The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-12-07

Eyes Louie, and he's to be back this after
noon, so you must be particular about your
dress. Try and look well for once"
"What !" cried Fanny, the youngest, "dress
for Jack? What do you mean, mammaY''
"Mean !" exclaimed Mrs. Hatch, 81 mean
that he's inherited a hundred thousand
pounds, and if one of you girls don't share it,
you're pack of FOOLS"
From this day forth Mrs Hatch's bearing and
feelings toward Jack Fairservice changed al
together. She invented all manner of devices
for attracting him to the house, and when she
had him there she exerted all her powers of en-
! trapping him. Her efforts were not altogether
in vain, but her success was of such a charac-
ter as to be almost as exasperating as complete
! failure.
! The fact was that Jack manifested exactly
the same tastes and tendencies as the Rev. Mr..
Windham. Among the Misses Hatch Mr..
| Windham's favorite was the eldest, Miss Louie,
and to Mrs. Hatch's intense annoyance she
proved jacks favorte, too That was bad
enough, but there was worse behind Mr.
Windham had evnced a preference for little
Lily Ruth even over Miss Louie Hatch, and so
now did Jack. Though obviously very fond of
Louie, he appeared still more fond of little
Lily.
state of affairs. Mrs. Hatch wanted both the
| men for sons-in-law, and both appeared willing
to become so, but instead of choosing like SEN
sible beings separate daughters they chose the
same one. OF course, Miss Louie could not
marry them both, yet the only alternative to
that seemed to be that Lily Ruth should marry
the other. This was gall and wormwood to
Mrs. Hatch.
Here another very serious consideration came
in. Assuming that Jack and Mr.. Windham
were to be married to Miss Louie and Lily Ruth,
which was to marry which? Mr.. Windham was
fairly good match, but Jack was much better
one. If Mrs Hatch could be sure of securing
Jack for her daughter that would be some con-
ISOLATION for Lily having Mr. Windham, but was
she? Everything pointed the other way Lily
was the first favorte of both men, and therefore
she would have the first choice. Mrs. Hatch
had little doubt that she preferred the curate to
her cousin, but then there were impediments in
the way of her marriage to the curate, while
there were none as regarded her union with
Jack. 1t therefore became clear to her that if
she did not do something to prevent it before
long Lily would be asked to become Mrs Jack
Fairservice.
The only thing Mrs. Hatch could do under
the circumstances was to dispose of Lily and
the only way in which she could dispose of Lily
was by marrying her to Mr.. Windham Now
before Mr.. Hatch would consent to such mar
riage Mr.. Windham must be provided with
living, and the only way Mr.. Windham could be
provided with living was by Mrs Hatch get
ting Lord Blackjack to give him the one which
he had promised to Nathaniel Sleepy. After an
agonizng struggle Mrs. Hatch resolved to ask
Lord Blackjack to present Mr. Windham, on
condition that that gentleman proposed to Lily
without delay, that Lily accepted him, and that
Mr.. Hatch approved of their union.
All parties proved amenable. Lily and Mr..
Windham jumped at proposal which permitted
them to fulfil their brightest dreams Lord
Blackjack knew nothing of the arrangement,
but when Mrs. Hatch wrote to him he replied
that living happening just then to be vacant
he had sent Mr.. Windhams name to the Bishop.
Mrs. Hatch had thought it expedient to keep
Jack in the dark until everything was settled
She feared that if he knew what was going on
sooner he might make an attempt to win Lily
from the curate before it was too late, and ac- |
cordingy the first intimaton Jack received of
his cousins engagement was when Mrs. Hatch |
informed him that she was to be married in a |
month, and asked him, as her nearest kinsman |
after Mr.. Hatch, who was to marry her, to give |
her away. Jack at first was a little startled and
increduous, but when he realized how things |
stood he congratulated little Lily with hearth
ness which caused his aunt to wonder whether |
he was, after all, in love with Lily.
In due course the happy day arrived and the |
happy couple were duly married. Jack was the !
life and soul of everything from the moment he |
arrived in the morning to take the bride to |
church till late in the afternoon, when little |
Lily, with joyful heart, left forever her old but
unhappy home. Then Jacks spirits fell and he |
became dull and gloomy.
Mrs. Hatch had been watching him closely, |
and she saw the change and guessed its reason |
Yes, Jack must be thinking Of proposing Mrs
Hatch was keen observer, and she knew that
young men get very gloomy as a lue, at such
times-at any rate, both her husbands had done
so. She attributed it to nervousness, and so she !
resolved to assist Jack by addressing to him a
few encouraging remarks.
Getting him between herself and Mr. Hatch |
she began:
"You seem dull, Jack; hope you're not jeal- |
GUS of Mr.. Windham?" And she smiled gently |
on Jack.
swell, aunt" answered Jack a trae sadly, !
"the truth is, !"
Mrs. Hatch gave a start So, after all, Jack
was in love with Lily, What a mercy it was she |
was married oil and gone
Don't you think, Jack" asked Mrs. Hatch !
gently "that you could get some other pretty
girl to make up for her loss :"
"You misunderstood me, aunt" explained |
Jack. "I'm Jealous of Windham, not because