Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-12-04
AN OLD LADY'S PLANS.
Sharp Foresight Gives the Proper
Turn to Events.


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 or
namental oiffure" of lace and ribbon.
her gold-headed cane by her armchair,
seemed simply to be the effective prop
critics of well-mounted play.
"In short, Lena, / have resolved to
marry you to this young man-if he
suits me-"
Firm, calm, crisp words, spoken in a
voice correspondingly clear and mis-
tress OF itself
"Grandmamma-"
Don't interrupt, child! know
everything you could possibly have to
say. have not lived in the world for
seventy years for nothing Yes, 1
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 don't love him now you will love
him-well, perhaps not tomorrow, but
next day. have shown you his pic
ture. He is handsome; he is of suit
able age. l believe in young people
marrying while they are young. Henry
Bowen is three and twenty. You are
nineteen. Very suitable. Very suit
able, indeed. Put on your blue gown
and look your best. AS for young
Bowen's uncle, Capt. Charter, you need
not feel intimidated because of his
coming. He is grave and silent man;
he does not occupy himself with young
girls. He rests on his laurels now.
He was favorite with many women;
but when man enters middle age he
drops those things. Young Bowen and
yourself can come to an understanding
unmolested by his presence. The cap
tain and l will entertain each other
We shall have many things to talk Of
I knew his father well-now go; am
tired; l have chatted too much"
Mrs. Fredericks turned her cheek,
cool and smooth as old ivory, to the
touch of Lena's fresh lips.
"Good night grandmamma."
A radiant sunset after cloudy,
sultry day, fresh breeze springing up
from off the sea, large old shaded
house reached at last after a long
drive and day of dusty railroad
travel-these were grateful things.
But still more grateful, thought Capt,
Robert Charter and his nephew, the
picture that confronted them in the
wide, cool old drawing-room, with its
windows open to the summer evening,
when, the stains of the journey re-
moved, they descended the winding
oaken stair in the center of the house
and were greeted by their hostess. Up
right, near her grandmother's chair, in
her blue dress, with her fair hair in a
halo about her face, stood Lena, like q
Madonna
"welcome, gentlemen" said Mrs
Fredericks
Young Bowen had preceded his
uncle-a boyish muscularly-knit Her
cules, fresh of color, confident of mein.
81 knew your mother WELL" said the
old lady, "And you, Captain Rob?"
Gently her fine, pale, still pretty
hand rested in that of the tall, DARK
man. He bent over it and softly, def
erentially brushed it with the long
black mustache, whose military SWEEP
seemed to harmonic with the bronzed
hua of his sariouS face
"Welll wellr' murmured the ole
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 gentleman should pre-
sent himself before lady? Particu
larly an old woman like me? NJ
offense, young man." turning to young
Bowen. Doubtless if you were tc
kiss anyone's hand you would prefer tc
kiss that of my granddaughter here,
Don't mind my chatter. What else car
old women do but talk of the past anS
its customs?"
The Madonna, her delicate oval fac,
disappearing under pink cloud o
bushes, received upon her timidly ex
tended fingers the salutation thu
authorized by the terrible old lady.
DINNER is served" then said tn
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
land am sure he l. mot old at all.
don't believe he has one gray hair Il
his head"
Henri Bowen's first remark she di,
not hear, and she had to ask him to re
peat it
'Mrs. Fredericks, your granddaugh
ter is charming" said the captain, ate
dinner.