Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-23
A LITTLE PREVIOUS.

Il don't see how l ever came 80 marry
an Englishman," said Mrs. Barry.
sit was the most sensible thing you
ever did, said her husband from behind
his paper. She calne and sat OH the arm
of his chair.
lido believe you think I'm in love with
you still" she said.
"Well, it looks that way" he answered,
with British c%onceit, holding the paper to
one side so that her head might not come
between him and the Venezuelan question.
II don't mind about. you, - she went on.
you've lived here SO long that you're al
most as nice as an American, and your
voice has nearly lost its English genuflec-
tions''-
"Dear me, l must get an English gov
erness!" he i~nterposed.
"But sometimes Pm worried about
Jack. He isn't one thing or the other,
and if we should ever go to war he would
hate to fight against England when his
grandfather sends him such lovely pres.
ents."
my son fight against E~ngland!' ex-
claimed Mr.. Barry. ord like to see him
try it, that's all! He will find he has to
settle with his father first"
but, Harold, if he wa born here, OF
course his natural feelings would be with
America, and you know how obstinate
Jack Is when he makes up his mind.
Why, l wouldn't go against my country,
not if you commanded Inc on your Bonded
knees, and he would feel 1t even more
strongly, being q man. You would sim
ply make u breach between you if you tried
to interfere"
"a few years In Oxford will change all
that" said Mr.. Barry, turning over his
paper.
considering that no isn'tgoing there"
said his wife decidedly.
"Oh, he's notS"
ST he should, it would end in his liv.
ing there and marrying some dowdy Eng
fish girl with a 6 inch fringe end a solemn
reverence for the men of her family, and
how would you like that9"
Better than q nervous American daugh-
ter-in law with a 6 inch waist and no re-
| spect for anything in heaven or EARTH"
was the imperturbable answer.
"Of course you mean Alice" said his
wife Indignantly, though Pm sure she
isn't a bit nervous and nobody laces now.
Both her mother and / think Alice and
Jack were just made for each other, what
ever your opinion is. Don't you remember
how they took to each other right off from
the first?"
"H'm" Mr.. Barry was deep in his pa
per.
"Alice hasn't as much character as
Jack" she added presently, "but she Is
sweet and good and lovable, and I don't
see why they shouldn't be very happy to-
gether. 1t doesn't matter if he is rather
the brighter Of the two"
sis the engagement announced2" asked
her husband sarcastically, but the ques-
ton was ignored.
after Jack has graduated from Har-
ward we will throw them together a good
deal, " she said. "Since we are in sensible
America, we won't have to be eternally
chaperoning them. I hope Jack won't de-
velop the English bashfulness. Was your
father q shy mar about lovemaking and
such things, Harold?"
"Why, he had rather done with that
when I met him, but 1 shouldn't fancy he
was timid."
II am 80 glad. l was afraid 1t had skip
ped a generation and was coming out In
Jack"
"If it does, she probably won't mind
helping him out a bit, since we are In SEN
siblo America. I don't think Jack will
need it, though. He inherits considerable
determination, not to say obstinacy, from
his grandfather"
''That hasn't skipped "a generation"
said Mrs. Barry pointedly.
"I've come into enough Of it to know
that at the proper time Jack is going to
Oxford" was the calm reply.
(which will simply spoil everything"
said Mrs. Barry impatiently. "Alice will
be married long before he gets back, and
he himself will probably be u victim. Oh,
Uncle Dan," as the door opened to admit
an elderly man, ~''you'ye come just in
timel We want q lawyer"
"Has it come to that2" asked the new
conner, looking grieved.
"Harold says that Jackisn't an Ameri-
can at all and will have to join the Eng
lish army when we go to war;" Mrs. Barry
said Indignantly; "just because he him
self happened to be born over there. He
wants Jack to go to Oxford and marry al
English girl whom we won't know or be
fond of, when here is Alice just out out
for him, and we've got it all planned.