Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-05-31

of your feelings towards her" he asked
presently, looking up at me in a fear
fully anxious kind of way that made
my heart ache Not in words said
Not in words, he repeated, still look.
ing at me, but she knows?' 1 have not
told her. | said. MOI he replied, mot
in words, again repeating my answer.
Have you asked Mrs. Sinclair to be-
come your wife?' Yes he replied.
when? Almost this minute he an
swered And what was her reply|
Her reply, said my father, rising from
his seat and looking about him in a
perplexed way, was that if had your
full and free and absolute consent she
would marry me- My free, full and
absolute consent, said, n ow repeating
my father, my heart beating wildly.
What a selfish thing love is. would
have laid my life down for my father, but
could not give up Marie Sinclair. 1t
was one thing to be in love, another to
tell the woman that you love her, the
very confession you feel may be your
loss of her / felt as if / would
like to GO to my father and
take his hand, but somehow my
heart was against him; it seemed
to me that he had acted an unkind and
a cruel part towards me, his only son.
Then tears came into my eyes, and
felt perfect fool. His voice brought
me to my senses. Speak Ned he said,
speak. Have your full, free and alb
solute consent to marry Mrs Sinclair?
No. / said, by the Lord, no!' My
father staggered where he Stood but
he stiffened himself with an effort
felt that he was suffering Ilonged to
fling myself into the old mans arms
and say yes the moment after | had
said mo- Then we leave it to her. he
said. Il love you both too well to come
between you; love her too well to
give her up without it is her absolute
wish; but'-he pushed past me and
rang the bell. 1t seemed a rrosaic
thing to do, and it brought me out of
my cloud of romance. Father | said,
going up to him and laying my hand
on his arm, forgive mep He shook me
from him, without a word, as servant
entered the room. Tell Mrs. Sinclair
my son wishes to speak with her.
Just as Ned arrived at this dramatic
situation it happened that another bell
rang. In real life incidents do not al
ways work up to what is called a
dramatic climax, though in the present
case Mrs. Henshaw's return from the
"at home" Ned had mentioned was in
itself not altogether Inappropriate
As the great hall bell rang Ned paused
in his narrative, saying: That's my
wife; she will be here in moment.
| have just time to tell you that | mar.
ried Mrs Sinclair, and that we have
neither of us seen my father since the
day when he had those few words
with me about his matrimonial inten'
tions. ! left the hous, within an hour
of Marie confessing her love for me,
and the dear old chaps last words tc
me were: Ned Henshaw, will never
forgive youP
But he shall!' said, just as Mrs,
Henshaw, the heroine of Ned's story
entered the room, a handsome, we'll
dressed, happy-looking woman, aot al
hour over thirty. She went up to Ned
said she had had delightful time and
informed him that the carriage wa:
waiting; all this before Ned had time
to introduce us. On second thoughts
concluded to 60 with them to Rich
mond, and as we sat chatting on the
terrace after dinner l could not fee
surprised at the division in the Hen
shaw household at Bath, but / mad,
up my mind that would close up the
breach and bring father and son to
gether on friendly, if not familiar
terms. After the age of sixty one has
not smauy missions in life. This il
mine. Poor old Henshawl