New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-22

some interest.
Indeed" he said. And then he added, Il
suppose that fact can hardly account for your
feeling about her. No, OF course it can't, for you
had The feeling first. Still, suppose good many
people have been born at Feeding Hills
NO, not many. It's a small place I've mind
to 60 there tomorrow. suppose it's about siAty
miles from here
But you speak tomorrow
YES, so l do. The next day then. Wish
had asked the child her name
1T is not too late. Shall run up and present
Mrs. Owen Llandaf's compliments, and will you
please tell your name? Mrs. LANDAU now recalls
that she was born at Feeding Hills.
But Mrs. LANDAU did not appear TO listen, and
made no response.
Il was always puzzle at first to people VINO saw
those two together rs 10 what relation they held TO
each other.
There was "A kind Of devotion. though 1t was n
tri6c careless always evident in the mans attitude
and manner toward her. And there was certain
tenderness in her voice and face. even when she
reproved him. ~,
A bc was Owen LANDAU and she was Mrs'
Owen LANDAU there had upon occasion pceh SONIC
confusion. She was certainly old enough 10 DC his
mother. But men had been known 10 marry
women who were old enough to ne thcir h'o'he'S
This Young man had threatened &c have engraved
below his name upon his cards the explanatory
legend "stepeon TO the great speaker NHS
Llandaf."
For il was In fact the father WHO hao n"'iie"
this woman when the boy was IN Ms 'erhs'
And from the moment the boy hau hh'"n "''
he had given her an admirlng homage al" i''o
The admiration in these later days WAS no' ~ WIN"
prchcnsvc as it had been, but 1t was sun e'n"''.
And as for the love, she was nscd 10 "ei"s 49,
in ono way or another IN greater or less degree
by great many men
In amused these two that people could rarely
,dust them at first and that the most natural con-
clusion was rarely if ever drawn, that is, that 'hey
,,crc mother and son. sons did not as rule, have
precisely that air 10 their mothers anu '"eS "''o
not so constantly in their society.
Sometimes Mrs I.andaf would condcsccnd 10
;ntrodncc him as my stcp-son, ana the rcll'i ~
cr,iositv was then so evident that II caused
much secret enjoyment 10 the two "cherahS,
bowovcr the relationship was left TO he discovered
or not.
When she spoke in public and for some time shc
had been in great demand, young lAandan was
olwaye visible in the audience somewhere near ',e
platform. Occasionally he would Join IN uhe
cntbusiastic applause And there would DC
whimsical smile lurking in his eyes as he did Sc
Rut in truth, accustomed as he was to these
.oonos ho caught himself often falling under The
spell Of the womans cloqucncc
Well rs he fancicd he knew her, he could not
vet affirm that he was positive whether her III
tercst in any particular cause was genuine caring
for the cause or q caring for n as a SOMETHING
into which she could throw herself with an en-
,busiosm which certainly had so much OF the
genuine in it that it seemed all genuine ana
moved people in surprising degree
But her devotccs her admirers were uouo'cu
with no such questions aS sometimes came I"
Young Llandan's mind; and even In lis NINA
they were hceting and comparatively OF H''ic
importance. =,
lie used to give her long, inquiring looks. lie
was in the habit OF telling himself that really
Mrs. LANDAU, as he always called her was an
interesting woman linen Nv
would wonder why she came TO marry his ia'hcr.
For he was not so blinded as TO think for mo
merit that his father was interesting in the least.
The elder LANDAU big man with small
white mutton chop whiskcrs a bcef-red face
lie remained mostly on the estate he had pur-
cbaccd in Wales. where he domincercd in gen.
crous antocratic way over his tenants lie had
chosen Wales H. the place for his estate. because
Of his name lie said he didn't sce why people
who had been born and lived in the United States
for several generations should have remained In
the United States us long as there was Wales
But his second wife did not agree with him in
this conviction. At the same time that he de
cdcd TO live in Wales she decided not TO live
there. II was about this period also, that She
appeared 20 find her vocation.
IL amused young Owen to 60 with her az first,
and his presence an cmincntly respectable
link with that husband who had turned Welsh
man.
After few years Of separation Owen was In
the habit OF saying that rs respectable link his
function about played out.
At these words his stcp-mothcr glanced at him
and smiled slightly.
MY dear child she said I'm not keeping
you. Go back 10 your father
On one Of these occasions the young man, hear
ing her say this stopped in his walk about the
room and leaned on the back OF her chair.
Z" But my father borcs me, and you don't. Don't
send me 10 my father, please.
I'm not sending you. l like TO have you with
me.
Rcally?7
She laughed.
NO, not really-unreally" lie still continued:
IF were asked 10 describe in II few words the
great public speaker, should say that her most
marked characteristic is that she never bores one
even when she is on the platform
"Oh, thanks
Remarkable truth, isn't il, he resumed. g No.
I'm not going TO Wales. I'm going to continue to
arrange your engagements 10 tell you when they
come of and sit and listen to you when they are
coming of. Oh, it's great fun. tell you. And l
always guess which times you're most in earnest.
I'm always in earnest
Owen laughed.
"Oh | know that. That's why you never bore
anyone You are in earnest; still not so much so
but that you know when to stop. You are really
perfect Mrs. Llandan'
That will do, Owen
The young man lcapcd back in the chair in
which he had now seated himself. lie continued
TO gaze at his step-mothcr.
Nor custom stale her infinite variety, he
suddenly remarked.