The morning call., 1890-11-10
ASSISTING FATE.
BY BURNEsToN LANE.
"You will not?" cried godmother.

& will nOtr' said |.
GodmOther lay back in her chair.
Here, Starch, bring the vinaigrette
Don't yuu see | want it? You never see
anything! And the fan, too-of course the
fan. Now, Philip, will you please resume
your seat and state your reasons for this re-
| markable obstinacy?"
"Quite comfortable standing, thanks"
said L mo chair, Miss Starch. / think,
godmother, that you know my reasons; It's
hardly necessary for me to repeat them"
u told you TO repeat themw
Godmother grasped her cane, dropped 1t
again, and united her cap-strings.
"Very well, then, here goes" said I.
"You insist that L shall Internationally
promise to marry woman | have never
seen, of whom know worse than nothing
Worse than nothing" My grandmoth-
er's voice rose to Il shrek: "What more, in
the name of sense. do you want to know !!
A mOle Girl. | told YOU"
81 detest modrls!'
An heiress-"
'Aud purse proud" I rejoincd; that
settles it, godmother. refuse positively to
marry the girl I've never seen. l hate such
mOckery in marriage, and will be better
satisfied to work for the rest of my life
rather than make mere business bargain
OF this thlng!'
$50 you shall!' shrieked my godmother,
pounding on the floor with her cane while
Starch stood behind her chair with hands
ls
Let us drop the subject.
mo, We wont. You will work-you,
Courtney! No, but you shall marry this
girl. 1t is my money, and l have a right to
choose who shall spend it. l say you've got
to marry this girl, do you hear? Who
raised you"
You, ma'am."
"Who took you an orphan, you-you-"
GOdmother chUhed with rage, and Starch
interspersed her waves of the fan with
muffied ordinations of:
'Oh, my dear sir. be careful; do, now, for
mercy's sakei"
While l studied the situation with light
ming rapidity, and as it suited neither my
purse nor my pride to be turned out Of doors
without shilling, L Replied
do you know, my dear gOdmother, / en-
tirely realize your kindness and generosity
and look on you as pareht?"
Il Indeed "
60 Ii have been somewhat haSty, / hope
you'll forget it and give me time to get used
10 this idea. Your plans usually turn ont
but this time they were too strong for me-
However, | will 20 down for Il dip and think
it over"
took my hat and hurried away without
waiting further reply, while Starch Closed
the door after me.
Promise TO marry girl l had naver seen,
Godmother's reins had been drawn over
tightly in all directions. but this topped the
mast! | lOnged to make tour of all the
floating icebergs and she wouldn't let me-
lOnged to search for the south pole and she
said she'd 20 too. / pined to visit South
Africa and investigate the whereabouts of
"She." Godmother turned purple and
pounded on the floor when | suggested it.
Now she wanted me to marry woman I'd
never seen.
dashed into the breakers with sense of
desperation only known to n man who is
u hjtp Int not free nv
reason of respect due and obligation I'M
avodable.
The unfortunate girl on whom god
mother was going to p0unce was Miss Court
ncy, an orphan grandniece, whom she had
never seen-a daughter of General Court
ney, who had died few years previously
in Bombay. ThereupOn, when gcdmother
heard that he had left a daughter, and
that the daughter was to come 10 America
in the near future, she conceived fer
tile plan for Keeping considerable sum
of money in the family, and, with her usual
tenacity, wrote to the young la0y's guar
dian perhaps, letting a subtle clew to her
motive appear, for she received, in reply,
particulars respecting his wards perfec-
tons which SO delighted my godmother that
she wrote still again, and, / believe, plainly
stated her object Whether or not she had
received Still another answer she had kept
religiousiy concealed from me. Enough for
me TO know that the damsel was soon to sail
for America to pay us n visit.
When | knocked at my godmother's door
that evening to take her down to dinner, |
was braced up to brave a storm and feign a
calm.
She came followed by Starch with fan and
shawl. Godmother eyed me sharply from
under her velvet turban.
You've come to- | hope?"
ION, trust so, L answered as meekly as
l could "the breakers were strong enough,
anyhow"
"Humphp'
"WIll you accept my arm, godmother?"
She accepted, saying
There, don't talk any more tomfooling;
hear, young manY
"Yours obediently, ma'am."
The subject here ended between us, for the
time. at least. |. with blind reliance on
some slow-m0ving fate that would save me
from the misery Of life with an East In
dian!
Godmother ordered dinner with repeated
injunctions to the waiter, ending by revok-
ing the whole and making new one. As
this went on l surveyed the dinng-rOom
ana noted any additional people who had
arrived by the evening coach. Almost I'M
mediately my eyes fell upon strangely as
sorted pair who entered the room, preceded
by the head-waiter. A woman of 90 or 60,
very small and extremely foreign in appear
auce, accompanied by a girl whom my eyes
followed in unconscious wonder and strange
attraction.
The room was red with the light of sun
SET, and she was as white as a spirit she
passed through it, Was she beautiful? l
hardly knew. Perhaps not, in a perfectly
regular way. Her hair was golden, soft and
straight; her eyes were dark as night, her
gown white and quaint, and she moved
with an mir of innate self-posSession and
Inconsistencies which only birth and
breeding could give. Not naughty,
simply a lady, with the mark of distinct
and charming grace.
"A woman any man might be proud to
marry" thought !, turning with strange
contradiction to the one tabooed subject
Like flash the thought came in another
light, "a woman l should like to marry,
adding aloud, "by George, would!''
Then why couldn't you say so before? ?"
asked my godmother.
"Say what. ma'am?"
"Iasked you to have crab."
"Ah-yes, yes"
"Do keep your wits about you. A man is
noodle until he does!'
by all means, ma am" I said, peering
among the walters who hurried to and fro,
and catching glimpse of my pale neigh
boris soft profile
But after dinner | saw her no more,
although, after seating godmother on the
piazza in the care of Starch, recunnoitered
in many directions with hope Of obtaining
a nearer view.
The next morning knocked at Godmoth-
er's door, but was summarily dismissed by
Starch, who said my services would not be
needed Tor an hour, as her mistress hadn't
slept well and wanted her breakfast late, so
sat on the piazza and smoked till she APP
peared. The dining-room was empty save
for a few men and girls who had ridden
early or hoped late. Mrs. Colonel Wayup
and her daughter stopped atmy godmother's
table to exchange greetings.
Good morning, Mrs. Courtney. Glad we
are not the only late corners. Aurora kept
me at the hopso late last night that Pm
pretty well done over this morning, but she
is as fresh as daisy, amt she?"
l bowed a flatteriDg Affirmative to the
overb0wn daisy, who exclaimed
La, Mr.. Blake. you ought to have been
there last night"
$50 think"
ut was perfectly splendidp'
81 don't doubt it,
"We're going to have one tonight; of
course you're cOming?"
"Of course"
'Then | shall keep two dances for you, SO