The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-14
DIPLOMATIC HASH.


tay in her lap, and hor correspondent was
nor son-not tho baronot, but his brother
B6rtioAwho had written to say Tint ho
meant to run down to SEQ her tho Same
evening.
h know what ho wns coming for por-
fectly we'll. Rumors Of his %infatuation
had already reached her. Ho was coming
to tell her that he was engaged to marry
Miss Daisy Dornton, who sang for o cou-
plo of pounds u week in tho chorus of tho
Coronet theater. Lady Whiohels groaned,
and her lips werc pursed In annoyance.
Your brother Is nm idiot, Philipl'' she
sold sharply to n young maj who ontorod
tho room n momont lator. H is tho
worst kind of ar idiot, for he is not only
idiotio, ho is pighoaded."
Sir Philip Whichols twirled his mus
taoho and grinncd.
Has tho climax nrrivcd?" he asked.
What is the matterP"
"Bertie will DO with us today. He
wants to SEQ mo ON n matter of impor-
tanco.' Tho matter is, Of course, that ho
has proposed to that creature and has been
accepted, and now he is coming TO try to
gain my consent.
"Adviso me, Philip, she said, chow to
bring this ninny to his sonscs."
I'm suro 1 don't know what you can
do" Sir Philip replied. r'If you bully
him, hell marry her tomorrow. If you
ca1olo him, he'll try to bully you. 1 don't
sec what you can do, upon my soul. 1t
IL n cul-do-sac."
Tho lady, however, was not disposed to
be beaten SO easily. 1t was 10 O'Clock,
and tho 1ance might be expected at tho
Firs by tho express train which reached
Thrcegotes ut 4:15. Six hours for med
ttntiOn nn1 In DIV ho,,ro No,, t.Jon xot~ks
addslr to her. Tho post lay on the table
Ma'ldc her unheoded, and beating a devils
terttoo on hor dress, she sat staring out
ib:6 tho lawn with puckored brows. Tho
baronot meanwhile had lounged out into
tho kennels, md presently sho uttered an
exclamation and dispatched u servant to
fetch him.
philip" she exclaimed, III hnve n no.
ton ut Inst. Tho Miss-Miss Dornton is,
of course, impossible There can be no
question about that. 1t is only necessary
to mako Bortic SEQ It."
Philip, who Ind been amusing himself
outside n did not relish hnving been
brought In SO summnrily, murmurcd some
thing to tho OBJECT thai to "mako him SEQ
1t" WINS tho original difficulty.
II know oil TINT, - said Lady Whichols
impntiontly, but l know also how to do
1t now. She Is, of course, gauche, av7k-
ward and rs ignorant as she can DO. Ho
has soon hor with tho glamour of tho foot
lights on her and In tho poky littlo lodg-
in2s whore she lives. Now, ho shall Geo
her hero! I shall invite her down to stay
with us and nsk u lot of people to meet her.
Bortio is not brilliant, but ho Is as scnsi-
two as q girl. When. Miss Dornton has
committed half o dozen solocislns, n he
feels that people nro ridiculing her, ho will
| DO rs anxious to break his engagement OF
Us l am to SEQ it broken"
"By Jove!' said Philip, ''you ought to
hayc boon n diplomatist, mother"
sit is good, isn't it?" said Lady Which
OILS complacontly. II felt there must bo q
way out, and now Two found It,. L think
your brother will DO rather astouishcd by
my reception Of his news this afternoon.
Let us have Luncheon
lilo arriyod-tho young man who had
projected tho m~esallinnco-at tho hour OK
pected. Ho, certainly was astonished ut
his mother's demcanor.
t1o Ind looked for remonStranccs, tears
and Threats and boon doggedly prepared
for oil. Instead of these ho WINS met with
smiles and cordiality. He could not un-
dcrstand It,.
II had hea7d something of tho mattcr,'
snid the widow. We'll, it is n democratic
ngo, md If you yourself aro satisfied no
body has any right to complain. Her ia
Their was q linen draper, 1 believe, and her
mothor Is quito u respectable porson, who
let's or lives In l%odgingsf'
'Er-they arc living In apartments,
yes" snid Bortie. HBut - or-sho is
charming VI am sure you can trust my
~taste.n
"Emphatically l. can, and I am not 60
ing to DO SO absurd as to raise my objec-
tlon, my dear boy. You want to marry
Miss Dornton-marry her. You have my
fun and free consent, md 1 should like to
be introduced to bor too. When shall l
SOC horf''
II really don't know, " stnmmorcd the
boy. "Whonever you liko." Tho quos-
ton was SO entirely unexpected That he
was almost spucchlcss.
down hero for two or three weeks. Can
she .coIno?"
1t could DO arrangod-oh, ycsi She Is
at tho theatcr every night, but 1 want lor
TO ioaye tho stage, and-oh, ycs, she would
como as soon rs you ploase."
Then / will write and nsk her for che
beginning of next month" -: said Lady
Whiohols conclusivcly. And now YOU
must tell mo NIL about it and how nobody
ovor loved n girl SO madly before In all tho
world"
Lady whichols dispatched her charming
lctter to llor prospective daughter,in law
on tho morrow, and oil tho day after oaine
tho answer, thanking Bortie's mother for
hor Kindness and gladly accepting tho in.
yitation.
Sho wrote her notes, md q crowd of
friends accepted, and SO the days went by
nntil aiSfull drawing room sat on tcntEs
hooks one AFTERNOON awaiting Miss DorA
tons entrance. 1