The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-12-03

natural way Of life, and her happiest
moments were spent on her mare in the
park, where Johnnie. leaning against
the railing. watched her wistfully. He
could not afford horse.
He never told Awkward anything
about this particular fame OF his. Il
was Tommy Blake who posted up the
plodding young man In his youthful
kinsman's affairs one afternoon at the
club. "And both women seem dead
nuts on your young friend" he said in
cidentally. Pretty well of. | sup
poser
He's worth precisely twopence half
penny year." said Arkwright, with
more figure of speech than he usually
permitted TO himself.
Tommy raised his eyebrows as high
common queer.
And there was sort of Indian
prince-no end of a nabob, I'm told
wanted to marry the girl. and Mrs.
Leverson sent him TO the right about in
double-quick time. And she is not the
sort to feel shy about bowling down to
the golden calf, either. Can't make her
out
Perhaps she thinks her niece too
young to marry yet" said the Flooding
young man. "She may be acting mere
ly from a proper regard for her happi-
ness"
"A proper regard for hddlesticks,"
said cynical Mr.. Blake.
Arkwright was sitting up late one
night to finish an erudite paper upon
THE Ethics of Modern Drama" when
johnnie stole noiselessly Into the room
and sank into the easiest chair. Ark
wright wrote to the bottom of the page
and threw down his pen, thinking he
had found an intelligent audience for a
reading for his valuable essay But 1t
was no such matter. Johnnie was oc-
cupied with the drama of real life, and,
to Judge by his aspect, seemed to i'm
agine that he was cast to play principal
tragedian In that enthralling piece
'Off color, Johnnie?" said the elder
man, tentatively.
NO." he said, smoking savagely.
Feel doubtful about your 'callP"
mo, think I'm pretty sate.'
Arkwright stretched out his hand to
reach his pipe.
by the way, here's a letter for you,
Johnnie, from your mother; have just
received one from her myself"
Johnnie, however, made no attempt
to take it, or he might have spared his
friend the opinions he expressed con-
corning the station in life to which it
had pleased Providence to call him
ITS beastly, you know" he ex-
planned II may hang on for years and
never be nearer marrying than l am at
the present moment. AS for proposing
to her now-as the mater said-it's de-
cidedly low to get girl to bind herself
to any promise until one has decent
prospects"
Arkwright reflected with a pickering
smile that Johnnie had probably caught
rather the spirit than the letter Of his
mammals admonitions. However, 1t
was a sign of grace that he remem-
bered them at all, and he felt sorry for
the woebegone youth.
You're young to think of marrying
yet, you know" he said Am l right"
he continued, after u pause, "in sup
posing-Blake is my informant-a GER
tain Miss st. Clair has occasioned all
this trouble?"
"Oh, If Blake has told you. And the
aunt Is awfully decent to me-"
'But you are not proposing to marry
the aunt. Is Miss st. Clair herself-is
She"
"Oh, well, fellow never knows that
sort Of thing, you know, till he tries
his chances" said Johnnie in a manner
which betrayed that he thought he
knew quite we'll that his affections
were returned, as, indeed, they were,
and Audrey st. Clair was far too frank
to take any great pains to conceal it.
"Oh, Arkwright. what am to dol? he
said, pathetically.
open your letter, Johnnie" he re-
piled, and the tone in which he said 1t
caused the wondering youth to obey
promptly.
/, AAC lOOhCo hdPPy iii uc
remembered that he ought to look be-
reaved. Johnnie's ship had come home
just in the nick of time. He had al
ways had shadowy expectations from
his uncle, but he had been to pessimis.
tic to count too much upon him. How
ever, govt had claimed victim, and the
canon's widow limited to her son thai
he had to some extent benefited by the
event.
Thesvanity of riches was exemplified
to Johnnie, when, after a decent in
terval, he returned to town the richer
by $4,000 a year, but, as he speedily
found, minus Mrs Leverson's gooc
graces.
Another was reigning favorite will
her now, Lester, picturesque but no
very talented painter, who was deep IL
converse with Audrey when he mad,
his temperance.
Mrs. Leverson greeted Johnnie with
out effusion. Audrey was more friend
. ly, but inopportunely asked him If h
had seen Testers latest picture.
Johnnie's soul was already green witt
Jealousy.
who's Lester" he said, that fellow
with the untidy hair?" Audrey re
proachfully changed the conversation
but Johnnie was out of humor and con
tinued to sulk.
This lasted for some days, and 1t wa
noticed that Mrs. Leverson continued
to treat him with as much indifference
|, as she becomingly could.
why does she quarrel with chal
for coming into fortune?" said Tom
my Blake, the close observer of humal