The morning call., 1895-02-24
"Poor GRIT
"Why?-it's good for her"
81 didn't mean the walk"

''Poor girl4''
"Why?-it's good for her."
81 didn't mean the walk
'sI'd blush if there was light enough to
make it any use, Mrs. Marland."
''Oh, but l know there's something You
dom go there every evening to look for
dead lady, Mr.. Merceron.n
Charlie stopped short and took his cigar
from his mouth.
.'What?'' he asked, little abruptly.
"Well, shall follow you some day, and
1 shouldn't be surprised if 1 met-not
Agatha-but-"
?'' said Charlie, with an uncertain
smile.
fsWhv. poor Miss Bushellr'
Charlie laughed and replaced his cigar.
"What are we standing still for?" he
said.
81 don't know. You stopped. She'd be
such an ideal match for you"
''Then ! should never have done for you,
Mrs. Marland."
''My dear boy, was married when you
were still in Eton collars"
They had completed the circuit of the
garden, and now approached where Lady
| Merceron sat, enyeloped in a shawl.
"Charlie," she called, "here's a letter
from Victor Sutton. He's coming to-mor-
row"
II didn't know you'd asked him" said
Charlie with no sign of pleasure at the
news. Victor had been at school and col
| lege with Charlie, and often in his holt
DAYS, at the Court, for he was Sir Victor's
godson. Yet Charlie did not love him
For the rest, he was very rich and was
understood to cut something of figure in
London society.
'Mr sutton? Oh, 1 know him." ex-
claimed Mrs. Marland. He's charming!"
'Then you shall entertain him." said
! Cbar1ia az RESIGN him -
''I can't think why you're not more
pleased to have him here, Charlie" re-
marked Lady Merceron. Hes very popu-
lar in London, isn't he, Vansittart?'
GIVE met him at some very good
houses,' answered Mr.. Vansittart. And
that, he seemed to imply, is better than
mere popularity.
'The Bushels were delighted with him
last time he was here, continued Lady
Merceron.
"There! A rival for your Mrs. Marland
Charlie laughed cheerfulIy. Sutton
would be no rival OF his, he thought; and
If he and Mile liked one another by all
means let them take one another. A
month before he would hardly have dis
missed the question in so summary a
fashion, for the habit of regarding Mile
as possibility and her readiness as a fact
had grown strong by the custom of years,
and, as far as he was from a passion, he
might not have enjoyed seeing her
Certainly he would have suffered defeat
from that hand with very bad grace.
Now, however, everything was changed.
"Vansittart" said Lady Merceron,
''Charle and want to consult you Tshe
often coupled Charles hypothetical desire
for advice with her own actual one in APP
peals to Mr.. Vansittartl about Mr.. Primes
rent"
''Oh, at the old farm? '
eyes. He wants another reduction"
"He'll want to be paid for staying there
next"
"Well, poor man, he's had to take dodgers.
this summer-a thing he's never done be-
fore. Charlie, did you know that?'
eyes" said Charlie, interrupting an ami
mated conversation which he had started
with Mrs. Marland.
''Do you know who they are?" pursued
his mother, wandering from Mr.. Primes
rent to the more interesting subject of his
dodgers.
Ladies from London" answered Char
lie.
Rather vague" commented Mr.. Van
sittart. young ladies or old ladies, Char
lie?"
why does he want to know?" asked
Mrs. Marland; but chaff had about as much
effect on Mr.. Vansittart as it would have
on an ironclad. He seemed not to hear,
and awaited his answer with a bland
smile. In truth he thought Mrs. Marland
a silly woman.
young, believe. answered Charlie in
a careless tone.
cts curious I've not seen them about"
said Lady Merceron. ~ pass the farm
almost every day. Who are they, Char
lie?'
Cones a Miss Wallace. She's engaged
to Willie Prime"
'"To Willie? Fancy!'
"H m! l think, remarked Mr.. Vansit-
tart that, from the point of view of re-
duction of rent, these dodgers are a delu-
sion. OF course, she stays with Prime if
she's going to marry his SON.
Fancy Williep' reiterated Lady Mer-
ceron 'Surely he can't afford to marry?
He's in bank you know, Vansittart, and
he gets only f120 year"
zone blessing of the country is that every
body knows his neighbours income" OBJ
served Mr. Vansittart.
perhaps the lady has money" suggested
Mrs. Marland. But, Mrs. Merceron, who's
the other lady?o
"a friend of Miss Wallace, believe; 1
dom know her name"
"Oh, they're merely friends of Prime ?"
Mr.. Vansittart concluded. eff that's all,
he bases his claim for reduction on
Hang It'll He might as well have it, {"
interrupted Charlie. He talks to me
about it for half an hour every time we
meet"
But my dear Charlie, you have more
time than money to waste-at least so it
seems"
His uncle's sarcasm never affected Char
lies temper.
ON turn him on to you, uncle" he re-
piled, 'tand you can see how you like it."
"I'll go and call on him tomorrow.
You'd better come, too Charlie.
"And then you can see the ladies from
London" added Mrs. Marland. perhaps
the one who isn't young Mr.. Primes will
be interesting"
cor" said Charlie, Gas mostly happen
in this woeful world, the one who is. ~
~ think the less we see of that sort of
person at all the BETTER observed Lady
Merceron, with gentle decision. 'tThey
can hard " be quite what we're accustomed
to-
Charlie went to his bed with the phrase
ringing in his horror-stricken ears. If to
be the most beautiful, the most charming,
and the most refined, the daintiest, the wit