The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-12-15
BECAUSE
OFIDGALS
w
He Won Her In Poverty and Married
Her In Riches.

q He Won Her In Poverty and Married o
| o Her In Riches. o
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"May 1 walk home with you" he
asked.
1t was past o'clock on wet winter
night, and they had just come out Of
| church, where the vicar had been dis
coursing eloquently on the social equal
ity of man.
The girl looked up at the sky, opened
her umbrella, and said, YES"
"You think he was right" The man
nodded his head in the direction Of the
building they had just left.
"Not at ALL" said she, with little
/ toss of her head. II think he was all
wrong in general"
"But in particularT
"You and 1 have nothing to do with
particulars" she remarked, kicking
away a stone which lay in her path.
1--WE are particulars"-briedy.
"No, we are not" retorted the girl.
I'VE are most decidedly generals. My
father is General Carwithen, my grand
father was General Carwithen; your
father is-a general dealer" This latter
was said under her breath.
The man did not contradict her; he
merely asked her if it made any differ
ence to themselves.
II think we are, and always shall be,
as far apart as those two stars" she
said sadly.
The rain had ceased, and two watery
stars twinkled feebly in the gloomy
sky.
81 am nearly home pow," she said,
after little silence. You had better
not come any farther. Good night"
The man apparently did not see the
hand she held out. He said good night
laconically, but he turned and watched
her until she was out of sight.
Once home, she flung herself on the
bed in an agony of despair. The man
found his friend awaiting him on his
doorstep.
"Hello! You look bit down In the
mouth. Needham. 1 knew this bust
| ness wouldn't work satisfactorily" he
said.
Its working splendidly," answered
the other.
"Then what is it." asked his friend.
Randall Needham gave a little laugh
and shrugged his shoulders. 'The tale
is as old as the hills, Arthur" he said.
II am in love-"
"Pheww calculated his friend.
"Oh, it's all right" said Needham.
"She is perfect lady" Arthur
glanced round his friends study. Vio-
Inns and bows galore Uttered the room;
music was the dominating passion Of
the mans life.
"She doesn't know" he asked.
"Not she" answered Needham. "She
thinks my father is a general dealer in
only heaven knows what! But I'll
make her own she loves me before she
does know. No one here has ever
guessed my story. l am a poor violin
teacher, pure and simple"
"Not so simple, either" Grosvenor
laughed.
The two men had brought out their
pipes and sat putting away at them to
their hearts content.
"Look here, I met an old woman
know in the street today" went on
Grosvenor. 81 told her l was staying
with you, and she asked me to dine
there; she turned up her lofty nose
with scorn at the bare idea of you join
ing her select party at table. No one
Is good enough for Mrs. Ranter; she
has her precious girls future to
think of, and you are not an eligible"
"Ranterw echoed Needham. "Why,
that's the name Of my best pupils
mother. "Are you going"
"Is thy servant a dog" returned
Grosvenor.
"Mrs. Ranter is one of the most ar
rant humbugs on the face of this earth.
Nothing short of title is worth any
thing to her." said Needham.
"Oh, know her." returned the other.
81 think she would sell her soul for
position"
"If she had one," added Needham,
and they both laughed.
"How did that general dealer idea
get about?" asked Grosvenor. He had
stopped smoking to refill his pipe.
ooh, I don't know" answered the
other. 81 expect Mrs. Ranter is at the
bottom Of 1t, and haven't contradict
ed it because it served my purpose
we'll"
'You were always a rum chap, you
know" said his friend. II can't think
how 1t Is people don't see through
you"
Needham paused in the act of putting
some coal on the fire. 81 have always
had my Ideals" he said. "One of them
was to be loved and married for myself
alone. My father being out in Canada
made 1t easy for me to sink my identi-
ty. And I've had an ideal existence.
too" he added. Its rather fun to be
snubbed when you know it is unneces-
sary."
Grosvenor looked thoughtfully into
the fire. Il had ideals, too, once upon a
time" he said. 81 would have died for
| any of them any day. The difficult part
was to live up to them"
Don't oUtlive them, old fellow" said
Needham. ut Is a mistake. When the
real shines in the reflected glory of the
ideal, it is always the better for it"
''Do you really think so?" asked
Grosvenor as he got up. Il am of to
bed now. If 1 stay up any longer you
will be perouading Inc to follow your
example, and I don't think 1 should
find it as amusing as'you did"
The next morning Randall Needham
was coming back from giving lesson
when he saw Cecil Carwithen in front
Of him. She was carrying her violin
case and looked white and tired.
"You must let me have that" he said
masterfully, pointing to the case. "And
now tell me why you are looking so
pale this morning."
A slight flush mounted to her brow.
'T am tired" she said briefly.
"That isn't all" he replied.
At this moment Mrs. Ranter bore
down upon them. She cut the girl,
and bowed icily to Needham. 1t would
not do for her to offend him, Kate was
beginning to play the violin so well
under his careful tuition.
Cecil" said the man. possessing