Morris tribune., 1896-02-19


possibility into consideration, he re-
turned. Pauline is mature for her age;
and it is not too much to say that she is
one Of the most beautiful young women
in New York. You take her good deal
into society; she can hardly fail to meet
with admiration"
"Yes. yes, you are right, said the
mother. =, Now that you speak Of it, |
see that such thing may happen. But
she has spoken to me of no one, and ]
am sure she would have spoken if
a'Do not trust too much to that" he
interposed. "A young girl, with mind
as healthy and pure as hers, does not
readily ask herself if she be in love; she
may become so before she is aware of it,
and only the avowal of her lover will
open her eyes. Till then you cannot ex-
pect her to speak of it to you. And then,
If she have made up her mind, it would
be too late to speak.
"But would you advise me to question
herr Might it not suggest to her some
thing which she otherwise would not
have thought OFF,
Y THAT is not improbable. But why not
approach the matter from the other side?
Is there no one among the young men
who know her who have shown signs of
any particular interest in herp'
They all seem to admire her, said
Mrs. Nolen. "But can think of no one
in particular-unless it be Percy's friend,
Mr.. Martin"
Valentine Martin-the young Eng
1ishman?'
Eyes. Percy sometimes brings him
here. But his being friend of Percy
makes difference between him and the
Others"
"How so?'
"In the fact of his being here oftener.
mean, if it were not for that should
think his visits had some further signif-
cance."
Il am not altogether convinced that
his being friend of Percy would de-
prive his visits of significance, said the
judge. sit is conceivable, at any rate,
that he might have made friend of
Percy in order to facilitate his access to
Pauline.
He seemed frank, straightforward
young man, not one you would suspect
of doing anything underhand
The judge laughed; very low, pleas
ant laugh he had, which made those who
heard it disposed at once to like him.
"You are more like nun, in your I'M
suspiciousness and unworldliness, than
like married woman who goes in New
York society," said he LET me assure
you, my dear, that man in love is not
to be held criminal or even hypo-
critic, if he uses some strategy to get near
the object of his affection. | should for
give Mr.. Martin even if he went SO far
as to pretend a cordially for Percy that
he did not really feel, if so he might in
duce Percy to admit him to the intimacy
of your household. No, if we are to
take exceptions to him, it must be from
another standpoint. What do you know
about his personal history and his social
standing in his own country"
Il suppose it must be good" said Mrs.
Nolen. Il think he said that his family
"" lieu q Ac1 Sc CoCclCC LII NuA1OS1lctIIu
SIS he the eldest son?''
"The next to the eldest, believe"
"And what is his business in Amer
leap
II don't know. But q great many En-
glish people come here nowadays, you
know. 1t is part of their education
Eyes; but some of them are pretty
well educated before they get here" re-
marked the judge dryly. and occasion
ally they manage to teach us something
before they leave. There is in England
the same difference between an eldest
son and the other sons that there is be-
tween rich man and pauper. BY the
law of primogeniture the estates, and
generally the bulk of the money, goes to
the first born; the other boys get posi-
tions, if they can, in the army, the civil
service or the church. They are seldom
fitted to enter the learned professions,
and it is not considered good form for
course the army and the church don't
afford accommodation for all applicants,
and the consequence is that every year
number of young Englishmen are thrown
on the world, who by training and inclina.
tion are good for nothing but to be idle
and ornamental, and who nevertheless
have no means for honestly leading such
a life. They form class of gentleman
They are men of agreeable
manners and culture, talk we'll, look
well, are excellent at cards and billiards,
and live no one knows how Some of
them come over here for reasons known
only to themselves; they are very pleas
ant acquaintance, but it is we'll not to
trust them too far. They have no fixed
place in the world and no responsibility.
''You don't mean that Mr.. Martin is
an adventurer?" demanded hrs. Nolen.
in voice of faint CONSERVATION.
$50 far as know he may be the best
fellow in England. But know nothing
about him one way or the other. How
did Percy become acquainted with him?"
He met him somewhere some
club, imagine.
"That may be all right, or it may not.
At all events, you will see thatyo should
proceed with some circumSDectiOn The