The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-13

friends were remarkably we'll satisfied
when they learned that he was going to
settle at last, marry that really excellent
and sensible Miss Anterior, give up the
dark. or, at least, dubious ways of bach
e.or in club-land, and relieve them the
friends) of all further moral and moneta-
nv responsibility concerning him..
He had never been dad fellow" every
one was quite willing to testimoniaiize
MIN to this extent, now that he was going
10 lake this remarkably prudent matrimo-
NAL step But he had been a very expen-
pensve family luxury. His elder brother,
who owned the Dysart property, was quite
tired of putting his hand in his pocket in
order to get Jack out of his endless
scrapes. To tell the truth, this fraternal
fatigue had overtaken the Master of Dy-
sart at very early stage of Jacks career.
But then there were other relations who
had been more magnanimous and long
suffering Two of his rich married sisters
always made him welcome at their houses,
and often made him useful presents of sill
yer cigarette cases, heavily embroidered
tobacco pouches, ETC., and their respective
husbands asked him up to Scotland for
the grouse to the Mediterranean in their
yachts, and to Norway for the fishing.
Still, as man cannot live on silver cigar
cite cases. other mems shooting, fishing,
and yachts alone, the burden of the pre-
cious and costly Jack fell chiefly on a
couple of elderly maiden aunts, and it was
to these ladies that he owed his introduce
ton to Miss Anterior.
He had heard goode,deaf about Violet
Atherton before he saw her. He had been
told of the generous, sensible, discreet
way in which she dispensed her charities
the strong, just, serene and absolute man
ner in which she managed the property
which, by her fathers DEATH had fallen
to her lot free of ali let and hindrance
from any human being. The aunts often
spoke of the pretty ponies which she drove
in such a lady-like way, and of the hand
some horses which she rode to the admira-
ton of many people who were like-minded
to the old Miss Dysarts, to the meets
but never after the hounds. They spoke
of her before him as "such a dear, sensl-
ble sincere girl" but they never mention
ed her looks.
Her name had begun to sound very pleas
ant in the young mans ears Violet Ather-
ton! the owner of pretty place in the
country, and of money enough in the
Stocks to be quite justified in taking a
town house in good position If she were
so disposed. He felt that a young woman
with such a name and such fair fortunes
must be well worth looking at, as he well
knew how to look at young women. Then
she came to luncheon with his old aunts,
and he W ho fret tiraa
He was standing at one of the windows
Of the old-fashioned drawing-room which
commanded a view of the front entrance
porch door, when lady drove herself up.
The ponies were handsome, showy-action-
ed little steppers the whole turnout was
smart. But he hardly noticed either car
rage or ponies. His attention. was con-
centrated on the thin, colourless, aquiline-
featured lady who drove it.
rs it Violet Atherton, Jack?" one of the
aunts asked, and he replied.
cant be; it's a woman with no figure
and step on her nose"
But the next moment the lady so de-
seribed entered the room and was greeted
by the old ladies as their "dear Violet"
If they had only told me she was so
deuced plain, I shouldn't have had the feel
ing Of having been tricked out of the inter-
est I've taken in her, and probably
shouldn't have found her so deadly to look
at She's strong on the wing too,' he
thought dscontentedly as he sat silently
through the interminable luncheon BY
and by, however, he melted into converse
ton with her, thawed by her cordial sim
pie friendly manner. In a day or two
ne was fishing in the trout-stream in her
grounds. Then she lent him a horse and
gave him a splendid setter, and he was
grateful fellow and began to like her as
enum and companion intensely.
lie f1ta ncg
husbands were not Forthcoming, and his
aunts drew their purse strings tighter with
grim prudence and discretion.
The time had come when he, hale
strong man of 30, really ought to make an
effort to maintain himself" they said.
He reminded them that he had in the
course Of the last ten years made countless
Efforts, and all of them had failed They
sighed alphabetically on hearing this, but
did not loosen their purse strings, and
their signs and "stinginess," as he termed
1t, stung him.
Day after day Miss Anterior grew kinder
and more considerable to him, and his grail
tude deepened. He often thought of
dear young face that had been turned to-
wards him frequently in sweet sensitive
usefulness and tenderness during the last
lew weeks in town, but the owner of the
dear young face was the daughter of a col
onei in a line regiment with nothing but
his pay. He resolved never to see or think
OF her again, and soon after making this
resolve his engagement to Miss Atherton
was announced in the fashionable and local
papers.
All his good qualities came to the surface
then as nearly atrophied muscles do under
We influence Of electricity. His brothers
and sisters brothers wife and sisters hus-
hands. uncles, aunts and cousins, were
unanimous in declaring that 'it was the
most perfectly sensible match they had
ever heard Of" Violet was perhaps not so
young as she had been, and she was not
exactly pretty woman. But she was so
sensible, and altogether such an extremely
delightful person that they could not
wish her to be altered in any way. Her
steady, calm commonsense would give her
lust such a grip on Jack as was needful
70 Keep him quite straight!
Jack accepted their congratulations and
KINDLY representations, as TO the way he
would be admirably managed for the
luture quite cheerfully. He did not agree
with them verbally when they said they
nad no desire that "Violet should be al
eered in any way" but possibly he ac-
gniosced with the declaration In his heart.
ne did not make himself silly by over