Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-07

/ In the company of Lady Mary, Barney's
heroic determination to lead a monastic life
became fainter and fainter. When Barney
saw whittier he was drifting, he neld / seri-
OBS consultation with himself Six months
| had elarsed since the episode at Eastholrne,
and this half year had been the most fateful
in his whole existence. Even though there
was a lingering disappointment over the
now self-admitted fact that his life had not
been wrecked, yet lie felt he owed 1t to his
dignity not to propose tosLady Mary until a
| year at least had interviewed between the
two matrimonial excursions. To propose
sooner would be to admit that he did not
know his own mind-and he particularly
prided himself on his strength of mind. An
action that is indecent haste in six months
may be the epitome OF calm dellberation IN
twelve. Instances are on record where n
mans most cherished political convictions
have changed completely within a year, and
! a grateful country has testified its apprecla-
ton of the honesty of the transformation by
bestowing a peerage or a nknighthood upon
the man. Why, then, should not a great
painter be deeply in love with two charming
| girls, If a reasonable interval separated the
declarations OF affection? Barney said to
himself that 1t was undoubtedly wrong 10
! be in love with two or more at the same
time, and he had to admit that in former
days he had come dangerously near that
/ complicated condition; but he was young at
the time, and youth is an excuse which
covers q multitude of errors. This day SIX
months said Barney definitely, Il shall
ask Lady Mary TO be my wife" Having
thus reached finality in his meditations, he
felt that sense Of satisfaction which a man
/ always experiences when a perplexing prob
lem is authoritatively settled one way or
another. Nothing is so demoral!zing as In
! decision. Hitherto he had been almost AFRAID
to meet Lady Mary, much as he delighted
in her companionship; but now there was
no reason why he should hold aloof from
her, Therefore, having written down the
date on which the momsntous proposal was
to take place. he arose with a joyful eX-
uberance of spirits, and resolved to cele-
bratc his decision by driving owl to the
pretty Surrey village near which Lazy
! Mary's father lived.
The tandem was a thing Of the past. He
found that the sight OF it brought up painful!
recollections of Eastbourne; so he sold 1t, and
acquired a mcst stylish four-Wheeled venice
! which he called his "growler, drawn by twc
| spirited black horses. He spoke to his friends
alphabetically about his GROWER, ana sara II
! gave no particular scope for a mans driving
! powers, but would serve until the coach
which he had ordered from the most noted
I builders in London was finished. A -FOUR
finland, he held, was the only thing a man
! could drive with credit to himself and satis,
faction to all beholders. So with the black
span dancing before him, held by a firm
/! hand, he ratified across Chelsea bridge and
| made for the interior OF Surrey.
CHAPTER XXI.
1t is a pleasant thing on a beautiful day ia
drive through Surrey lanes, with a fine pair
! Of horses in front and a liveried mental with
folded arms on the seat behind. Barney,
who knew the country we'll, chose the by
! roads rather than the main t~horoughfaTes
for he had a keen love of nature and an
appreciation of landscape, as became a man
who had placed on canvas so many amazing
reproductions OF natural scenery.
As he neared his destination he turned
into the particular lane which he knew to be
| Lady MaTy's ~favorite walk, and he kept a
| sharp lockout ahead, hoping to descTy the
girl in the distance. He also looked at his
watch, and slowed the horses when he saw he
had arrived at the head of the lane somewhat
In advance Of the time he had set for him
self. Barney VEG above all things a prac-
! tical man, and he knew that, outside of the
drama, condolences rarely happened unless
they were touched up a blri so before leiv-
ing Chelsea, he took the precaution to tele'
graph Lady Mary, telling her that at a certain
hour he would be at the head of the lane,
and that If he met THERE any one who lived
in the neighborhood who would extend TO
him a cordial invitation 10 visit a certain
country house, he would accept with all the
heartfelt gratitude of a holneless man peram-
bulating the country With two horses and a
wagon. 1t was one Of Barney's habits rarely
to write a letter, and I'd depend almost en-
tirely on the telegraph az a means OF COM
municatiOn with his fellows.
He delighted in sending a friend a ten
page telegram on some perfectly trivial sub
ject. and to the numerous people all over
the country who now wrote to him asking
for his autograph he invariably sent it in a
long telegram, explaining in the message
that. as he never wrote letters, any signature
OF his at the end Of an epistle was sure to
be a forgery, and no autographs were gem
uine unless they came by wire. Barney's
electrical autographs now bring good prices
at auction sales.
AS he entered the lane, then, he looked
ahead for the fulflment of the coincidence
he had arranged, and was presently re-
warded by seeing the fine figure OF the girl
coming toward him. an ebony stick in her
hand. and three big dogs following her.
Barney threw the reins 10 his man, told him
to drive on. and sprang down.
The girls cheeks were as rosy as the dawn,
eitheS with the exercise In the pure air or
the MEASURE OF meeting him.
After greeting her he cried:
You got my telegram, them"
Yes Have you any money left after
sending III"
"oh. I'm In funds today. sold a picture