The record-union., 1897-11-14
Mr.. LAWS LOVE AFFAIR.

Park, asserting very carefully the notes
| of his speech and the newspaper cut
| tingS 20 which, in the course or MS
impassioned address to rather small
group he had had occasion to refer.
! He was still in the glow that excited
| speech and a fine recklessnesS of ges-
ture produce; he felt that he had de-
nounced the propertied classes with
rather more than his usual satire and
| force; he had retorted to an old gentle
| man who had interjected a remark,
with an invitation to go home and read
John Stuart Mill before he again
Haunted his ignorance before a group
of intelligent thinkers, and this had
given the group intense satisfaction.
The group would have been larger only
that a scarlet-faced ex-convict had sta
toned himself near and with the aid of
a bell and hoarse voice that might
have reached distant shores had at
tracted thoughtless folks from the
other speakers. Herbert John Laws
placed his notes in his breast pocket,
smoo.hed his sandy, ruffied hair, took
a necktie from his pocket, put it on,
and strolled down the avenue. Mr.
Laws nearly always enjoyed his Sun
days. During the week he had to keep
the brake on and at Whitby's in Tot
tenham Court Road Q1igh-class Fur
| niture by Easy Payments), with care
fully brushed hair and polite deport
ment, a careful and sometimes excess
sive aspiration of the letter H." and a
flow of talk concerning the current
weather that was quite amazing, he
waited upon hesitating young couples
| and urged them to undertake the re-
sponsibilities of marriage coupled with
Whitby's Happy Furniture for Happy
Homes at three-and-six weekly. 1t
was perhaps this frequent contact with
amateurs in love that had prevented
Mr.. Laws from giving up time on Sun
| days to that pursuit of happiness
adopted by many of his age, and had
| induced him to offer it to the abolition
| of what he usually referred to as the
| ''boorjoys.'
Pardon me-" he said, STOPPING to
| the graveled space. Your purse, 1
| think
| The tall young lady turned and Mr..
Laws before he looked at her, noticed
that the long, green leather purse,
which seemed to be in the later sum-
| mer of its life, bore a coronet
That is Sc kind of you,' exclaimed
the young lady effusively. Il should
have been so annoyed if I had lost it.
Thank you so much, really"
Il 'appened to catch sight of it,"
said Mr.. Laws casually, "and 1 said
to myself, "Ullo,' l said, what's all
| this? Looks to me like a purse, I says
And I bent down and sure enough
1T was given to me- said the young
| lady, pinching her VEIL 'by a dear
friend of mine whose husband is in the
| Cabinet"
"Cabinet?''
| Poor, dear woman. She is not nearly
so happy as l should like to see her"
II dessay''
'As she often says to me. NV dear
Miss Molyneux, if only we belonged to
| the middle classes. If only Provi-
| dence' -
1T rather bears out what I've always
argued said Mr.. Laws as they walked
along, that the upper ten, with their
'oarding up of riches and their bawsk-
ing in the sun of prosperity, and what
| not-why, they amt happy"
Believe me- said Miss Molyne,1x
feelingly, that to some of us life is a5-
That's only another way of putting
it, pointed out Mr. Laws. Eve known
1t to be the fact for years past"
You are acquainted with many of
the leaders Of the West End? ?"
ITO a certain extent, yes" said Mr..
Laws, rather doubtfully I've took in
one Of the penny society papers for sew
eral months running"
The tall young lady shook her head.
| and the pink forget -nots on her
large hat seemed to intimate before
hearing what she had to say that they
| agreed with her.
That's not much of a guide. What
| you ought to do is to mix with them
| day after day"
| Il never get no time" said Mr.. Laws.
What part of London might you hap
| pen to live in?"
This is good deal out of my way
up here, she said evasively She still
! spoke with slight affectation of man
| ner which seemed to Mr. Laws in everv
| way admirable. But / think it does
one good to get out of the groove and
| study character"
Not the slightest doubt about that,
miss There's too much what I call
| classiness about people. What ought
to be done is to break down the bar
| riers, more or less
| 1T is difficult" she said Thought
fully, to see how that can be done.
remember a cousin of mine, a most
charming girl with every attraction
/ that noble birth can bestow''-
Il know what you mean,' said Mr..
Laws.
Well she took it into her head to
go and marry a journalist OF course
you can guess what happened"
| ou want to draw the line. I ad-
mt agreed Mr.. Laws, walking more
closely to her. But if a mans a
honest man what in general way has
| mas spear OF life got to do with it?''
| True, she said, musingly; true.
| The rank is but the guinea stamp a.
Shakespeare says
Wasn't that Burns?"
Shakespeare" said Miss Molyneux
firmly Shakespeare, l think"
Perhaps it was said Mr. Laws
giving in with but little hesitation
/ Anyhow. know in my case ST T should
ever come across heart that T cared
for | shouldn't care whether it was a
Duchess or servant girl; 1 should fell
| her and chance it,"
| pity the poor servants" remarked
Miss Molyneux thoughtfulIy. "a life
Of bondage must be so horrid. Is tbie
/ the end of the park?"
| DID you say you lived in Bayswater2'
| Good gracious, no. said Miss Moly-
neaux, pinching her veil again and
speaking with some reserve. Il live near
| Portman Square"
| Then you can't do betta, tbar +,l-o