The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-07-29
THE BEAUTY'S BOUDOLR.

es, Miss Weston was at home, tho
page said; but she was engaged. She had
told him, however, that if anyone called, -"
and the boy in buttons looked nquisi-
lively at the elderly lady, dressed with
! Quakerlike simplicity. whose knock had
brought him to the door. Miss Weston
had said that if any one called she was TO
wait.
| Yes, of course we shall watt" cried
| Herbert Torrens, who had stayed behind
to give some directions to the driver of
the brougham, and ran up the steps in
time to hear the last word. You will
not object, will you, mother? l should
be sorry for you to miss seeing Linda this
morning"
Mrs. Torrens readily assented to this.
Not that she was at all eager to make the
acquaintance of the beautiful girl with
whom her son had fallen desperately in
love.
But Herbert had entreated it as fa-
vor Although convinced in his own
mind that he had found the only woman
in existence who could make him happy,
he wanted his mothers sanction to their
union, and could not resolve to ask
Linda Weston to be his till he had
gained it.
Mrs. Torrens had so often said she
should like to see him well married that
he was surprised and disappointed when
she demurred at his choice.
Yet when asked why. she could not
give an answer that sounded satisfac-
tory.
She had no doubt, she said, that Miss
Weston was as fair and charming as he
described her. Others had sung the
beauty's praises in her ears as enthusias-
tically as her son.
And as good2 Well, Herbert must
have patience with her if she declined to
express an opinion on that point until
she knew the young lady.
The only and motherless daughter Of a
rich man, who was reported to have al
lowed her her own way in every whim
and fancy, her nature must be a fine one
indeed if it was not injured to some ex-
tent by such excessive indulgence.
Granted that Linda has been spoiled
child, argued the lover, "may not her
faults be merely such as she will easily
conquer as soon as they are pointed out? I?
When she has such wise, kind friend at
her elbow as you will be, my dearmother,
she will prove herself all that you or
can wish.
If Mrs. Torrens sighed, and marveled
that in three short weeks the smiles of a
beauty should have cast such glamour
over her ordinarily sensible son, she was
too prudent to tell him her thoughts.
He had begged her to come up to town
from her pleasant house on Clifton
Downs that he might introduce her to
Linda, and she had complied with his re-
quest so promptly that she arrived on the
preceding evening and was ready for the
ordeal some hours before Miss Weston
dreamed of her being in London.
The page was ushering the visitors to
| the drawing room, but as they passed the
half open door of Miss Weston's boudoir
Herbert Torrens halted there.
Now, he secretly detested Mr.. Weston's
| large, over furnished salon, gaudy with
gliding and satin damask, and dreaded
the effect it would have on the more re-
fined taste of his mother. Surely she and
Linda would meet with more ease in the
cosier apartment where the young lady
spent her mornings, and had on one or
| two occasions received him.
"There is fire here" he said hastily,
"and you are apt to be chilly, mother.
Miss Weston will not look upon it as an
| intrusion.
Mrs. Torreus submitted to be led to q
chair by the said fire, and her glance
slowly travelled around the beauty's bou-
| doir
| The inspection was not a satisfactory
one. Dusty corners. and q general air of
untldness, proved that Miss Weston was
not a good housekeeper; in no we'll Or
dered household would such disorder
have been permitted to reign.
Linda reads great DEAL" said Her.
bert, land not novels only; recon-
mended Montaigne's Essays to her. and
she tells me she is delighted with them. ii
The book certainly lay on the table, but
when Mrs. Torrens picked it up she saw
| that the leaves We're still uncut. How.
ever, she refrained from pointing this out
to her son, who was drawing her attention
to a piece OF very delicate embroidery
stretched IN a frame.
You see, he smilingly observed, as
he held it up for his mothers inspection,
you sec Linda shares your love oi
womanly occupations. She tells me she
is just completing collar and cuffs OF
Honiton lace which she proposes offering
to you; you will not refuse her gift, will
you2'
Mrs. ToTens was mute, for her keeneI
observation had detected that the needle
in the embroidery her son expected hel
to praise had rusted into it.
Nexed at her silence, the lover resented
it.
! "lf you have come here prejudiced
AGAINST Miss Weston it is useless at
tempting to win your approval of any
thing she says or does "
Not preiudiced my dear boy, but I'm
able to help seeing that you are acting
hastily. You met this young lady fol
the first time only three weeks ago; cat
a be possible that IN so short time yov