The Portland daily press., 1895-09-07

chance admission. $50 you acknowledge,
| do you"--
"There's the hotel bus,' cried the girl,
| hastily changing the subject. perhaps
| the driver can tell US something
A long, empty vehicle was passing them
on its way up the street. Strong called tc
| the driver, and he stopped.
"Did you bring upa tall gentleman this
morning with white mustaehe and
| goatee and gold eyeglasses?"
Eyes, sir, Your father, don't you
| meanp'
| The young people exchanged startled
| glances.
| Chow did you know"
"He was inquiring for you, sir, as soon
| as ever he got to the hotel, and when he
found you were gone he went and hired
buggy"
"a buggy-what for?"
"He asked the way to Judge Weston's
| place in the Montecito. He said the judge
was near relative Of his
IA near relative!" groaned the Mortified
| Strong, while his companion turned away
| her face although whether to conceal
| look of anguish or a laugh will never be
| known.
The omnibus proceeded on its way.
eve must hurry" said the young man,
| squirting his horse to a canter. "Ihe less
time they have together before e1plana-
tions are made the better"
what do you think they will do2'
asked the girl.
II don't dare to think. You see on ey-
erything except this family tree business
our respective parents are as far apart as
civilized humans can be. Your father,
ic old ind oh yUh Ia n
has lost all the religion he ever had, and
he has never recovered from the habit of
| using swear words acquired during years
of service in the regular army"
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
"Then, again, Judge Weston is an ar
dent Republican.
"And is your father a Democrats"
"Worse than that-he is Mugwump."
"How Interestingly Ihave always longed
to see one Of them"
"And my father believes that Bacon
wrote Shakespeare plays"
Heavens! Let us ride faster. Papa
| will have slain him before we get there"
| "Really, Catherine. said the young
| man, when they had slackered their pace
| to climb the hills "it would not surprise
me If they positively refused to enter into
partnership as fathers-in-law."
| "Never mind, Richard" said the girl
smilingly. Father has never yet refused
me anything when my happiness was at
stake, as it is now
Strong shrugged his shoulders. "Mine
| has, - he answered. "He is made of flint,
the old general, and if he should take it
| into his head to say no it would be awk'
ward in ways don't like to mention"
"Never mind,'' said the girl, smiling
again and lifting her veil to the rim OF
the jaunty sailor hat
And moment later the young man felt
much encouraged and the gallop was re-
sumed.
On a slight knoll surrounded by grove
| of live oaks and faced with an avenue
| of old palms stood the ample residence
| of Judge Weston. Az the young people
came through the gate and entered upon
the graveled roadway they observed two
elderly gentlemen emerge from small
| forest of rosebushea and start brlskIy
| down the path toward them. Presently
the shorter Of the two took his companions
arm, and they walked along in evident
| peace and amity
"They haven't found it out yet" the
young man whispered.
| Judge Weston assisted his daughter to
/ al12lG. CdUU6rlnG SI1lu Aoy UAAo 10
| General Strong, the father of our young
| friend"
| The general bent low in an old fashioned
! obeisance, and Miss Catherine instructive,
| ly made him q courtesy out OF the minuet
"Father"
| "Dick, my dear boy!"
| "See here" exclaimed the judge sudden
| ". "You were mistaken, Richard, III
what you told me about old Ebenezer
Strong"
The young man braced himself for
struggle.
"And to think, Dick, cried the general
reproacbfully, THAT you never once men
| toned to the judge that your great-great
grandfather, Hezekiah Strong, married a
Weston"
| "And that brings US even nearer than
we had supposed" added the judge;
Fourth cousins instead of fifth"
at was stupid of me to forget that, ;"
said the young man huskily.
"And now that have seen Miss Cath
crime" said the general, taking her hand
and passing his arm about her waist, my
only regret is that the relationship Is not
| several degrees nearer yet. y
| Then Catherine looked at Richard, and
he told what had happened on the way to
| town. Straightway there was a great
| amount of Handwriting and good deal
| of kissing done in broad daylight undel
the palms. Dwight Willard II
Land of Sunshine.