to mako the convor- | sation general, drew his chair up to
 mine and began to tltk about my en | gagement and Dick
 ''When is h. com ng 10 sec nc, l lrene?" he asked. looking wish the 1 old kindly interest at tho ring l was
 nervousiy turning rounl on my finger | as l spoke. "SooE, l hope. l want
 to bc better ac .uainled with the young fellow who has been lucky
 enough to win my li,s,e lycnes love 'I am the lucky person, uncle Ar
 chic" l returned quickly. You will
 soon sec that whom you kno Dick
 he is tho clovercst, tue liiude {. the dearest -
 "0f course, the Chevaicr Bayaga
 and Admiral Crichtoa in on& will
 take all that on trust, Irene, and sill
 say he is not too good for my l.,ile girl. Irenea his voice dropped still
 lower, and there was wlstfulness in
 his kind troubled eyes that nude my
 heart ache e--.I hope you will be as
 happy as you have led to mako
 others all your innocent young fife
 as you have tried to make me go- night.n
 Indefinite as the words wore,
 knew what he meant, and glanced hurridly at Estolle. who was ou,y di- vided from us by the width of the long
 roomi but she was still placidly read
 ing, and apparently unintcrestcd in
 our conversation.
 .Doar uncle Archic,n said. with Ii ! reassuring squeeze of his hand, ais il
 disrespeetful to toll ono's unelo he Is | talking nonsense? Because, if so,
 must bo disrespectful am afraid, + | you and l do not understand one
 another by this time. VIC arc never
 likely to do so; and Mrs. Gcrrard and | 1 will be sworn friends and allies
 soon.n l spoke with cherry con
 fidencc l did not quite fecl; but he
 shook his head. his faco clouding over with very weary and hopeless 1 look
 Il am afraid that is not likely 10 be. Irene 1 know no effort on your 1 part will te wanting; but he 1 glanced a>ross at the beautiful indo- l ent figure in the loungin g-chair e.it | iakes two 10 make friendship and
 you do not know Estellc," Better than you think persisted valiantly. sNhy, uncle Archie. you do
 not know how quickly wo women can
 make friends when we ehooso 10 do
 so. Estolle has told me her whole
 history"
 He shuddercd, twisted his nous
 tache with neryously- shaking fingers,
 and then suddenly and inconseluently
 reverted to the subject of Dick. 1 .'When do you say young Martineau will be at Ludlelgh again, Irene2 I Not for woekP Oh, that Is too long 10 wait, Teil him to come down at once Ito morrow. If possible l 1 want to talk business with him to
 talk to him about you.
 ''But there Is plenty of timo for that, ] replied protestingly, wonder l ing whether, as hc had thought
 weeks wooing sufficient in his own case. he wished 10 place the same
 limit on ours. "Dick Is working very
 hard, uncle Archie; he says he shall allow himself only two or three days
 holiday in the year now
 linen he had better take the holi- day at once, Tell him so, my dear: say that l particularly wish 10 see him--there are business matters to be arranged between us. Ask him to come at once, and giye us at least week.
 l could only nod assent and wonder what he meant, for just then Estolle threw down her book, and glanced at the clerk with significant yawn. "lou are not staying here thenpN she 1 said, when mother answered that hint by murmuring something abopt or dering the carriage for ten o'clock "Oh. in that case l will not go to bed just yet, though l really am tired io doath"
 1 Poor mother made u polite protest which Mrs. Gerrard answered with another yawn and t careless assurance that, after all, another quarter of an hour did not make much difference it would soon be over.
 The seconds that made up that time of waiting crept by slowly but ten struck Ut last, and with the stroke came the servant 10 tell us that the carriage was at the door.
 "WelT'-mother's pent-up indigna- ton found vent at last when we were safely alone. rolling smoothly aud swiftly along in the calm summer hlEht--''what do you think or your unclc's choice now. Ireno?H .'She Is very beautiful and little | puzzliug," l answered. rather at Il loss for word.
 ''PuSzlingn mother echoed, with a contcmptuous laugh. II should call her something more than that--some- thing stronger and more condemn | atory, But, after all, it is con demnation when you, the universal apologist, can find no other word to uso in her defense"
 II want to lixo her If can. mother"
 ''Of course you do, for your uncle's sake; but VIC cannot put up with ahso- lutc rudeness--with insoleut disre- gard not only for her feelings, but of all tho usages of society--evau to buy