The Irish standard., 1890-11-08
IHEIIRIsa sIANp u 81 URIAY TEIIREK 81

DE II. III
Armida tells ms he lna kes very rapid.
progress III his studies and Is really q
very rem ark able maj, 81 responded Mrs.
/ Delaro, without accepting Ar. Az i1cox's
remarks il their serious sense. Then
noticing that her apparently lig ht man
ner Of treating q subject which each
had q short tame before thoughtso seri-.
Gus did not seem to please Mr.. WI lcox,
who rem aimed perfectly silent and con-
tinued to read the evening paper, she
again spoke: ''Mr. Wilcox. The tone
ID which she addressed her old friend
was quite sufficient; had the paper been
hot thevenerable millionaire could not
have dropped il quicker, and IN an in
slant he was all attention. do you
not think it would be wise to concoct
some plan whereby we could, for a
time at least, interrupt the studies
which are being pursued with such in
defatigable zeal in this hopse?'
.'That is sya9ething which has oc-
Cured to mo very many times Of late.
but have been waiting for the first
suggestion to come from you, was the
answer.
"And am very much puzzled to con-
celve of a suggestion which is worth Of
ferang," answered the widow.
For q few moments they both APP
pearet 10 be lost in thought, from which
quiet state they converged simultan.
eously. Sup" they began together,
and both siniled. Mrs. Delaro gave way
to Mr.. Wilcos, who said: II will wager
pair of gloves, which is the most Sc
rious amount ever bet IN my life, that
we are each thinking of the same thing. y
''That is probably so,'' said Mrs. De-
1aro, ''but will defer to you and per-
nit you to give your suggestion first. .
"Well, I was about to say, suppose
that when Percy comes back we all go
to Europe"
'Precisely the current of my
thoughts,'' was Mrs. Delaro's ready
response.
'"Then Percy can not come back mo-
ment too soon and this Mr.. En- erick,
whoever he is, can purs ue his vocation
without interruption. For Armida's
future, which is really threa tened" land
here the old man spoke with great earn
estness) ''is far too serious matter tt
be trif1ed with, and must be sacredly
guarded" u
II Mrs. Delaro had only guessed the
true meaning of these words of one OF
natures gentlemen. she too would have
rejoiced at their import, but she did
not, or she would have been more earn"
est in her manner.
':Let Percy remain where he is for a
few weeks longer, then if he does not
meet with any success, cable him to re"
turn home,'' said the widow.
cat any rate I must send him a
message tomorrow, for I have not had
a word from him now for three weeks,
and nv instructions were that he
should send line or two at least once
a week." were Mr.. Wilcox's next words.
There Was just the slightest look of
alarm in Mrs. Delaro's face as she
glanced up at Mr.. Wilcox and ques.
tioningly said: |'You do not mean that?''
''Indeed it is true" he replied
s'Ihen fear some harm must have
happened him. said Mrs. Delaro
mo, hardly think that. He may
have had occasion to go up into the
country hurriedly, and, anticipating
that he might have message of im-
portance to send us, has delayed his
communications In fact, there are
hundred things which are liable to
happen on journey of that kind" were
Mr.. Wilcox's words as he again took up
the paper.
SIN the meantime think it may be
as we'll to caution Arnida, mildly,
about making too free with Eugene
Breezy. And by the by I forgot tc
tell you" (here Mrs. Delaro INDUCED in
suppressed ripple of merry laughter)
''that your old friend Mr.. Blodger who
turned up again so unexpectedly a few
days since has made it his business to
Investigate into the anteoedents of this
bumptious young grocer, as he terms
him, but he does not appear to have any
thing to report ct present beyond the
fact that Mrs. Breezy is very estima-
BILE woman and knows good soap from
bad"
"When Blodger dies" said Mr.. Will
cox think some one will have to in
vent an imperishable soap monument to
place over his grave, for never knew