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

who, apparently unconscious OF sin but
mat was all put on" was enjoying hi
nightly modicum Of whisky and cold
water, which had been ordered By a higt
medical authority as likely 10 prove Of
great service 10 bis constitution.
Perhaps that evening ii tiid not seem
quite so good as usual for he loved Eva,
and 1t vexei rim 10 deny her anything
even 10 poor thing as he considered Mr.
Clement Sidney.
II.
In the early spring OF that year bust.
ness had called Mr.. Broxdaile 10 America,
and compelled him TO remain there for
eight months. during most OF which pc
rcd the house in Leinster terrace was
Leland Mrs. and Miss BroxdaiIe luxuriat !
ed In foreign parts" They had. indeed,
delightful time, for Miss Broxdaile could
converse IN many languages. and although
Mrs. Broxdaile understood only her own.
and that imperfectly. she met with plenty
Of people able TO understand and talk TO
her
Money abounded. for Mr.. Broxdaile was
not mean. and the only unfortunate part
OF that long holiday proved it's end.
Agreeable things always do end, whereas
there Is A quiet persistence about the stay
o: unpleasant matters, which needs re-
form. Mother and daughter journeyed
back leisure1y TO Flushing. where they
took boat for Queensborough, at which
port, being uraccustomed TO travel, they
experienced some difficulty with a large
qUSEtity of luggage.
The hour was early and they were late.
They became confused and Hurried. and
| would have lost their train or been sepa-
rated from their effects had not "a total
stranger taken all the trouble on his own
/ shoulders p" according to Mrs. Broxdaile.
! travelled up with them TO Victoria, where
he saw their possessions taken out Of one
( van and safely put into another warrant
ed 10 convey trunks, boxes, hold-alls, and
/ various mysterious packages TO the deSti-
nation desired
More than this, when they arrived at
- street. 10, and behold to quote
Mrs. Broxdaile's artless phrase. the same
gentleman assisted them TO alight, hailed
a cab, saw everything was correct, told
the driver where TO 90, refused the elder
/ ladys invitation 10 accompany them to
Leinster-terrace and partake of break
! fast: but asked If he might call in the
course of a few days and inquire If she
and her daughter had recovered from the
] fatigue of their disagreeable journey.
This was the beginning; the end can
| be imagined by any one familiar with the
/ foolishly trustful way in which some in
dividuals make, not merely acquaintance
/ but intimates OF utter strangers.
/ Mr.. Sidney in due time called and was
| received by Mrs. Broxdaile, as though she
/ had known him from his infancy. Every
/ circumstance he omitted to tell her on
! their journey through pleasant Kent con-
corning his family, his position, his ante
/ cedents his hopes, he managed to recount
/ on the afternoon when he awaited himself
/ of the lady's kindness" Other visitors
/ dropped in. Fortunate always" he
| thought for from them also he won
/ golden opinions.
/ He is perfectly charming" said Mrs.
| Wellman TO her daughter, as they wend-
/ ed their hOmeward way TO Finchley road,
a statement repeated by so many persons
/ during the next few weeks that the song
of praise swelled into chorus which,
proclaiming Mr. Sidney to be handsome,
! distinguished. delightful, attractive, anus
ing, well Informed, courteous, highly
| bred" and many other things of a like
sort, sank into pretty Eva's heart and
caused Ii 10 throb with JOY and anguish
/ JOY that he should be considered such A
paragon" anguish when she remember
ed how unlikely it was he should ever.
ever. ever deign to think of her who ever.
ever, &c, would think increasingly of
him
! Which only proved how foolish a little
maiden her fathers darling was; in fact,
| she most foolish, romantic. unseinsh, low
! able little maiden who could have been
found in the length and breadth of Lon
don. She had no more worldly sense than
a baby In arms, which was only natural.
remembering her bringing up.
/ Through her brief life she knew few
save weak women and sentimental girls.
heard little except stupid uninteresting
gossip and silly love talk, read nothing
more elevating than the sensational and
unreal tales which beguiled her mothers
far too abundant leisure, and did not
think much of anything beyond the Prince
uestlheu 10 come, the castle TO which he
would take her and the fairyland where
IN they would dwell forever after,
which was the fault as much of clever
Mr.. Broxdaile as of his certainly not
Clever wife. Unknown, perhaps, TO him
self, the former held the Oriental faith
that women should be kept in seclusion,
at all events as long as possible, and
this faith had its root deep down in all
that was most tender and most chival-
rous in the sef-made mans nature. His
daughter was the last and best dream
lett TO him out of the many delusive
visions that had cheered him on to world
ly success.
HIS wife he loved well as, perhaps
more, than ever, bat that dream was now
prosaic reality. His wealth was real
enough, it is true, but. though he once
believed wealth alone capable of confer
ring happiness lac believed in that delu-
sion no longer. lie had dreamt dreams
concerning sons, who were 10 help him in
his business and carry his name TO great
er heights than he had ever aspired 10
climb, ana behold, one after another. six
sons were born only to go in their ten
der infancy where earthly titles are of
no avail, and money is as naught.
Then she. the little Eva, came and did
not die, but stayed 10 fill the home with
happiness and sing her childish songs and
play with her doll and kitten. at ''Merrie
lslmgton:" TO run out. and greet ''da. da,'
10 grow into girihood and go TO school
and practice scales and play her little
tunes TO father" and be sent abroad to
learn Languages, and return TO tighten
the Leinster-terracc house. and be alto
gether the sweetest and most irresponsi- |
lie creature who ever committed the
great mistake OF falling In love with the |
wrong person; while her male parent still |
persisted IN Wandering through the Egyp-
tar wilderness of regarding her as a |
chlld who, one day, might be asked In |
marriage by some good young man of |
his own type, not above his station. yet |
ambiuous-some good young man who |
might be made first a knight and then a |
baronet and then?
Such is the stun. altogether unsIbstan- |
tial, modern commercial dreams are made /
or, but which, judging from results. often /
does not prove more satisfying than the /
gossan.er threads Of those romanees that /
have come down 20 Us through the AGES. |
Let, however, the material be worth |
What 1t might. Mr.. BrOxdaile was In
America shaping a serviceable garment. /
warranted 10 please" everybody, out of /
il the while his daughter was pledging
her troth 10 total stranger
From the moment AIR. Sidney courteous
ly offered his services, her poor little
heart had futtered out TO THE Charming