The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-01


''rnere's tho 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 to
the driver, and he stopped.
"Did you bring upa tall gentleman this
morning, with white mustache and
goatee and gold eyeglasses
Yes, sir Your father, don't you
mean?"
The young people exchanged startled
glances.
How did you know9'
He was inquiring for you, sir, as soon
as ever ho got to the hotel, and when he
found you were gone he went and hired q
buggy"
"a buggy-what forf'
He asked tho way to Judge Weston's
place in tho Montecito. He said the judge
was n near relative of his.
"A near relntive" groaned the Mortified
Strong, while his companisn turned away
her face, although whether 10 conceal a
look Of anguish or laugh will never be
known.
Tho omnibus proceeded on its way.
"We must hurry" said the young man,
spurring his horse to a capter. 1.-THE less
time they have together before explsna-
tions are made the better
"What do you think they will doY"
asked the girl.
II don't dare to think. You see on ev-
erything except this family tree business
our respective parents are as far apart as
civilized humans can be. Your father,
now, is an elder In the church, while mine
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, dearl"
"Then, again, Judge Weston is an ar
dent Republican.
"And Is your father DemocratY"
"Worse than that-he Is a Mugwump."
"How interesting Ihaye always longed
to see one of them"
"And my father believes that Bacon
wrote Shakespeare's plays"
'Heavensl Let US ride faster. Papa
will have slain him before we get there"
Really, Catherine" said the young
man, when they had slackened their pace
to climb the hills, "it would not surprise
mo 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 1t is now"
Strong shrugged his shoulders. mime
has" he answered. "He is made of flint,
the old general and IL he should take it
into his head to say no 1t would be swk-
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 a moment later the young man felt
much encouraged and the gallop was re-
sumed.
On slight knoll surrounded by grove
of live oaks and faced with an avenue
of old palms stood the ample residence
of Judge Weston. As the young people
came through the gate and entered upon
the graveled roadway they observed two
elderly gentlemen emerge from small
forest of rosebushes and start brlskly
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 1t out yet" the
young man whispered.
Judge Weston assisted his daughter to
alight. Catherine" said he, "this is
General Strong, the father of our young
friend"
The general bent low in an old fashioned
obeisance, and Miss Catherine Instructive
ly made him a courtesy out of the minuet
"Fatherp'
"Dick, my dear boyp'
"See here, " exclaimed the judge sudden
ly. "You were mistaken, Richard, In
what you told me about old Ebenezer
Strong"
The young man braced himself for
struggle.
And to think, Dick, " cried the general
reproachfully, that you never once men
toned to the judge tlsat your great-g great
grandfather, Hezekiah Strong married q
Weston"
"And that brings us even nearer than
we had supposed" added the Judge;
fourth cousins instead of fifth"
"It 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.
Then Catherine looked at Richard, and
ne told what had happened on the way to
town. Straightway there was great
amount of handshaking and good deal
of kissing done in broad daylight under
the palms.-Charles Dwight Willard in
Land of Sunshine