Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-10-21

was furious, and keen as mustard in
pushing the affair in my direction, She
threw US together on every possible
occasion. 1 liked the child, too, pom
my word did; did my level best to
please her; even allowed her to ruin a
ripping polo pony trying to teach her to
ride, you know.
"Miss O'Brien," ssat last I ventured
| one evening, "I want to speak to you
most seriously, may II" Such confused
astonishment was never seen on any
young woman's face. What an actress
the little sinner was to be sure.
.'Seriouslyl What can you be going
to sayl Why, Mr.. Hallett, you almost
| frighten me to death" and she smiled
till her face was regular bed of dim
Piles.
"Ina," demonstrated, "you know,
you must know how L"
''Herc Hallet, old man, sorry to dis
turb you and all that, but Lady Glossop
wants you to give us banjo perform
ance; cut along now, there's good fell
low" said Briarton over our backs. I
scowled at him, but he was beautifully
imperturbable, and / needs must obey
my hostess's commands; she was angrily
observing "Beauty" take my place.
"Well2" she interrogated Grossly.
"Briarton said you wanted mel" re-
piled shortly.
She almost stamped, really she did.
"Wanted you'll" cried Blanche. "Why,
Jim, you surely knew better than to think
I'd call you away from her Oa dear!
Go back to her at once-no, / want him
to sing aud Miss O'Brien to play" But,
impatient, she went herself. So for the
present the danger was over. For few
weeks "Beauty" and l ran neck and
neck. Then Blanche and counseled to.
gether; had either to go to the wall or
have the girl, and, as l told Blanche,
there was no sense in proposing only to
be sent down. Blanche scolded me like
good 'un. "Think of some plan," she
calmly demanded. "Have you no brains,
man2" | said "Yes," pensively, "but
what is there to think ofl have no title
to offer her; they always want title, you
know. Nothing but half dozen paters,
hunting box, and the far-famed Lame of
Hailet. Briarton has nearly as much."
"Why, l have it; you can invent
coming title. Coniston must be going
to die! Do you understands Telegraph
for him to-day, now! He's to have
hopeless consumption; doctors give him
up and all that. He can be going away
to his place in Italy for this horrible
consumption. He must be going to die
soon; then you will be Lord Coniston.
SLo,tI ,.ouo, rafuoa tba f,,turn ord Con
iston for peuniless Arthur Briarton.
Coniston will agree to helping you
out; he's such a goodnatured fellow,
you know" l was delighted with the
plan, so was Con when he arrived; we
laughed no end over it-in fact, he was
strangely amused at my attempts to Sc
cure a rich wife; admired her Hiber-
nian name, too.
Well, we took that girl in to see Con.
They acted the whole business through
like professionals. He gasped like con-
sumption, and coughed, and breathlessly
begged her to excuse his not rising from
the midst of the shawls and blankets
in which he had enveloped himself on a
sofa in darkencd room; and Blanche
had his eyes done up with some black
connection, till he really did look hol-
low-eyed aud consumptive. but Con was
so energetic in his acting wc had to
remove Ina, as his gasping brought on
fit of genuine choking, with which
same complaint, to our extreme surprise,
Ina was affected. When we got her
outside the door she said sit was
because she felt so sad to see
great big man lying there weak and
i'll, dying, perhaps. And Blanche
and were touched by her tender little
heart, and then l told her of my grief
and how loved my brother, aud would
mourn his death even though it benefited
me. Would you believe it, the little sin
ner let me warble on but never gave me
a chance to get right down to business7
Then Con and went to Paris-and
had, we'll we thoroughly enjoyed our
selves.
Alter week of paradise, Lreturned to
the classic shades of Glossop, aud my
heiress. l found Briarton gone north.
also, to my intense discomfort, met many
inquiries after my brothers health, and,
to my delight, much sympathy from Ina.
SO 1 resolved to propose. l began by
seeking sympathy fer my coming be-
reavement. She gave it freely, etc., etc.
In fact, gave her a preliminary canter
to warm her to what was expected of her
then told her loved her. '.Could
she, could she, be my wifea''
She really was embarrassed-Pll say
that much for her. pressed her for an
answer. rather approving what l con-
sidered her maidenly coyness. She tid-
died with her fan; she twisted her hand
kcrchief into wild, grotesque enough
shapes even to decorate German cake.
She shifted, cleared her throat, and went
through awful facial gymnastics; so l
put my arm about her, and brushed my
mustache across her cheek, just to c
her though, you know.
ooh, Jimp' she burst out, "didn't
Lord Coniston tell you met him at Mrs.
Chumley's in the fall, and-oh, well
we're engaged, so there"
didn't quite take in her meaning.
"Whatl" l demanded, but she was
laughing, in a nervons kind of way.
"Ah, really, it was all his fault, you
know" she said between her giggles.
"He wouldn't let me tell you after all
that joke about the consumption; said it
was too good to spoil"
Then I comnrehendedi All n beautt-