Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-03-05
HIS AMERICAN WIFE.
"LaunceIot. my dear. dear boy
MY dear mot herr

/ A4SthAAt N"iffNf - N'N-N@f ~'N'~-
MY dear mOtherP
And the big broadshouldeivd ear
of Kensiugtower was locked IN his
mothers embra,,e. kissing her ard
nugging her. with tears III his eyes.
ike great baby
II was four years since these two
had met. When the young lord sue
,eeltd his father in the title and es
tate. he was so pestered and bothered
with the duties Of his newly acquired
tstSition that he shook off the shackles
directly his most important business
was settled. and left England in his
Yacht. He had intended to cruise
about for few months; but months
slid into years before he could make
up his mind TO return, and here he
vas at last once more in the arms of
mis- fond mother.
In these days of cheap postage
stamps it seems strange that Lord
KensingtOwer' family should have
heard 10 little of him during his alb
4ence and should not even have been
lpprised Of his return. But be was
never a good letter writer. and a
rraveler who goes wherever his mo
nentary inclination may suggest. and
It the shortest possible notice, may
i,erhaps be excused II he is not IL re
liable or u regular correspondent.
certainly he had occasionally writ
ten to his mother. but his letters
were characteristic of himself
,,choolboyish. and conveyed little OF
40 information, except that they sat
sfied her who loved him better than
the whole world that lie was alive
ind well Here, for instance, is a
specimen of the last letter received
from him six months previously to
their meeting.
Sr. PAUL, Mimi, America. Tuesday.
NV DEAREsT MoTHER-l hope you are quite
we'll. Arrived here on Friday. This Is II love-
IS neighb0rhood, and have shot three bears,
and had good sport with other game. ] will
send you some skins. Goodby. IN much
haste, your loving son. LAuNUELoT.
Now it cannot be maintained that
communicaxons like this are full Of
ihat personal gossip and detail such
" parent longs for from an absent
;hild. But Lady Kensingtower had
to submit to such meager informa
lion as they contained. and she had
grown accustomed to look out for
even such scrappy notes and to treas
ure them up when they arrived.
However. all her anxiety was now at
M end Laumcelot was with her
once more. and would, she hoped,
give up roaming about the world,
| and settle down To meet the calls OF
his great name aud the duties appur
| tenant to his vast possessions.
After half an hours cozy talk
about old friends who were alive,
married. dead or otherwise changed
III their state during herson's absence
Lady Kensingtower said:
"Do you know. Launcelot, there
was report that you had married
A Philadelphia heiress, think read
some one sent mo an extract from
an American paper, and loatis OF
people believe iti"
We'll, mother. there is some truth
IN that; am married, but the lady
is not quite a Philadelphian.
And you never told mol Fie,
l4auncelot But where is my daugh
ter in awG Why did you not bring
her to me that might welcome her,
you naughty boy9'
n left her at Liverpool for a day
or two. The fact ia, mother" he
said with nervous gulp in his voice,
there IL long history To be told
about her, and / thought you should
hear il before l introduced her"
"A long historyi" repeated Lady
Kensingtower slowly,
She did not Ike women with his
tories, and her sons evident nervous
ness was by no means reassuring
She had heard of noblemen descend
ing to their kitchens or even lower
IN search OF a wife. but such shock
ing cases had hitherto been without
an example IN her noble family, aud
she certainly never anticipated that
nef iAllnctilOl Wouhl 30 iiiI hVrNclN
as 20 ally himself with a woman
whom he could not unhesitatingly
present without blush to his own
mother However. she might as well
bear the worst now as later ON. II
would be a bitter pill, but she must
swallow il for the love she bore her
son love deeper than even that
she felt for the title aud name he
bore.
Having composed herself u little
during the awkward silence which
had ensued, she said somewhat cold
", Tell me the story launcelot,
only be quick about it
I'm afraid IL must take some time,
mother; and. II you please we will
tell your servants that you must not
be disturbed"
The requisite orders were given,
and Lord Kensingtower commenced
the story OF his wife,
You viii remember, mother that
when left England in my yacht !
intended 10 cruise abont the Mediter
mnean for few months, and then