The Portland daily press., 1898-02-09

there looked pair of soft girlish brown
eyes that seemed to appeal directly to
every man there. Straight black brows,
surmounted by broad white forehead
stamped with purity and intellect,
crowned the lovely eyes. With no at
tempt to follow the prevailing craze for
huge bandeaux the painted maiden s
hair fell away from her pure brow in
simple bands of a heavy richness 1t
was the picture of very young and
very beautiful woman.
When Bascom finally entered the
room, the portrait was the center of a
quiet group Of men who neither knew
what to do or say, Not one of them
would have dared an irreverent or a
fippant Jest in view Of that Madonna.
like face. But who was she?
The colonel, who came in with box
Of cigars in his hand, walked directly
up to the easel and rearranged silken
scarf that had fallen away from one
corner of the picture. He looked into
the appealing eyes of the portrait with
an almost reassuring gentleness as he
flung the scarf over the frame. Then he
confronted his guests with a flush on
his handsome face.
Gentlemen, he said, throwing his
bombshell without pause, 81 am not
good at mystiication or fabrication.
This is the portrait Of my daughter,
Miss Jessica Bascom, whose home COM
ing will put an end to our stag gather
ings. I am looking for her in a day OF
two. I am hoping that she will find as
many good friends in Apologize county
as I have. I ain sure she will deserve a
great many more
Thatcher the Oldest man there, was
the only one who could find his voice
for amazement.
"Your daughter. he said. "Why-
why-Bascom, you ire guying US. You
have been posing all these years for
a-a"-
"Bachelor!" Great beads stood upon
the colonel forehead. He slowly wiped
them away before saying anything
more. 81 know. But my married life
was such a brief episode. 1t came and
passed in the few years spent in Mex
leo. - He twitched the fringe of the
scarf with restless fingers. 81 had never
meant my daughter should know any
thing of the loneliness or the hardship
of plantation life, but the death of her
guardian and the strong probability of
war between north and south force me
to bring her here very much against my
1r;cI,ac on, nat ,,p,,,;p6f,1 IF tho on
deal ahead of her and me. I can only
bespeak the charitable Judgment of ev-
cry man and father here.
No one seemed quite ready with a
suitable reply to this astonishing an
nouncement. Thatcher was wondering
uneasily how that story of the Mexican
marriage would go down" with Mrs
Thatcher, proverbially skeptical wo-
man; Alderman was Offering himself
secret congratulations that he had no
wife ''to win over, )" and the rest of the
men were occupied with the mental
composition of their several versions of
this strange tale for home consumption.
Little Potts. usually the most backward
man of them all, was the first to grasp
his hosts hand.
"My girls will be glad to know your
girl, Bascom. I'm sure they will get to
be real chumny. She is regular beau
ty, and''-he faced sharp upon the pic
ture to escape the gratitude in the colo
nel's eyes-''I hope with all my heart
she will find happy home in our
midst.
He had struck a safe key. and his
hope for Miss Bascom's happiness in
Apologize county was cordially echoed
by every man there.
Although the colonel piled his guests
zealously with cigars and Thatcher
made facetious remarks about their des-
olation at the termination of their jolly
times it was impossible to call back the
spirit of revelry. The guests departed
as they had come, almost in a body, at a
much earlier hour than usual, leaving a
distinct chill in the social atmosphere
of the state parlor.
When he had shaken hands with the
last one, Bascom returned to the study
where Northcote had already gone and
flung himself in chair with gesture
Of WEAKNESS.
'sNow tell me about Ellen" he said.
Ito be continued)