The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-07-03

ming or dainty lace IelI all flgnG
"Have you written your letter, dearg"
asked Julia.
Mrs. Trafford was herself again in
moment Eyes, had just finished" she
replied; 81 was on the point of coming up
stairs to you"
.And we have come down to look for
you," said Julia, with pretty shyness, "be-
cause-well because"
Because we have something to tell
you" chimed in Stephen Howard.
Eyes" said Mrs. Trafford, waiting for
one or other of them to go on, though she
saw very plainly what was coming.
"Well, the fact is, Mrs Tratford." said
Stephen Howard, bluntly-"the fact is, we
want to get married"
eyes, mother DEAR" echoed Julia, 1--WE
want to get married"
I do not know how it was, but at this
point the ludcrous aspect of the situation
presented itself to Mrs. Tratford and she
immediately went of into gay fits Of the
widest laugh err The lovers, for mo-
ment, looked as if they were half inclined
to be offended then they, too, began to
laugh, and the three laughed one against
the other till the tears actually stood in
Mrs. Trafford's eyes. She was the first to
recover herself
ooh! my dears,' she cried, drying heI
eyes with a cobwebby bit OF cambria,
forgive me- | beg of you. 1t is cruel OF
me to laugh at you, for l am SO glad, sc
glad at what you tell me. But indeed the
way in which you announced it was toe
funny-'Wc want to get married'-Oh! it
was too funny"
But after that she sobered down and
talked over the situation with grave
and kind manner which comforted Steph
| en- Howard greatly Il wonder what
your sister will say"-she said, after a
time.
ooh! my sister knOWs-that is to say she
knows that intended to ask Julia If she
would lave me" he replied.
"And what does she say about it?"
''She is delighted. She will tell you so
herself when she comes over, which is sure
to be tomorrow" he said, then with an
instant's hesitancy, added, "And [ hope
you won't keep me hanging about very
long"
''My dear boy" said Mrs Trafford-"I
promise you that / will not. There is no
nuisance in the world like an engaged
couple always about the house. 1t is such
very short time since my other chill
dren were married, that | have a feeling
remembrance of it. We had only just got
the house settled and quiet again and now
we have to go through it all"
"Mrs. Trafford," he broke in-"I assure
you will not unsettle anything-not any
! thing. I think it's an awful shame when
men expect to have whole households
turned topsy-turvy and heaps of things
bought just because they have managed
to persuade certain young lady to marry
them. If you would let us walk quietly
out one morning next week and get mar
ried without a word to anybody at all,
should be quite satisfed-I should, in
deed'
"But / should not"~ Mrs. Trafford re-
turned, smiling at Julia's dismayed face.
"My daughter must have a proper we'd
ding and proper trousseau. Her sister
and cousin each had them and she must
have them, too. But at the same time, if
you are both very anxious for it there is
really no reason why you should wait
more than six weeks, or even a month.
But l really could not consent to have
marriage hurried on earlier than that, L
really could not"
With this Stephen Howard was obliged
to be content He was desperately in
he had broken the ice had no notion of
losing anything for the want of asking
for it,
Mrs. Trafford proved herself the most
complaisant of prospective mother-in-law;
indeed she was now so we'll used to this
kind of thing that she felt herself on per-
fectly familiar ground
''Well, my dears," she said, 81 don't see
hat
night Mr.. Howard, you will stay and
share our dinner won't you"
81 will with pleasure, Mrs. Trafford,"
he answered-"on one cOndition-thaty you
won't call me Mr. Howard any more"
''My dear Stephen, [ will do as you
WISH" she said, in her own airy little way.
''But do, my dears, go back to the draw
ing-room. I have Il letter to write and one
or two trifles to attend to-"
They went out of the room but Julia
ran back from the foot Of the stairs. "ls
your letter to Laurie?" she asked.
eyes [ thought of writing to let her
know. You don't mind, do you dear?"
"Not bit But give her my love and
tell her am very happy" said Julia.
Mrs. Trafford threw her arms round her
daughter and held her tenderly to her. II
am so happy too, darling" she said. "for
he is handsome and charming and good,
too, Julia. am sure he is good"
eyes. I think he is good" Julia whis-
pered.
Mrs. Trafford pulled out the bit of flimsy
cambria again and wiped a few tears away
when Julia and her lover had gone up
stairs again. Of course, she was glad that
this engagement had come about. For
some time past she had felt herself getting
on in life, though she was not fifty yet,
and the thought of leaving one or other
of her girls alone In the world had worried
her not Il little. Besides that she had al
ways believed firmly that the married
state was the happiest state, the most
natural and the most desirable, and she
felt sure that her girls would make good
wives as they had made good daughters.
And yet, now that it had come to parting
with the last of them it was an undenlable
wrench. even though this young man
seemed, so far as she could tell, to be all
that she had said of him in speaking OF
him to Julia, handsome and charming ana