Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-09-06
An Old School Diplomat.
BY AGNES CLIFFORD.

By AGNES CLIFFORD.
Mrs. Fredericks held letter in her
hand. She had been reading it-with-
out glasses. Would she ever have any
of the, infrmities of age! Her puffs and
curls of snowy hair under the ornamental
'coiffure" of lace and ribbons, her gold
headed cane by her arm chair, seemed
simply to be the effective properties of a
well-mounted play.
SIN short, Lena, l have resolved to
marry you to this young man--if he
suits me-"
Firm, calm, crisp words, spoken in a
voice correspondingly clear and mistress
of itself"
'tGrandmamma-"
Don't interrupt, child l know ev-
erything you could possibly have to say.
I have not lived in the world seventy
years for nothingI Yes! Yes, l know.
you have never seen this young man !;
you don't know whether you can love
him, etc. All that is nonsense If you
don't know him now you will know him
tomorrow, when he arrives. If you dom
love him now you will love him-well,
perhaps not tomorrow; but next day.
have shown you his picture. He is
handsome; he is of suitable age. be-
lieve in young people marrying when
they are young. Henri Bowen is three
and-twenty. You are nineteen. Very
suitable. Very suitable indeed. Put
on your blue gown and look your best
AS for young Bowen's uncle, Captain
Charter, you need not feel intimidated
because of his coming. He is a grave
and silent man; he does not occupy him
self with young girls. He rests on his
laurels now. He was a favorite with
many women; but when a man enters
middle age he drops those thin IS. No;
he will probably not notice you one way
or the other. Young Bowen and your
self can come to an understanding I'M
molested by his presence. The Captain
sud will entertain each other. We
shall have many things to talk of.
knew his father well; well-now go,
am tired, have chartered too much. u
Mrs. Fredericks turned her cheek, cool
and smooth as an old ivory, to the touch
of Leua's fresh lips.
"Good night, grandmamma.
A radiant sunset after cloudy, sutry
day, fresh breeze springing up from
off the sea, large, old, shaded house
reached at last after long drive and a
day of dusty railroad travel--these were
grateful things. But still more grateful,
thought Captain Robert Charter and his
nephew, the picture that confronted
them in the wide, cool, old drawing
room, with its windows open to the sum
mer evening, when, the stains of the
journey removed, they descended the
winding oaken stair in the centre of tbs
house and were greeted by their hostess.
Upright, near her grandmother's chair,
in her blue dress, with her ar hair in
a halo about her face, stood Lena, like a
Madonna.
"WeIcome, gentlemen" said Mrs
Fredricks.
Young Bowen had preceded his
uncle-a boyish, muscularly knit young
Hercules, fresh of color, confident Of
mien.
81 knew your mother well, said the
old lady. "And you, Captain Bob2"
Gently her fine, pale, still pretty hand
rested in that of the tall, dark man. Hi
bent over it, and softly, deferentially
brushed it with the long, black mus
tache, whose military sweep seemed tc
harmonic with the bronzed hue of his
serious face.
"Well WE'LL" murmured the old
lady. "Just like your father, Captain
Rob. He, too, had the manners of the
old school What does the rising gen
Grafton of to-day know of the correct
way in which a gentleman should pre-
sent himself before a lady9 Particu-
larly an old woman like me2 No oifense,
young man," turning to young Bowen
DOUBTLESS if you were to kiss any ones
hand you would prefer to kiss that Of
my granddaughter her. Don't mind my
chatter. What else can an old woman
do but talk of the past and its Gus
toms2"
The Madonna, her delicate oval face
disappearing under a pink cloud o.
bushes, received upon her timidly
extended fingers the salutation thus au
thorized by the terrible old lady.
"Dinner is served" then said tht
latter. "Give me your arm, Captain
Our young people can follow"
"Grandmamma talks as though Cap
tain Charter were as old as She is,
thought Lena, on Henri Bowen's arm
"and am sure he is not old at all
don't believe he has one gray hair in hi
head"
Henri Bowen's first remark she did no
hear and she had to ask him to repeat it
"NIrs. Fredericks, your granddaughter
is charming" said the Captain, afte
/ dinner.
The two younger people had gone gu
into the grounds.
"Captain Charter, formed my grand
daughter myself" retorted Mrs. Fred
ericks, dryly.
The Captain laughed.
"You are right. That is reason
enough. You have made her charm
ing girl; you will make her charming
woman. For some man she will max
an adorable wife and, in her later years
she will be what you are now"
"No, not quite" said the old lady
serenely. elena is woman made TO
love. was woman made for rule, fo
command. am tyrant. Oh, | know
/ it, and l choose to be. l have vet t,
find any one who can manage my affair
land even those of few others as salts
factorily as myself. But Lena is differ
ent. She is very tender blossom. Sh
will never care to be tyrant. She will
live for her husband-for his love. Shr
will only develop into all nature intended
her for under those conditions. There
fore is it very necessary to find an excep
tional oak for my exceptional vine
Dropping all metaphor, the husband VIII
is to be worthy of Lena must not be tn
first chance sutton. If your nephew
pleases me-" concluded the old lady
fastening her bright, piercing eyes witt
masterful and humorous challenge on til,
Captains face, 81 may capture him TO
her."
fHenri is an excellent fellow sale
the Captain, with some emotion.
| He glanced through the window a