The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-04-04


many traces Of feminine taste and had
such 4 lome-like airabout it, before his
hostess made her appearance
Yes, Mrs Besant was decidedly hand
some, he declared to himself, as she
swept into Cne room with grace of
movement SO fascinating i'll beautiful
women There was charm of man
ner abovt her, too, which put him at his
ease before he mad been five minutes in
her presence, and, Oh! whit a welcome
she gave him, when she found that he
had been boon companion Of her boy
How she loaded him with questions;
how she reveled in the stories of her
boys adventures on the battlefield;
how Ler color came and went as he told
the tales of hair-breadth escapes; how
she cunningly led him on to describe
her darling's mode of life, his friends,
his duties and every thing pertaining to
hi1n-why, time sped on with flying
vvings-for Mark loved to talk to pretty
women, and it was nearly five o'clock
before lie had the grace to take his
leave.
'But must introduce you to my niece
before you co." the widow said as he
stood hat In hand.
''No, pray Mrs. Besant. don't disturb
her. / really must be going-Flossie
will be thinking I have tainted by the
wayside,'' and the young man hurried
away, eager to escape the spinster
from Chicago, who was mot at all good
lOOlxinr and rather TaSSe"
Imagine his chagrin then, when, AS
he turned to fasten the garden-gate, he
SAW Mrs. Besant, who had followed him
out on the ve1'anda, standing with her
arm embracing the waist of the pref
tiest girl Mark Henderson had ever seen
III his life~-~s,1ch q vision Of youthful
loneliness that he stood for the moment
transtixed to think that, if ]le: had
only known, he might have escorted
these two pretty women to his sisters
house. Well. he'd pay Flossie out for
the joke she had played him: anyhow,
and make up for lost time in the even
ing.
On his return to his sisters, he found
that the parsonage people had already
arrived and that Dr.. Burrows had
brought an addition to the party in the
shape of a young Methodist minister, 81
recent arrival in the place.
81 wanted to be civil to the fellow
Harry whispered in Marks ear, "but
I'm afraid you'll find him an awful
bore
Rev. Lubin Ferry came up at that
moment for an introduction to the hero
Of the evening He was a. gentle, over
grown young man, who wore glasses
and dropped perpe tuallv sanctimcnlous
phrases from his lips; little scraps OF
devotional expressions that were never
intended to pass as colloquial currency
in common conversation-as different
man from the big-hearted, broad-prin~
cipled. scholarly Josiah Brentwood as
it was possible to conceive. Moreover,
he was the only son of a widow. who
had tied him to her apron-string from
the time he was a little lad following
him to college, and never letting him
out of her sight for more than 81 few
hours in his whole life, and the young
maternal solicitude that he dragged his
mothers sentiments into every thought
he uttered, to Mark llenderson's in
tense disgust, especially when he
learned afterwards that the mamma
was a selfish, vulgar old body, who
took every cent Of her sons earnings
and made him wait on her hand and
foot.
''I'm SO glad to meet you, Captain
Henderson, the young minister gushets,
taking Marks brawny hand i'll both his
chubby white ones and nursing it az.
fectionately. THE repose of this quiet
spot must be very soothing after the
turmoil of battle---w wounded, too, they
tell me you've been. Well, as ma says
we've much to be thankful for in this
vale of tears
"Yet don't feel particularly CRATE
full for bullet in my shoulder-blade,' -
Mark said, abruptly, disengaging his
hand from the minister's grasp.
'sAh, no. Bless me, no. i didn't
mean that at all: but do let ME intro
duce you to my sweet young friend
Grace Brentwood and with an air OF
proprietorship he took the soldier across
the room and made him known to Miss
Brentwood, with as much sangfroid as
though he mad been familiar with that
young person from girlhood. A few
hours later Mark heard him talking OF
Mrs. Besant's niece as my dear young
friend Kate Lester" and wondered
what there was in the clerical profess
sion that permitted such breaches of
social etiquette, or, as he called it, l am
sorry to say, unlimited gall
Grace and the Captain became fast
friends, and when he told her delicious
little anecdotes of Franks bravery and
general heroism, you may be sure he
did not lose favor in her eyes, which
literally shone with qualification. Then
he had the delightful privilege of lead
ing Kate Lester in to supper and sitting
beside her. Beautiful Well, he knew
not which to admire most, the prettiness
of her face or the piquancy Of her man.
ner.
Miss Ruth sat on the other side of him
at the table, and took perhaps little
more than her share of the soldiers at
tention-at least SO thought Miss Les
ter, if one could judge from her looks.
The conversation was general and OF