Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-20

IL 1 Dau u WIG. IL Wbuiull d be lalf.
sit would be a little lonely for her"
said Amanda wistfully.
49," | continued resolutely, resisting
an absurd impulse to kiss her again,
Though | think you the incest little wo-
man in the world, dear"-she smiled just
like the sun coming out-'it would be-
better for yen to find some one younger
and less crotchety." She tapped the ground
rapidly with one little foot. meanwhile
we're engaged, you know, and we must
live up to it. Where shall | take you to-
morrow"
"Oh, no! You must do Il lot of your
book tomorrow and give Inc some copying
to do-about brains and spines and
things"
Nonsense, child! Don't l always take
you out when l come to town? Shall we
go to the academy" She laughed her old
childish laugh.
"And lunch at "A restaurant she in
quired delightedly. "And go to the Crys-
tai palace a%fterward, and haye tea in the
gardens, and see the variety show, and
| dine on the terrace like we did last Year,"
She squeezed my arm in her old way.
"Won't it be jolly?'
~ was july. 4bC iNAo ops i WYNN LIN
| to the ZOO and smiled to see her laugh at
the monkeys. The day after took her to
the exhibition and up the big wheel and
put my arm round her because she was
frightened, or pretended to be. l squeezed
twice for good night. Then l began to
see that it would be bad for the Cerebral
Convolutions'' II this sort of thing went
on. go I sent for Nephew Frank to come
up to town at once. That light hearted
young gentleman held his sides with
laughter when l explained the situation.
$50 I'm to court your fiancee-she used
to be q pretty little girl-and take her off
your hands for an allowance of $500 a
| year," he said, wiping his eyes; "sb0O and
$500 make 480O-e400 apiece"
Exactly - ] said a%pprovingly. "You
| always were smart ut figures, Frank"
but, my dear uncle, suppose she won't
have me? Besides, I'm not sure but l
think I'm just Il little gon on Nellie
Marchant. Suppose l don't care for your
Amanda"
"She's awfully nice, Frank. You
couldn't help it," ! was surprised at my
doleful zone.
"'Then," said he, "why don't you marry
her YOURSELF"
II lit a Cigar and drummed Oh the fend-
er with my slipper. "I'm too old-too
settled in my bachelor ways, Frank" l
said regretfully. 81 don't know-I'm not
sure-if it would do"
81 believe it would be the best thing in
the world for you, old man." Frank
leaned over the table earnestly. He's an
honest, unselfsh lad. That's why I'm 50
fond of him. And l know he'd be good
to her.
"Well," l said slowly, "I1l be honest
with you, Frank. I'm fond Of the child
very fond indeed. If I thought that she
could like me-in that way-I'm hanged
if ! wouldn't chance it. But che only
looks upon me as an elder brother. Some
day she''-I paused to blow my handker-
~ohief-"she would find out. 1t wouldn't
do; I'm sure it wouldn't do"
So 1t was arranged that l should be busy
finishing my book and see less Of Amanda,
and Frank was to see her every day to
find out If she would like him better than
me, or il he could like her better than
Nellie Marchant.
This arrangement lasted for a fortnight,
but none of us seemed quite ourselves.
Mandy grew staid and silent. l couldn't
do anything right with the book, and
something seemed wrong with my liver.
Even cheerful Frank grew a bit bad tenn
pered. At the end of the fortnight he burst
in upon me in the evening when I was
busy with the Cerebral Conyolutions."
"Look here, uncle" said he coolly, fling.
Ing himself into al armchair and taking
one of my cigars, you're an ASST
GInInt ; .1,.rrpo1 pnt11ls SktH r~up
strong language, Frank"
"Well," said he, II like Nellie ever 80
much better than your Amanda-that's
! fiat"
"Then," said l, bringing my hand down
on tho table with a thump, you're a
foolv'
amanda" said he firmly, els as dull
as dishwater."
/ took off my reading glasses and glared
at him. "She's the brightest little crea-
tnre in the world" l asserted resolutely.
He took a long draw at the cigar and
blew smoke rings, u thing l never could
manage. "Amanda," he continued in a
matter Of fact tone, sis dull because she's
in love-"
l let my pipe drop on the floor with a
crash. with whom" My voice sounded
strange to mo-.
"Why, with you, Of course. Man alive,
you must be blind! You're pretending
that you don't care for her and breaking
her poor little heart"
looked at him in silence for a few Sec
onds. Then l got up and fetched my hat.
"I'm going out" I told him, and l went.
When l arrived at their drawing room,
Amanda wal sitting on the rug, with her
back against the sofa. She had dropped
her book OH the floor and was looking into
the fire, with her cheek on her hand, and
l could see tears in her eyes.
She jumped up to meet me, with an
g little laugh. what, deserted the
'Convolutions?'"
"Hang the 'Convolutionsl'" l said.
"The fact is, they're awfully embarrassing
compared with you, Mandy"
"Are they? Then they must be stupid"
l put my arm round her waist and
drew her close to Inc. "Mandy," ! said
passionately, my dear little girl, we've
been playing at sweethearts long enough.
Shall we begin in earnest2"
Amanda said nothing, only laid her head
down on my shoulder, with a happy little
| sOb,-J. A. Flynn in Madame,