The morning times., 1895-07-09
One Cent Hs1a FsI
No advertisement less than los
Il Simple Maiden.

Ny Gear Blake, ] feel honored by your
choice Lena is hut child; she has been
brought up in the old-fashioned sheltered
way, you know; she has not yet been in
troduccd into society, and l am sure her
inclinations VIII be i'll your favor"
Il wish, Mr. Naylor, that my attrac-
4 lions Were such that an acquaintance with
society would increase her appreciation of
! them, but ="
'oh, il Will, Blake, of course. AS she
/ knows more of the world she VIII appre-
ciate yaH more and more"
NayloT saw that he had made blunder
and tried TO heal the wound he had given
Blake's vanity as Well as he could The
! two men were near the same age, and all
! their lives each had worshiped society
! and success as their chief gods Blake
lad never married. He was very hand
/ some man, quite a professional beauty"
! and be had been a great lady-ki!ler. Now
! he had retired from business with a for.
! tune, and, concluding that he wanted
wife for his cid age, had spoken TO Nay
lor about his blooming young daughter Of
eighteen, Lena NayloT had been losing
money lately, ana IL seemed TO him here
was q most desirable son-inlaw He
congratulated himself that Lena, whom
he had brought up rather like a French
than an american girl, would not have
the audacity to say Blake was too old
for her. as he might have expected if she
had been the gin of the period That was
the thought that led him into such tactlcsS
lntimation To Blake, for Blake was as sensi.
five about his age as a woman, and could
not hear any other tone than that he was
likely 10 he loved for himself alone by any
woman 10 whom he threw his handker,
chief MAYORS dart, the suggestion that
he could only win Lena MAYORS affections
because she had seen nothing of the
world and was an undeveloped child,
struck and ranked.
He came out in his Courtship success
fully. He was talked up 10 Lena as a beau
ideal that all women worshiped, and when
her meek, faded, silent little mother. at
her fathers command, gave her hint that
this great gentleman admired her tran
scendently she was flutteringly flattered
When that evening IL was managed that
they were left alone together in the back
drawing groom, and Mr. Blake beautifully
correct in his evening dress and handsome
and stately, gently kissed the tips OF her
fingers and hoped she would honor him by
coHScntlng To ne hIs Wife, she felt a : if she
Were dancing some pretty stately figure of
minuet in which hers was, OF course, a
ConsentIg part, and consent she did
Soon after this MT Blake who was
conducting himself as a very decorous
lover, found that he wanted TO go abroad
and take the Carlsbad waters for awhile
for his health
IN be away but a little while, Nay
lor,' he said TO his prospective father-in-
law, and hope 10 b. married very soon
after my return, so now in the meantime
Il
ciety, such as a summer place like yours
affords. 1t VIII fu her the better for
the position she Will take as my wife |
have a nephew, rather tiresome and
plain Young man, but he is intelligent and
well meaning, and lac VIII be a good cavalier
Tor Lena while | am away. II will relieve
her or any embarrassment as a betrOthed
young lady to settle IL that way Abe is
coming down to this cove for the months
OF July and August to sketch-he Is trying
10 be "A painter, poor deviI!''
MAYOR made some little sounds and move
ments OF assent during this mOnOlague
He was pretty sure that this idea OF giving
Lena taste OF the world came from
Blalle's memory OF lis unlucky speech
wien he made his offer OF marriage. but
he was glad 10 notice that his prudence
curbcd his vanity, and that he did not in
slst that hiS betrothcd should 90 about
with any but a plain, dry young man alb
sorbed IN his art
Il don't think Mr. Albert Blake So very
plain said Lena after her first meeting
with the despised nephew OF her lover. '.of
course, he isn't 30 handsome as Mr. Blake
must have been when he was young .
II was only a month or six weeks later
that The TWO young people were Sitting on
the beach together, Al Blake with his
easel and his white umbrella folded beside
him
why don't you go on and finish your
sketch?'' asked Lena
Curse the sketch" y" muttered Al II
got a letter from my uncle this morning.
He'll be at home IN a fortnight. but. OF
course, YOU know all that better than -
Is that why you are in such a bad TEN
pcr?' asked Lena, naiyey. No answer
You were going TO be his heir if he
hadnt hadn't made up his mind 10
marry me, weren't your"
Much i care about his fortune He
could leave his money 10 an orphan asylum
for anything / care declared the young
man, and relapsed into gloomy silence
He Seemed 30 say by the determined set of
his shut mouth that he was a man of
honor, even TO a fanatIcal degree. and
that wild horses should not drag the secret
OF his discontent from him
A r. yoH so very ricEl?' asked the girl
looking at him with big round eyes and