Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-08-16

By w. E NORRIS.


would have had no comforts nor any
competent person to look after him. l
scarcely saw him until he was able to
leave his bedroom, Mrs. Robertson be-
Ing decidedly OF opinion that 1t would
be improper for me to do so, and being
also, think, little jealous of any pos
sible interference between her and her
charge. he was dear, good young
fellow, she told me. and most patient
and cheerful; only he was much dis
treSSed at the idea Of inhicting so much
Inconvenience upon strangers.
sent message TO the effect that l
should have been at least equally dis
tressed il had inflicted the inconveni-
ence of sudden death upon him, and as
soon as he was well enough to be carried
down stairs TO the drawing room made
him the apology which l believed to be
his due.
"Oh, but indeed, Miss Selby," he pro-
tested, lit is 1 who ought TO beg your
pardon. One has no business 10 fall
down all Of heap just under another
persons nose, and it's the greatest
mercy in the world that you weren't
more hurt"
Now, il was obvious that another
persons nose had no business TO be so
near him when be fell, and that II she
had had it broken for her pains she
would have deserved little pity; still L
could not hely being grateful to him
for his magnanimity, nor could l have
helped liking him, even il had wished
to do so.
He was very young in his ways, very
simple aud natural, and ready TO tell
me anything about himself that l
might care to hear. learned that his
home was in the adjoining county, that
he was the only son OF his
mother, who was a widow,
that hewas a barrister by profession,
though not by practice, and that he had
vague hopes Of some day obtaining q
legal appointment from somebody or
other. IL would have, he admitted, to
be an appointment which did not neces-
state much knowledge Of law, but he
had been given TO understand that most
/ legal appointments answered TO that de-
Scription. Meanwhile he seemed very
well cOntented to live down in the
country and amuSe himself with held
sports. We became great friends, as
was only natural, suppose, seeing that
our views and pursuits were so much
alike. and after the lapse OF few
DAYS / discovered that we had yet an
other taste common in the shape Of love
of music.
Ny instructors have never attempted
to deceive me with regard to my play
ing OF the fiddle. They are unanimous
i'm saying that possess but an elemen-
tary knowledge of that art; yet they ad-
NIT that my ear Is keen enough 10 keep
me in tune, ann if l can't do anything
that is wonderful with my beloved In
strument can at least do the little that
is within my compass respectfully. l
dare say that may have been why Mr..
Longiield declared, with every degree
of sincerity, that he had never in his life
listened to so divine performer. When
he was able 20 sit up he took TO playing
my accomplishments for me; so that,
upon the whole, we found q spell Of
cold weather less wearisome than frozen
out fox hunters usually do.
One morning he announced to me,
with some unnecessary apologies, that
his mother was coming over TO see him.
he said that she intended to take up
her quarters at the village inn, but that
was of course absurd and In response 70
the telegram which / dispatched to
Mrs. Longfeld I received a grateful ac-
ceptance OF my preferred hospitality.
Well, I can't honestly say that liked
the woman. She was one or those
juvenile widows who always i'm
press one with the idea that il they
have not married a second time it
has been no fault of theirs. She was
profuSe I'm her thanks to me for the care
that I had taken of her son; she vOuch-
safed no notice 10 Mrs. Robertson; she
kissed me a good deal more than liked
does any woman. wonder, really like
kissing another member of her Sex?-and
she dropped hints which were not agree
able 10 me. In short, to put matters
plainly, she signiied without ambiguity
and with very little delicacy, that, al
though I was twenty-seven and her dear
Jack was only twenty-five, she would
look upon an alliance between US as
most auspiciouS event. was very glad
when her engagements compelled her
to leave us. She was so kind as to say
that she could do so with a mind at ease,
being convinced that her boy was as
safe in my keeping as he could have
been In her own.
Possibly I ought to have told her that
he was even safer than she imagined by
reason of my engagement to Granville
Maitland. Mrs. Robertson was of opin-
ion that l ought to have done so, but
really that sort OF thing is not so very
easy TO say; besides l, like all heireSseS,
had had such an experience OF match
making mothers that l was little dis
posed to show any consideration for
them as race. My engagement to
Granville was not generally known in
the county, so that by this time most OF
our neighbOrs, including Colonel Whar-
ton, had begun to scent q romance.
The time-hOnOred materials were ready
10 their hand-the handsome young
man, the rich young woman, the acct
dent and its invariable results. II was
reasonable enough that they should
smile and look knowing when they
called to inquire; and did not think
il worth while to undeceive them.
Yet they were not deceived. People
who take 4 commonplace, everyday
view OF things seldom are, and l don't
know that there is anything vary sur
priSing in a disabled young man Oecom-
Ing enamored Of 4 comparatively young
woman with whom he is brought into
contact all day and every day, even
though she be a black-browed young
woman and two years his senior, and no
great beauty. Especially II you throw
in the fiddle, What, own, did rather
surprise me was he extreme reluctance
that I felt to administer the requisite
dose OF cold water to my young cOnva-
l-..--. Id nnrnr nvrnrinnnad tho