The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-23
WHAT "A DID.

L 10.
And have you told her so?"
Never in words, mother"
An expression of relief ESCAPED Mrs
Hawley's lips. And putting her hand
caressingly on her sons shoulder. she
said:
Herbert, when your brother mar
rled, having no daughter of my own.
my heart was ~gladdened with the
thought that my boys wife would fill
the vacant place in both heart and
home. You know how terribly I was
disappointed. Obi my boy, with this,
Albert's dreadful mistake, ever before
you, I fear you will do likewise.
Louise Delmar is not the girl to make
you happy. The petted ~favorite of
such a woman as Mrs. Courtney, her
aunt, whose whole life is devoted to
fashion, what can you expect of
LoulseG Promise me you will proceed
no further in this matter until o
know better; that is until you find out
she is different from what she seems. "
"Oh, mother, how can I ever know
her better unless l become something
more to her than a mere acquaintance
Do not bind me with such a promise"
81 must. Promise me, my son!
Your happiness is my only aim. If
she is worthy you will find it out some
time"
after another man has won her,
perhaps" said Herbert, gloomily.
mo, 1 think not. 1 do not ask you
to withdraw entirely from her society;
and if you have made a favorable i'm,
preston on her heart she will not
readily transfer her kindly feeling to
another"
Mrs. Hawley won the promise she
sought. Poor fellow! The bright
hopes which filled his heart were sud
denly dashed aside.
He believed Louise thought more
~favorably of him than any of the other
young men who sought her society.
He determined, after speaking to his
mother on the subject, 60 tell his love
and win her promise to be his. So, Of
course, the interview with his mother,
and the result, was a severe disap-
pointment.
A few evenings after Mrs. Hawley
was seated in the parlor with Herbert.
Vainly she had endeavored to draw
him into conversation. He remained
in gloomy silence. And his mother
was wishing someone would come in,
to make it necessary for him to throw
off the depression, and exert himself
to be a little agreeable, when the door
opened, and the servant announced
"Mr. Mayo"
Tom Mayo was Herbert's chum and
class mate. Mrs. Hawley gladly vel
coined his coming. AS he acknowl
edged her cordial greeting, he said:
My call is especially for you, Mrs.
Hawley; to solicit your influence with
that obstinate son of yours. I've been
pleading with him for a week past to
promise he will go home with me to
Baltimore, and spend the Easter holi
days Ny sister has written me to
bring a couple of friends. She is going
to have some of her school mates, and
we expect a very pleasant time. But
Herbert insists that he cannot. Will
you help me9"
Mrs. Hawley was delighted with the
prospect, and earnestly Joined her
| efforts with his friends to induce him
to go.
At length they were successful.
And the next morning Tom, Herbert
and another friend left town for the
formers home.
Three days after Mrs. Hawley re
ceived a letter from her son, bringing
this information:
ION my arrival at Mayo'sI received
a surprise which would have been a
very happy n had I not been bound
by that hard promise. You, perhaps,
will think it all a concerted plan. But
1 tell you, and you will believe me, 1
never dreamed of meeting Louise,
when I stood before her in Mrs. Mayo's
draW:ng-room."
Notwithstanding the barrier against
any further progress in Herbert's
wooing, he spent a very pleasant week.
New hope was in his heart. In daily
intercourse with Louise, his love grew
greater. He was convinced life with
her would be such as to make him the
happiest of mortals.
a proof to him of her worth was,
the children fingered neal and chung
about her while she listened with in
-.A.1o ord b1,ciod bor