The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-12-04

-iJ-s true that 1t is quite dark here,
but guess there is still sufficient light
for you to recognize your mother"
"You-you-took me SO by surprise. !"
"Yes. 1t was high time that did. !"
AS if to raise the lightning rod Of
courtesy as a protection against the
threatened storm, the1girl made haste
to put her stranger lover forward, say
ing:
"Permit me, mamma, to introduce
Mr.. John Latham.
Mrs. Halls acceptance Of the intro
duction was simply icy. With frigid
precision she said:
eff were to say that I am pleased
to meet Mr.. Latham, would not be
telling the truth.
"But am glad to meet you, madam, {"
replied the young man heartily. II
have wanted to do so for some time,
and if you will permit me to call upon
you and make myself known to you l
think can convince you am not such
very Objectionable person that you
should taboo me altogether. Don't think
badly Of me because have met your
daughter abroad in this unconventional
fashion, instead of under your roof. We
have feared your opposition, and that
was the only reason for it, And in the
very moment when you came upon us
we were discussing how best to put all
concealments aside and win your ap-
proval.
He spoke in such frank, manly way
that his sincerity was unquestionable,
and the old lady unconsciously showed
that he had made favorable impress
sion upon her. Nevertheless she was
not one to abandon readily position
once assumed, and though her manner
toward him had visibly softened her
words were still antagonistic.
''I have" she replied firmly, "other
views than marriage for my daughter,
so that it is not likely we can come to
any agreement.
ST wish you would let me come to
see you and talk the matter over" re-
joined Mr.. Latham earnestly.
She looked steadily at him, seeming
to ponder upon an idea for a minute or
two before answering:
"You could only draw from me the
reasons for my determination, not in
fluence me to abandon it,
Every WELL Give me a chance to
show you, if I can, that your reasons
are not good" "
"You think that you can do SOP" she
retorted, with a faint, ironical smile.
every good We will see. I shall be
at home tomorrow evening and will re-
ceive you~-ence. You must not regard
your coming upon that occasion as CIV
ing you foothold, as establishing a
precedent for your visiting my house. "
ST shall only come when permitted
by you, he promised, bowling deferen-
TALLY.
"Then it is settled. You can come to-
morrow evening. And now, Addie, we
had better get out Of here before the
night watchman turns us out. Good
evening, Mr.. Latham.
Very ruefully regarding each other,
but submitting with what grace they
might to the inevitable, the lovers said
farewell, and John bade adieu to Addie' s
mother with such respectful Difference
as a man accords to few other persons
than his prospective mother-in or
his principal creditor.
Naturally John Latham was not lit
tie disappointed by the unexpected and
sudden end put to his lovemaking, for
such blissful opportunities were by no
means of frequent enjoyment. His du-
ties as Junior partner in a very busy
legal firm occupied him pretty closely
during day time, and seeing Addie in
the evenings was quite out Of the ques-
tion so long as he was excluded from her
mothers house. Indeed, she was prone
to have bad spells of conscience, during
which she was clearly Of the opinion
that her clandestine meetings with him
were altogether wrong. These seldom
lasted more than fortnight, or, at
most, three weeks, but during them she
was quite unapproachable, and they
were liable to recur at any time. Re-
membering these, having a good deal of
confidence in himself as special plead
er, and being by nature of cheerfully
sanguine disposition, the more he re-
fiected upon the situation during his
long ride down town the more he con-
vinced himself that Mrs. Halls invasion
of the territory of Cupid that afternoon
was in reality one Of the most fortunate
things which could have happened.
eff I don't win that old woman, "
he said to himself, "I will deserve to
be disbarred for mental incapacity."
CHAPTER III.
TTpot rafr1rpiuu IN his rOor,n-ip a