Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-03-19

4llNhlAie1 IL AH
question. None whatever l answer
ed him.
Would YOU care if 1 married herr
Anything that gave her happiness
would give me happiness, too, l an
swered automatically.
Then Won CONSENT?
I could have punched him, also, for
his asinine JOY. I've no rights for
anv one TO respect. you little chump
YOU" I said rUdely; go in, my boy, and
win. and I'll put my hands on your
heads and say: Bless you my chill
dren.
He wrupg my hand and went
away
To find two men, and wholly admir-
able and eligible ones at that, crazy to
marry a woman YOU have once loved
YOURSELF is bound 20 increase your re-
spect for that woman, no matter how
little YOU may care for her to-day
Then. too. there is always that dog-in-
the-manger feeling that IS so dis
tinctly masculine, and that strikes us
so forcibly when we observe the de-
sire of some one to possess something
we no longer care to possess ourselves.
Perhaps all this caused me to sit up
rather later than usual, smoking fierce
IN between sins at my modest forum Of
very weak grOg-for / am very temper
ate in my habits nowadays-and
dreaming of q slim girl in white
dress. with the sweetest red mouth III
the world. teaching her little sister her
sunday school lesson and-pish! When
nv trend of thought had reached this
imbicile stage / arose with agrunt, hsh-
ed out my p1jamas and craWled lnto
he'd.
Nine o'clock the following evening
found me sitting in my eX-Wiie's pretty
Darlor awaiting the return OF the trim
maid TO whom l had given my card.
There were several familiar Knick-
l-nacs about the rOCm-whOse whole
arronganent. by the way, was mir
9cle of good taste-fOr and even
caught sight Of my own photograph on
2 bracket. The face was not turned 10
ward the wall, either,
Mildred herself came into the room.
She stood for a moment without speak
ing.The dark portiere behind her set
off her slight. blue gOwned hure quite
admfrablv. Her throat and wrists
looked charmingly white IN their set
fing of soft lace. She looked rather
pale. [ thought, but her voice was
quite firm.
"This is an unexpected honor, ~ she
said. unsteady, dropping a low cour-
tesv. how shall 1 thank you for II!
"Bv being natural for few minutes,
dear / answered. advancing toward
her and lightly raising her hand to my
Inns Perhaps it was bad taste IN me
10 come here. but l won't bore YOU very
LONG. I'm here. You see. as an amoas-
sador. Let's talk for a little while as
friends
"With all my heart" acquiesced the
lady. sinking into low chaL I. anu
coouettishly thrusting out an lnnnlt-
essimal slipper If not IN your own
in whose behalf are you here.
Tn behalf of a-foOl, said, very
slowly. or perhaps two OF them,
Mildred threw back her head ana
lauqbed softly. I noticed the tantaliz-
inc tandrils OF brown hair at the nape
of her little round, smooth neck.
Are thev-ahem,-fOols OF the kind
Won specify because they admire me-
"By no means. No one that sees you
can help doing that. But because
they come to me with their troubles.
"Thev have both been here to-day,
Walter. said the lady, and they pom
tell me you are willing l shoViu marry
again. Is it 500 49,.
"Of course" / answered, stoutly' Il
If will make YOU happy.
OH en-, either Of EN-, l an
ewereJ. bruaiy. was angry because
couldn't swallow the lump IN my
throat. Just then the pOrtiere was slyly
nusbed aside and my little boy came
INFO the room. His yellow curls We're
tpmbled and tousled, and his pink lit
tie toes pee9ed prettily from Deneath
his white night-dress. At sight Oh HE
he emitted shrek Of intantlle de-
LIGHT and flew toward me. As took
him ON NV knees the lump inmy throat
seemed to swell to the size Oh cannon
ball. .,.
y wish. I said to nobody in partic--
Mar. that l had to con~e TO see you.
GiiIdred scanned me closely out OF
her large grey eyes and asked, why
didn't YOU?
Il wasn't invited.
..You didn't want TO be.
INST here the kid broke in. He had
q swell name Of some sort, but l mad
ALWAYS called him Little Billy. 1t was
a fancy / had. and my reading OF
"Trilby~ had strengthened the fancy.
But at that instant there came long
ring ut the electric bell. Mildred an
svered it, having released her malu
after my entrance. She ushersd IN
stone and Blaine They had evidently
met in the elevator, for both seemed
nervous. - .,.,,--
She looked at me a little wistfully, |
tbouobt as she asked, (which OF
those two nice young men would make
me most happy. do YOU think?
"Fatbor" he lisped, Il think you're
dead tough
ting the yellow head.
Because mother
I enioyed their embarrassment.
The family picture must have been
daisy. I was proud Of Mildred. She
never turned a hair. | felt a queer
cbiu RIM down my spinal column.
The Young men certainly could not
complain of any lack OF cordially IN
their welcome.
They seemed rather stupid, l
tbougbt. Both were in irreproachable
evening dress-as l was myself, for
that matter. Gilbert looked steadfast
" at the carpet and hddled with his
cloves. Ned talked nervously and
rapidlv about - nothing. Presently
there came a long silence that was