The record-union., 1899-10-08

- - koiiS dnDOuIu li0I yCiioN lACAl IL
his bidding, letting it fall in thick
masses round her shoulders, and then
took her place on the dais while he
sketched and ere he had finished they
We're fast friends.
NOW there are three things which
befall an impressionab BILE man-to fall
in love at first sight, to marry in haste,
and to be disillusioned.
sydney Cresswell fell into the first
error, and ere the picture was an ac-
compllshed fact the second = presented
Itself to his imagination. He saw him
self welded to his water nymph, defy
ing convention, basking forever in the
tender light of her eyes. There had
peen other models, but they were-well,
models; the water nymph was different
MRS. Barry had ceased to bother
about the matter. AS long as Porter
went to the studio before she was up,
and was back at noon in the regulation
cap and apron to wait at the break
fast table, she dismissed the subject en-
tlfely. Possibly she noticed that the
slfl was happier and better looking;
perhaps not. for she was a. woman of
many engagements and many interests.
30 that IL came as a great shock when
the Hnpressionable Cresswell an
hounced his calm determination to
make Mary Emma Porter his wife.
have you told her so-you tiresome
Wretch?' she gasped.
NO. l thought I'd do the proper
thing and tell you first"
Inc proper thing! There is nothing
proper about it,
thought you would consider it
very proper"
CressWell-you're a fool" She was
poth angry and in earnest. two phases
through which she seldom passed Ht,
had carried out his threat of 6inina
with her waiting until the coffee to
launch the bomb.
Are you surprised that I love her?"
he asked
Love? Bah! it is Madness
one and the same thing
cannot accuse her of design. she
is Incapable of it, 1 thought when I
engaged raw country girl that I
should be safe.
Engage another = cannot marry
more than one, and country girls
abound
But she suits me, you wretch!"
Precisely my case
lou VIII have to educate her.
Flddlesticks! Clever women are
drug on the market; now every wo-
man one meets is educated; besides. 1
hate women who know too much; they
bore one with their views. don't want
to marry woman with views"
But your friends?"
oh! I'll turn them over to you.'
"Cresswell, you'll break my heart"
Well as long as it doesn't break
theirs, too"
But, seriously, have you thought
what it means? Can you be serious %
i am always serious.''
Then 1 give it up
That's like a sensible woman"
Are you sure she will marry you?"
Not sure, Lighting another cigar
cite, "but sanguine So no more at
present, as [ used to write home from
school; and if you are going on to the
Lanes I'd better go also. I'll just get
you to buy my little maids frocks and
things"
L shall do nothing of the kind
Then I must buy them-au revoir!
What on earth made me get a raw
country girl?" soliloquized Mrs. Barry
I'D. better have stuck to the French.
Cress couldn't bear them. Dear, oh,
dear! What fools men are."
However, the harm was done, and
there was nothing for it but to face
the music, the well-bred sneers, the
iCp6 axTQhroHrrc ha C+i +Iot
rankle-these things she dreaded.
AS yet Cresswell had said nothing to
the girl herself but perhaps she
guessed his feelings with a womans
quick intuition, even though she had
been brought up in the Fen, and was
simple in accordance. They stood to-
gether before the finished picture
which represented a girl reclining on
a river bank, looking at her own re-
Election in the clear depths, and was
the best thing he had ever done
Mary Emma colored with pleasure.
I'm sure it's much too good for me,
SIR she said
1T is you-idealized-as I see you,
Mary"
She did not understand him.
Father and mother'd be rarely
proud o. that, sir; happen some day
they'll see it, She spoke with the
Norfolk accent, but it struck his ear
pleasantly-as yet-for she had a mu-
steal voice.
Mary" he said gravely, have you
ever had a lover?"
She laughed.
There We're one or two boys that
worked on the farm but 1 never
thought great sight o any O. them.
He was satisfied that she had never
had a lover, and felt glad that he
should be the first to walxen the sight
of love light in her sea green eyes,
whose varying depths so pleased his
artistic fancy.
She went into the small adjoining
room to don hat and jacket, saying as
she returned:
You won't want me any more, 1
expect, sir?''
Mary" he said, wondering how to
frame the words. II always want you
now-I want you to be my wife"
She looked at him with wide, sur
prised eyes and slightly parted lips,
and he laughed little as he caught
her hands in his.
Whatever would the mistress say?"
she faltered.
Nothing that concerns us. What
do you say?"
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