Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1896-03-13

.
quest, ?" she began, at is but fair. in
deed the right and civil thing to do,
think. to ask you II you have come to
any decision about the house? be-
lieve"-here her eyebrows went up, and
she showed a CLEAN of teeth-"in all
business matters man takes precedence. "
but, In matters Of sentiment" he
interrupted her, woman.
"Sentiment2" she said. ''Do You
think, then, that even In her business
transactions woman is necessarily SEN
timental?"
~ certainly do, he answered.
She moved on down nearer the tagged
edge Of the reach and stood looking
away across it TO the green meadows OPP
posite, each detail Of her charming per-
son duplicated in the water with dis
tracting accuracy.
"Ah, il You knew me better" she
said, "you would find that am most
prosaio creature. 1 threw aside senti-
ment ten years ago, when l threw aside
my youth. My head at this moment, II
you could only SEQ the workings of It.,
is full of the prosiest speculations AZ to
the drainage Of the cottage, the exact
character of the soil on which it stands,
for have strong suspicion 1t is built
upon clay. l am propoundinR, too,
whether l like the Kitchen range. The
scullery strikes me as having been
thought Of afterward, and about the
bathroom fittings l am just wondering.
1t seems to me they are inadequate, as
compared with the flowery suggestion
OF sanitary perfection conveyed in The
Daily Telegraph; and, well, the draw
ing and dining rooms are certainly rath-
or circumscribed, aren't they?"
"Yet, at the same time, you are agree
ably pleased on tho wholef' he suggest
ed.
"On the principle that nothing, even
in six roomed cottages ON the banks of
the Thames, can entirely reach the full
ness of our expeotations-yes."
He smiled and spread his hands.
I'm that respect the best Of us are but
al little children ever searching after
what is absolutely impossible in this
world-perfection, " he answered.
Eyes. why is it? We should not like
~ IL We COuiu ktb ~ oithVi' op We
search, search, search. and waste our
whole lives. -
She turned her arch glance toward him
and waited.
"It is our disease. Perhaps it is put
there purposely that we should not
grow too fond of living. Besides-and
here comes the irony OF tiff every
thing were perfection we shouldn' I
know it. "
"No, we should want counteracting
foils, like milestones, to show us it il
perfection. Her eyes travelled up the
green slope toward the house, and abe
added, reverting to it: But you, you
also, like this by no means faultless BIZ
jou residence. Yes, can see by your
face. Your face assures me that you
have seen something today that pleases
you
He dropped his hazel eyes upon her
and leaned on his cane.
YES" he said slowly. II have GER
tainly seen something that pleases me
today. But. he added quickly, II am
willing to waive priority II l have it,.
which doubt, in your favor and back
out Of all competition with regard to
tho bijou residence. After oil, what
does it signify2 am bachelor; any
thing will do for me. -
"And am spinster, she said with
u smile. "Why should not anything do
for me?'
" For all their never 'avin met till
this ere morning, they seem to be
mighty friendly" observed the care
taker watching their departure down
the shady road together later. "It
seems to me to be more question OF
taking each other than taking the house
They amt said nothing about the house
one way or t'other, but they ave said
good deal about each other judging by
their eyes. "
The woman picked more wild flowers
as she went back, the man assisting her.
Midway down the dusty lane they rested
on fallen oak, the victim Of recent
cyclone, and told each other their biog-
raphies At the inn, close to the rail
way, they lunched together in the inn
parlor, criticising the proprietor's ideas
Of art afterward, task Of elastic quail
ity according to the degree OF opportu-
nifty for lingering desired. And she--she
never looked prettier, even In her palm
lest days.
Have you ever traced the genesis Of an
acquaintance? 1t may be quite as capa-
BILE Of wide advances and undreamed
conclusions as the genesis of speech.
You may begin in the tropic Of Cancer
and end in Siberia; or you may begin in
Siberia and end in the tropic Of Cancer /;
it's all n matter OF chance. But this
man and this woman began and ended
in the tropic Of Cancer, aud 80 there was
marriage in the paper, but the bijou
residence is still inlet. George Wemyss
In Sketch