The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-11

" Joseph HdttOn.
fallen in love with the fellow to hear
you talk of him." said Maj. Denning, ad-
dressing his daughter over afternoon tea
in their pretentious little villa, with its
one servant and its most economical and
clever housekeeper Ella. Her father had
nothing but his half-pay to live upon,
though he had once hoped that his fees ms
a director of a Joint Stock Company
might materially assist his little banking
account. The company went into liqui-
dalton, and but for a clever attorney the
major would have gone with it into bank
ruptcy. But his military lordship was
very proud, and he expected his daugn-
ter to marry well, yes, by CAD, to marry
title-certainly to marry a fortune; 9TH
erwise what was the good of having
daughter?"
Il only said he was a remarkably in
telligent young man. said Ella, blushing
inwardly.
It would have driven George mad with
joy if he could have seen the faint sug-
gestion of that inward blush that suf-
fused Elias cheek and lent an additional
softness to the droop of her dark blue
eye.
She was very pretty girl, this Ella
Denning; one of those gentle, confding,
yet snowy young ladies that fellow is
proud to be seen with at flower show or
garden party; never over-dressed, al
ways distinguished and full of pleasant
chat Didn't George Weldon know this?
Had she not told him all about her child
ish experience of China? She knew the
very place where the Weldons got many
of their cargoes of tea. And in return tor
her information George unfolded to her a
world of local knowledge-all about the
source of the Thames, the Cheviot hills,
where the nightingale sings, when blue
bells come in, the best place to fish, with
-, 4l,,N 11Is
who had never heard anyone talk with so
much enthusiasm about what had hither-
to seemed trifiing things. Ella found him
quite interesting. How she came to talk
of him to her father was on account Of
his appearing al an amateur concert,
where he had played the either in quite a
remarkable way.
The major said: Eyes, by CAD, it was
very clever, and the fellow is a well built,
good looking chap
He had not the remotest idea who the
fellow was until Ella told him, and in her
frank, impulsive way she had burst out
quite into a womanly creation about his
intelligence and his wonderful culture,
considering that he was only a merchant.
"A what?" said the major.
"a merchant" she answered.
what sort of a merchant"
"a tea merchant" said Ella STOPPING
oyer the sugar basin and dropping into
the majors cup the largest lump she could
find.
INSTRUMENTATION" he said, refectively,
tea dealer; that's the fellow-son of a
shop-keeper In the High street, eh?''
YES said Ella
Then why call him a merchant"
'Thel are merchant tea dealers; have
shiploads from China and own several
other businesses, besiles the Cheltenham
warehouse, and he is his fathers only son
;e ho lie a
estate near the source of the Thames"
1t was at this point that the major said:
"Why good CAD one would think you had
fallen in love with the fellows" and it was
upon that remark that Ella blushed very
much inwardly, and allowed a little OF the
warmth of her feelings to tinge her SOFT
peach-like cheek.
A little later the major said: ELLA, no
more tea from Weldons. Whenever you
are shopping-and / suppose you must
shop, because your father is not rich,
though he is devilsh proud say when
you do your shopping in future you Will
avoid that tea place in the High street.
Very well, father"
Now confound their knavish tricks If
don't believe you are in love with the
fellow; otherwise you would have flown
up and we should have had scene. Now,
my dear Ella, once for all<you are to
form no sentimental acquaintance with
out making me your conhdant; and you
are not to marry without my consent; ana
by all the saints, and every other oath
that men consider binding, an alliance be-
meath your proper family ambition is
death. 1 will not survive 1t, nor shall
he; no, by CAD, I've said II.
Ella knew her father always said
great deal more than he meant when ne
was anxious to make an impression; and
now that the subject had been mooted
she knew that she really did love beneath
her, il the son of a merchant was neces-
sarily beneath the daughter OF an oluCer
of the army.
CHAPTER III.-THE CRISIS.
That night she asked herself how 1t was
that this young tradesman had crept into
her thoughts and thence into her heart.
She had admired him from the first day
she saw him. He was dark, and had
sympathetic voice. His eyes We're hazel
and piercing. He looked above his bust
ness. but did not conduct himself as If he
felt he was. There was nice modesty in
the Young mans manner, and she knew
that he admired her. He went TO the same
church, and whenever she turned his way
his eyes always seemed to be upon her.
The Weldons had quite an important pew.
Weldon senior was churchwarden; put
Mai Denning walked into the church as
IL II belonged to him. Nearly everybody
touched their hats or took them off to him,
and he looked about him as much as TO
say Il am not a wealthy man like some
of you nobodies. but / belong to good
famlly-I have blue blood in my veins,
hold her majesty's commission, and have
fought your battles, by CAD, in foreign
countries, and shall carry my honorable
scars TO the grave"
Ella avoided the store OF the Hgh-street
tea merchant. George waited and watched
for her, grew pale, gave up fishing, cared
no more for natural history, played the
most melancholy tunes on his either. and
argued the situation with his mother as II
she had taken the side Of the major, who
had not scrupled TO call upon Weldon sem
Tor to inform him as one man 10 another,
father to father-one, by CAD, a major In
her majesty's forces-that his son had been
over polite to his daughter, and that he
had forbidden his daughter to shop any
longer in the High street. Weldon senior
was timid and rather shy and had con-
scented to regard the matter as purely con-
fidential; but Mrs. Weldon got hold Of H.
and was thus In a position, as we have
seen. 20 discuss the subject with her son
George.
Father" said George, when shall you