The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-14

cruel letter Of final rejection" that the
conversation duly recorded In chapter ons
took place. Then Mrs. Broxdsile was IN
an excited. irritable state OF mind: but
when Mr.. Sidney. after being forbidden
the house. ceased 10 call or make any
sign. she became like one insane.
How yor must have insulted the nice
| creature.' she fumed- HE wrote TO me
he could not. with any respect to himself,
ever enter your doors again
| He had better not
But what did he do to be forbidden the
| house,
He wanted my daughter. or rather the
fortune he thought / would give her"
And he'll marry her yet. fortune or no
fortune, or am much mistaken"
Il think not"
Then your only living child's death will
lie al your door,
| Mr.. Broxdaile turned away. II was a
sore trial. He did not wish 10 tell his
wife the causes which Influenced his de-
| cision-moreover, ne was well aware even
had he done so. they would not have con-
| WINGED her reason. because she possessed
none.
He talked kindly and nationally to Eva,
but without producing the slightest iEn-
preston. The girls heart was gone, and
| her body seemed as IL IL were going too.
Plenty OF people, as good as you, and
better, too, are glad enough to have 5ir.
Sidney at their houses, though you did
| turn UP your nose at him." Mrs. Brox-
| dale broke out one evening. Mrs. Well
man met him at Gen. Holmwood's, where
he was the life and soul of the party"
Then he is consoled. There is an
| heiress among the Holmwoods believer
Really, l wonder 20 hear you talk in
such way-and that poor dear girl bro
ken-hearted UPSTAIRS retorted Mrs.
Broxdaile, beginning to cry as if her
heart were breaking also.
What can l do-what ought / TO do,"
thought the much-tried gentleman. IF
Hoimwood's ward goes crazy also about
me Fellow, there will be a nice kettle of
fish; but didn't old Lanceweu tie I'D the
money in some extra ordinary way?-yes
ne ala, / feel almost positive To maze
sure. however, I'll go to Somerset House
lo-morrow and take p look at the will"
He need not have given himself the
trouble, for old LancewelPs granddaugh-
ter mad not the slightest intention of
throwing herself away.
she thought Mr.. Sidney pleasant and
amusing; she liked his singing and comic
recllalions, also hearing him make be-
IieVe, as she said, ito have fallen i'm
ioVe with her all the while he was incon-
Soiaole for the loss of that Miss BroxdaiIe
she heard was so pretty"
Meanwhile, Mr.. Sidneys circle of desira-
Die acquaintance was steadily widening.
feopie DO not, as a rule, in London, in
cure too curiously into the antecedents of
a man who is good looking, well dressed.
agreeable, apparently destitute of non
desirable relatives-possessed of sufficient
money to hire cabs, tip servants, and, in
word, ape the ways, manners and do
ings OF those In receipt of goodly incomes.
ana, r1ally-as many people said later on
MI sidney was such charming fellow,
they never thought of asking where he
came from.
Ana If they had the result would have
been Just the same. Most men, IS a rule,
take other men at their own valuation
till the valuation is proved false. So men
and especially women-took Mr.. Sidney,
I'LL, from the humble foundation of Mrs.
broxoaile favor, he grew as big as the
tabled fr0g-then, unhappily, he burst
Ii all came about in this way. Of course
everybody knew. even his latest acouain-
tsnces, that he had been very badly
used. Invited. urged TO visit Ileinster
with the daughter, and then, i'm mo-
ment, cast adrift because, forsooth he
could not count down guinea for guinea
with Mr.. Broxdaile, who had risen from
hothing-a fact of which Mr.. Broxdaile |
seemed rather proud than otherwise. Mr..
sidney. from the beginning had been per- |
lectiy straightforward" thus society |
chattered, and taken a rational view of |
the whole matter. He loved the girl TO |
abstraction. He had family, she money
what could any sensible man want |
more%' But in effect, Mr.. Broxdaile was |
absurd enough TO want SO much more |
that the affair was at an end He wished |
to see his daughter a Countess most |
ridiculous idea" gossip went on, simply |
because some one had said, Mrs. Brox /
dalle said, Mr.. Broxdaile would not hear
or the match because his daughters de- |
hghtful sutton Was only the son of a |
younger son."
MI Sidney behaved admirably" thus
the talk ran; though he had been dread /
iully lnsulted he spoke in the incest man
her OF the nouveau richie who would not
welcome him as son-in-law Any one
could see now the blow had It'd. He was
100 brave ana proud to show what he felt,
but his high spirits were all put ON. Watch |
'-t4ih ASi u ihOAiCAl WHICH Ul ana |
notice the sadly anxious expression of his
lace With much more TO the same eff /
feet, for, though society does not approve
of love matches that involve the appear
ance of poverty on the doorstep, 1t dearly
loves a love tale, which is the reason. per
haps, for the axiom, that all stories should I
end with the joyous elamor of wedding
bells
Poor Mr.. Broxdaiie, What he suffered !
during the months which followed his dis
missal of Eva's charming young man, no
words could tell.
His wife regarded him as a 'crueI ty-
rant" His daughter grew pale, thin, and
spiritless. She remained in Leinster ter
race for her lover to marry if he liked,
but apparently he did not like, and that,
also, was imputed as sin 10 the unfeeliag
father He had been too sorely insulrnd"
Mrs. BroXdaile declared again and again.
and still Nj. Broxdaile held his peace.
He did rot want TO ruin any one. No
word of his should hasten the inevitable
end therefore he possessed his soul in ST.
lence, and patiently waited to see what
time would do for him.
Perhaps il was this patience that in
duced Time TO hurry a little. or 1t may
be that the old enemy considered Mr..
Sidney had gone far and fast long enough,
and ought 10 be stopped.
Succeeding socially beyond his widest
mounting rung after rung
of society's ladder he found himself one
evening singing his very best at party
where statesmen, wits. beauties. Million
aires. and fair sprinkling of lesser hui
man lights were gathered together. His
song was a great triumph, the last he ever
had: As he rose from the plano and NOV
ed toward the inner dra wing-roon, he ac-
cidentally jostled a gentleman who had
Just arrived and was standing beside the
folding doors.
Always courteous. Il beg your pardon"
said Mr.. Sidney, but before the words
were well out of his mouth, the other had
turned and exclaimed:
"Hil-lor' not in a friendly or pleased
but In a tone of utter amaze
ment.
IL was Mr. sidney's employer. Mr..
Cavalier, the head OF that great city
house in which Mrs. BToxdaile believed
her future son-in-law would shortly be