The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-17


"Idm consulting you as a friend"
Lady Charlotte Dalyell felt she had
done both clever and wise thing when.
after years of patient waiting, she saw
her only son-her darling Johnny-for-
mally engaged to the girl of her choice.
Marriage" she remarked, sis the very
thing my dearest boy wants toto what
shall say? o! Mr.. Price, give me the
word-to accentuate him."
"Accentuate is good. I am glad your
ladyship has found the term, as cer-
tainly could not have supplied it."
Harold Price is 55, some three or four
years, that is, older than the we'll pre-
served widow. He has been suitor for
her fair hand any time these ten years,
and the southern county where they live
is much exercised to know why, as she
declares SO often and SO openly that she
will never wed the trim and comely ex-
banker, she still seems utterly unable to
let him alone.
Perhaps Lady Charlotte thinks him so
perfect as wooer that it were quite a
shame to terminate his career in that ca
pacity by risking him in character he
had never essayed before, perhaps-but
time will show.
s'You see," she went ont is so pleas
ant to set forth our ideas to one who
seems to think all we think and do most
adm:rable-"ten years in the army would
have given nineteen young men out of
twenty the decided coloring"-
decided coloring-good again" with
an appreciative bow.
(which ought to distinguish every
man when approaching 80; but it gave
Johnny nothing at ALL"
"Will he come back from India very
brown?'
Poor Price was always SO very busy ad-
miring the buxom widows ample charms
that he did not invariably follow the
drift of her words; the result being that
the sleek aspirant would now and again
come out with fairly stupid remark.
81 was referring" she continued calm
ly, ''to moral, not physical color"
"Of course, of course" said her listener
vaguely.
Johnny is the best, handsomest, most
charming fellow in the world"
''He is your SON"
''But to the present hour he still wants
forming"
''Do you really think?"-
ooh! l know it. The army never
touched him-perhaps because he entered
it solely in obedience to a dead fathers
wish. Stranger still, failed to form
him!'
Mr.. Price here opened eyes of astonish-
ment; but whether at the fact or at the
mothers frank admission of the same, is
uncertain.
81 sent him to Eton and to Cambridge;
he did fairly well at both, but he always
came back the same"
"And very nice same, too"'
DOUBTLESS, doubtless; and you know
no one is prouder of the darling boy than
l am, but l am none the less quite alive
to the fact that Johnny wants speciality"
''Ha fine; speciality is grand"
"Now, Mr.. Price, what say is this
that there remains only one hope. In q
character where colleges, the service, I
myself have failed, if anything can yet
do the work, it is-love."
The old bachelor blushed to the very
roots of his well curled gray hair.
"And," he said, "you think he-he
really loves at last?'
"LovesT' exclaimed Johnny's mamma
with touch of almost indignation-as
if to say she would like to catch her son
not loving when and whom she bade
him. "Why, is he not engaged to Marian
Peyton?"
''To be sure; but l meant"-and he
looks down and fumbles with his hat and
riding whip, which he holds between his
knees-he is only paying morning call
but fails apparently to define what he
does mean, and flies off to generality.
Far be it for me to limit the infinite
power of love. know to my COST
"Yes, yes; never mind about that. !
am consulting you as friend" with an
icy accent on the word. "My boy is too
honorable to propose to any one whom
he does not sincerely love. Besides, he
would be blind not to love her. Three
and-twenty, very handsome, already her
own mistress, large estates joining ours
always an advantage, although, to be
sure, John is reasonably well off without
them; and at my Death
"Oh! don't, pray, for heavens sake,
Lady Charlotte"
Good Mr.. Price never can endure any
nllusion to the demise of the somewhat
robust woman of his affections, and he
now holds up his hat before his face with
his left hand while making dramatic
deprecatory gesture with his right.
At this moment, however, their COM
munings are cut short by the entrance
through the open window of John Dal-
yell himself. He has already seen his
mothers admirer that day, SO he uncere-
moniously throws himself into the near
est armchair with view to making a
third in their conversation, whatever it
chances to be about.