Connecticut western news., 1899-01-05
"Why don t youF7

picture being refused and the subse- quent discontinue and inconvenience. It would entail an entire change of all my plans for the rest of the season."
 "But if you were not refused?"
 MT. Markham started.
 "Oh, that certainly struck me as an alternative, but I did not find it less alarming. If were accepted, we should probably get married, and how dull foI us both 1t would subsequently, bel What should really like would be for you to come and stay just in our pres ent capacity at Markham, say, for a year. You would walk with me, row with me, fish with me, hunt with me. would read to you my favorite bits of my favorite authors, and you should re- taliate with yours can imagine noth. ing so delightful. have already had you to stay at Markham. but then Lady Greatorex and Sir Marmaduke came, too, and my sister came down to do hostess. We were never alone except now and then for quarter of an hour after an hour of mutual endeavoring."
 "Thank you, interjeoted, with some asperity, the lady.
 "What should like would be to have you thus for a time all to myself. You would find me much nicer than you inn agine. I have much more to me, as the Yankees say, than you would think"
 "Welk," added the lady, Ion one condition will come. Do not look frightened. don't mean to insist on prior engagement. You need not prom ise to marry me. But I will come for whole year to Markham Tiff may bring Lord Mendip with me-
 "Lord Mendipp' MT. Markham re- leased what he had been holding and laid it back in the young lady's lap with something of the air wherewith one puts down again upon the counter an article that one has been lingering in a salesroom when one discovers it is marked "Sold" He resumed his posi- tion on the hearth rug, but without again accommodating his back to the mantelpiece. "It was," he remarked presently, livery nice of you to inform me of your engagement in that way. You can do things. when you try, very gracefully. A more awkward woman might have told me 1atly half an hour ago."
 1T was going to tell you just now. But you begged me to, wait, as you wished to finish your delightful conver- sation. I concluded that you thought you were shining. After all you do not affect to ignore your reputation as con- versationalist.
 ''I am sure," he said, after the brief est possible pause, "you will be ex- tremely happy. That is certainly my wish-that you may be as happy as you deserve, and, take it, Lord Mendip is not more than 80?'
 Scarcely so much," declared the young lady, with admirable temper. "He is but "A.
 ''And he is peer. It is better than anything could have offered you."
 There was slight sound behind her.
 Here" remarked the young man, looking over her head to the suddenly opened door, "oomes Lord Mendip him. self to receive my congratulations in person."
 Miss Greatorex leaped to her feet.
 'Don't, for heavens sake, don'tp' she cried, in 8 smothered voice. "It was a lie. did it to see if could shake you at all" '"
 Lord Mendip ambled forward with a keen old look in his faded eyes and a much cooked" expression about his half deaf old ears.
 Congratulations, eh? Whom am I to congratulate? think heard something about congratulations in person."
 "Yes, Lord Mendip, want yours. '" MT. Markham sighed heavily. "I have just proposed to Miss Greatorex, and she has been good enough to accept me. Y"
 ''Lord, how int'restin. cried the old gentleman. "I rec'lect your father was my flag at Eton-I'm talkin, yer know. of the year thirty y-nine. By love, you're lucky chap, Markham, and I do con- gratulate you"
 MT. Markham received these felioita- tions with some emotion and sighed again not less heavily. and White.