The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-03

| How he came to know it so fully need mol
| INQUIRE. The sadness with which this was
| said set me thinking; but for that time
understood no more
Little Mr. Brent returned home that day
heartily and thoroughly ashamed OF himself.
His bitterest enemy could not have wished
him a more humbling fall Being great
man for letter writing and firmly impressed
with the fatal belief that the large number OF
human complications can be adjusted by cor
respondence, he sat down after his dinner u
write an explanation and apology to Mrs.
Temple The number of sheets he tore up
the enormous variety OF openings which he
adopted and cast aside at the fifth line, the
sheets beginning "Dear Madam" then MY
Dear Madam" then Dear Mrs. Temple,
then "My Dear Mrs Temple" falling subse
quently into "Mr. Brent ventures to present
his respectful compliments; :" and besides these
the ~ am overwhelmed with confusion;" I'll
is, assure you, with the most poignant SEN
sations of SORROW" "What can say!" "Whal
can urge in extenuation of my behavier!"--
so many of these were begun, cast aside, and
torn up very small, lest any one should find
out what he had been doing, that as the
night wore on the rector gradually began to
look like a man who is being showed up
When, at twenty-five minutes past four a. m.
after nearly nine hours of underwriting
head work, the apology was finished, there
was not left enough clean stationery in the
house for a washing bill; but in place of il
there were fragments of paper lying on the
floor sufficient for the manufacture of siz
full-sized paper pillows. With aching head
yet little consoled withal, the rector STUN
bled up stairs to his weary pillow.
If he used thousand sheets for his letter il
may be safely computed that one thousand
and one was all that was required for the en-
tire correspondence. Small was the paper
and few the lines of Mrs Barbara Temples
answer.
Dear Mr. Brent"-thus it ran-'T have
received your letter of apology, and cannot
say that it is at all more than the occasion re-
quired. At the same time, as you are sensible
of the improperly of your behavior, hope
you will now forget it, as shall. One stipu-
lation only make. The subject of marriage
or, indeed, any allusion to what passed be-
tween us yesterday-must never be made.
On these terms you are free to resume your
intercourse with my daughters and myself.
Truly yours, BARBARA TEMPLE"
"A very handsome letter." Mr.. Brent said.
81 shall take her at her word" and after
lunch he drove over to the house with q
splendid present of fruit and flowers, and be-
ing received in the usual friendly way by
mother and daughters, and his character be-
ing a slight one, not permanently impressi-
BILE, he half forgot the misery of his exit from
the place yesterday. Only when he first
spoke to Mrs. Temple there was trepidation
in his voice and manner; but she was so OBJ
viously determined to keep her promise that
he gradually grew composed. Once only his
courage quite failed him. Caroline, the
student, was reading history, and with that
slight affectation of intellectual pursuits, from
which not even her mothers lectures could
guard her, she tried to call the rector's atten-
ton to her lofty employment. The question
she asked him was an unfortunate one She
was an ardent Liberal, and inquired, in a
pause in the conversation. if he did not think
e. eur.. french
revolution. The rector was so COMPOUNDED by
this inapposite interroga ton that he nearly
tumbled off his chair.
The next day his thoughts were driven into
another channel. At breakfast he got a letter
from his son announcing his arrival in Lon
don, and saying that he would be in Kettle
well at half-past four that afternoon Amidst
the vexation of the last two days, this was a
prospect full of relief, and the young fellow
was received with more than paternal well
come. Before dinner was over, between the
influence of meat and wine and the society of
his son, all acting on trivial nature, easily
moved, the rector was quite cOmforted. Now
he could have faced Mrs. Barbara Temple
with jest and a look of pleasantly. At least,
SO he fancied.
Brent junior was good-looking young fel-
low of three and twenty, with frank, sim
pie manner well suited to his years. Men
tally he was much superior to his father, and
every sentence showed it; but he behaved
with filial Difference which was pleasant to
see. All through the dinner there was a
touch of preoccupation and even sadness
about him, and upon this his father remarked
as soon as they were alone.
81 hope you have not left any one behind!'
the father asked humorously.
NO." the son answered. with blush and a
laugh. "You don't think me quite simple
ton in this matter, do you"
"N ell, Percy, you are young" the sage
father replied "At mig time of life if man
fell in love with picture, think he would
be bit of an ass. But then am forty-nine.
have age and experience, and knowledge O
the world"
"You are very kind to take it in that way.
the son answered. 81 really don't want to b,
laughed at"
us this wonderful picture in your posses
sionW Brent senior inquired next.
eyes," the young fellow answered eagerl,
and he was darting up stairs to fetch
Pausing on his way, he said: Il had bett
| tell Won the story Of If first
He made no bad picture himself, leani
carelessly against the sideboard, his face
| eyes kindling as he spoke with the delight
the subject. Little Mr.. Brent regarded l.
With no small pride; and the young fell,
With light bashfulness which made
title narrative the more interesting, told
tory.
II met an artist out there, and he and
came great friends. He fell i'll, and r,
him, and when he was getting better, ona
day, to pass the time, he asked me to look
over his portfolio. There was great deal in
it for which cared nothing; but just at the
end he drew out little sketch of a girl
head and shoulders-with border of simple
white dress, and, as / thought, the loveliest
face l ever saw. I was quite dumb as
looked at it, and there and then, father,
fell in love; and declare to you I felt that
even If this woman were only painters
ideal, still, SO had she captivated me, that
could never give my heart to any living
woman The memory of this picture would
possess me, and would hang, as it were
above the living face. and rebuke its impea.
fections. You are not laughingw
Il am forty whine, Percy" the father said
with the cafmness of wisdom "You arr
twenty four"
well, shall not trouble you with lone
story, the young fellow continued LUCKILY
for me, my friend was lying on couch, anf
did not perceive my agitation, or he NIGH
have laughed me out of the dream 1 fount
the sketch represented a real living girl-s
| real living girl fatherl-unmarried Enolish