Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-18

philosophers and the British aristocracy.
Elsie was an ideal in his eyes. rare in gifts
and graces; no less a jolly girl than high
born lady. He had Ufuen told her how he
liked her sensibleness, and she fully under
stood the value of such i tribute from such
man.
If he had poured a stream of pretty moth
ingS upon her beauty and such-like (the
makeShifts of love-talh among the witlingS)
she would have smartly swept him out with
other rubbish. That was one of the
chains she held him with, though she hardly
knew it.
Ga the other hand, he was popular with
all the mothers of all the manageable girls
of the day; indeed it needed all his abun-
dant to free himself from unintentional en-
tanglelnents A smile from Sir John was
Interpreted as the equivalent of n solemn
proposal from most other men. Know
ing the extensive field of choice that lay
around him. he naturally felt in no particu-
lar hurry to decide. Some worthy BritonS
have shown staying power that has en-
abed them to wait from young bachelorhood
to old fogyism until death, or other inter
position of merciful providence, has released
the object of their lifes-love from her mat
rimonial bondage. Sir John had no thought
of counting any such will-o' -the-wisp as
that. If he ever crosS-eXamIned his inner
consciousness upon the matter the outcome
would have been something to this effect:
| certainly have Elsie, in spite of my will,
| may say, though | have no desire not to.
She fights shy so far, but then, probably it
is my own fault. have not yet really made
Il business of courtship. AT all events, we
can both afford to wait u while, and the
sweet little cherubs that sit up aloft, and
shift US chessmen as suits their fancy, will
most likely give US a move one of these fine
days that viii settle the game.
The history of Mr.. Hogg's courtship of
the sparkling Genie Dabchic is less easy to
tell He was considerably her senior, or
what the average bride considers ''consiG-
erably." whatever that vaguest of words
may mean Put ii at from ten 20 fifteen
wears His bent of mind was grave and
philosophical: hers exactly the opposite.
These are two of the good reasons why
they drifted rather than fell IN love. Genie's
vivacity balanced his more ponderous ten
dency. and she mad learned to love where
she had only expected to admire.
There was no courtshlp, properly
so called. Mr.. Hogs young manhood
had been chiefly spent in libraries. the study
and the fields. When Miss BennIson, who
was his lifelo: friend and adviser, took
Miss Dabchic into her fold, the lnquisltlve-
ness OF a bright girl eager 10 avail herself
of the results of Mr.. Hogs Invaluable
stores OF knowledge, first charmed and
then captivated him In Genie he found
new and Sweeter sense of companionship
than he had known before. he had begun
10 taste the ecstaSieS felt by young teachers,
divines or others. when they realize the
proud sense of maStership. the conscious
ness that lesser souls are lovingly feeding
on their provender; and if this is so keen
delight when the dependents are youths or
mixed audiences, how unspeakably more
ENJOYABLE when the scholar is fascina-
ing damsel.
Mr.. Hogg received quite as much benefit
and amusement as he impaired. Under
his tuition Genie grew wonderfully wise,
she felt and under hers he lost half his ma
tive clumsiness. OF course 1t was gener
ally assumed that their frequent compan-
ionship in study and walks and drives
would end in what 4 cockney foctman once
called 1.-The bride at the haltar." Yet If
Mr.. Hogg had been fairly summoned TO
state just what he felt about it, he would
have stopped short good mile on this side
the Rubicon.
Good as she might be rs q pupil compan-
ion, or even as mild fiirt, he would have
to give the whole question of matrimony
thorough and deliberate think-out Like
her? OF course. Love herr Well, no
doubt. But there's love aud love, don't
you know, and a man may miss the
GROWING flavor in the cup of bliss by drink
ing ii hastily.
Genie, too, while she chuckled to think
everybody credited her with the conquest
of so desirable husband, had 4 mental res
eryation of her own. She would always
like to hold him as her very dearest, lovablest
friend-until dearer might turn up; and
even then she would like him to keep on rs
before. This was her airy, superficial way
of looking at most things. Grim Time soon
enough knocks that enviable apology for
philosophy out of the giddiest of US.
The departure of the two men for the
West had an unlooked-for effect upon the
whole of the four. The shutting of cards
makes wonderful changes in the suits. as
may possibly have been observed by other
original thinkers. Slowly. all but uncon-
sciously, the two men had discovered char
acteristics in their fair associates that,
somehow, seemed to be working a singular
change in their relations. Sir John actually
found himself one morning looking up the
word affinity in all the dictionaries he
could get hold Of. There seemed to be
new and vaster significance in it than he |
had suspected; in fact. he had always re-
garded it as dangerous cant word aud no |
more. Miss Dabchic was certainly remark |
ably clever girl. said he to himself. Some
thing so, so-wnat the duce can fellow |
call it9 The jolliest, winningest, piquant
little puss I ever met. And how she would |
corruscatesin the shiresl Elsie is-well,