The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-04-22

challenged the 1ightness Of her good
by. The small gloved hand was
pressed in the big fist OF the man from
the Cape for one moment, and then he
the address to the driver.
A bright face with the tears OF hap
piness still there looked through the
glass as the hanson drove off, and Mr..
James tMarchant strobe away with a
glad heart to see a business man in
Bedford street. For men who wantAto
earn money must force their thoughts
away even from the direction OF pleas
ant young women. s
1t was by great %dexterity that at dim
ner in Duke Street Mansions that night
Mr.. James Marchant contrived to get
himself paired with the excellent Mrs.
Beckett Mrs. Beckett declared her.
self enchanted; but this was SO FREE
quent a declaration on the part of Mrs.
Beckett that it was held to mean
something less than the phrase really
meant.
I should have thought you would
have insisted, simply insisted On TAX
Ing dow my dear Madeline"
Mrs. Beckett 1uttered her fan at Mr..
Marchant in a manner that had in the
early seventies been pronounced be-
witching. 0
II want particularly to speak to you,
Mrs. Beckett. I want to offer my
SELF @,
"s-s-sh," said Mrs. Beckett mys-
teriously. mot a word. I know ex-
actly what you are going to say.
Madeline, my dear" She called to a
tall, bony damsel just in front of them.
You haven't shaken hands with dear
MI. Marchant. How very remiss Of you.
The dear girl is so thoughtless; do
you know, Mr.. Marchant, that I de-
clare to goodness ] believe she's in
lover" - ~.
Miss Madeline received this raillery
With a grim smile and shook hands
with MI. Marchant. Miss Madeline
explained that her half-sister Ella had
remained at home because she had
some writing to do.
Poor Ella,' said Mrs. Beckett, with
effusive sympathy, "poor, dear girl.
I'm really dreadfully fond of her. You
must give me your advice, Mr.. March
ant, concerning her at dinner. I feel
Acknowledgements me for saying SOL
feel already as though you were one
of the family" <.
Mrs. Beckett gave her little cackle
of ,self-approval and general satisfac-
ton and went on as they seated them
selves at table. -
II have noticed it all along, do you
know, and I am so delighted. Quite
enchanted really. And my influence
with the dear girl will make her like
you. I dare. say you may have thought
her: a little-what shall I say-cold?-
but, as a matter Of fact, it has only
been-O, bless my soul, thick soup,
please-what is the expression? It has
only been-it has only been
"Maidenly reserve?" suggested
Marchant.
"Pre-cisely! Precisely what I
was trying to say. How clever of Q
dear Mr.. Marchant. I can understand
now how it was you got on so we'll in
South Africa. And your assertion that
you had come home with very little
was, I could see, only a pretense to try
us.-Yes, sherry, please"
II want to speak to you about thst
Mrs. Beckett. I'm afraid you don't
realize what I mean when I say that
haven't, brought much home with me-
Nov, my dear Mr.. Marchant."
you must allow me, please, to tell
you exactly my position. Unless ]
work and earn money we shan't
| have"
"Mr. Marchant! This elaborate ruse
is one that / have heard of before. A
woman like myself doesn't live in this
world for-well, a certain number Of
years for nothing"
"No," said Mr.. Marchant; 1T costs
money, I know"
THAT is lot at all what I mean. Blu
when you came hack from the Cape 9
few weeks ago and limited that yor
had only a few hundreds I could sec
through it at once. It was-this il 3
dreadfully slangy expression-too thin
But the dear girl, of course, didn't SEE
through it, and consequently you ma,
feel quite sure that she will love va,
for yourself alone. That's all xor
wanted, isn't it?' g
THAT, certainly, is all that 1 wanted
but"
"And, fortunately enough, to 8
firm my suspicious, / came across a let.
ter addressed to a friend Of mine
she didn't know that I saw it, but
managed to do so all the same-fron
your partner, Burchison."
Really" MI. James Marchant wa!
suddenly interested.
"And Mr. Burchison said that 70,
and he had made a pile-such an odt
expression isn't it-of $50, 0O0.. And h,
said that he thought you would boil
stay on for a few years, but as W,
know you sensib1y came nome.'
Mrs. Beckett looked triumphant,
across at her angular daughter oppo
site, who was baw1ing Information
about the weather to a deaf arehdea