The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-07

7
Mrs. Mackenzie rubbed her chin.
We'll. my dear, you know the crcum-
1 stances are very peculiar lie is prob
ably wondering If you will suit him or
| not"
"Auntier exclaimed Molly, darting at
! her. and taking her by the shoulders.
i Hush. How can you bring yourself 10
talk of 1t so calmly? ! know quite well
what he is thinking Of and it IS tnat
| which maddens me. That | should DC
supposed TO be anxiluSly waiting for him
! to make Up his mind as to whether he
will. or VIII net, throw the handkerchief
| at me- As if, for any earthly considera-
ton. / would have anything "a say to
| him. why won't Mr. Burke let us so
| away at once?"
My dear. you know, as he told us, you
must not do anything prccipitate Your
whole future depends on the step YOU
take next. and he thinks it only right TO
give YOU time to know your cocsin-'
81 don't want to know any more of him,
Interrupted Molly. 'IIe has been three
hours in the house, and ] hate hum al
! ready. He has not n single redeemiiS
point about him. TO begin wfth-what
does he look lke?"
"lIe looks dreadfully delicate" put IN
/ Mrs. Mackenzie compassionately.
80 he is-'a mass of rheumatism, ne
/ told me himself-he loves talking about
his health I can sec that. Did you hear
him detailing all his symptoms To me:
Molly. he can't help his rheumatism
"I know lie can't, but he should be
humber about it. and not appear to con
slider il an additional attraction. | Tell
YOU" said Molly, coming to a staudsull'
! aud checking off each statement by an
I emphatic rap on the palm of one mana
/ with the fingers of the other. mat ca
daverous creature thinks himself simply
| be witching. He can't say .wo words
/ without striking an attitude. Dad YOU
notice how he was looping himself up
against the flower stand i'm the ha!l wnen
/ he was talking tn me? Evidently he goes
1 in fer being aesthetic"
Docs he? | thought he looked as if he
had a pain somewhc.e, and very likely ir
/ he is rheumatic. YOU know. he had poor
/ young man, Don't b. so uncharitable,
Molly, and do so ana get ready Tor din
/ uer."
/. Just let me finish, auntie, | shall feet
better when | have said my say. Wen.
my cousin, Hugh ONeill. is 4 decrepit
little wretch, without two ideas in his
head, yet overburdened with concelt-a
man that no girl with an iota of self
respect would condeacend TO loJk at Qrom
the Ina natrimonial point Of view, and moth
ing would induce IRE TO say or think Oth-
, crwise, not If he ana l ~ere years ana
years tcgether Thcrei the sooner you
and Mr. Burke make up your minds &c
that the letter. Now III go and dress.
Mourufully enough did poor Mrs. Mack
enzie retail this speech 90 Mr.. Burke,
the couple sat in the drawing room wait
ing for dinner, neither Molly nor her cou-
sin having yet made their appearance.
Il knew she wouldn't have anything
to say 70 him." said the lawyer discon-
solately. "Of course she wouldn t--any
one who knows her might be sure she
Wouldn't
Il thought there was just a chance!'
/ sighed the lady. "lfe seems q quiet,
gentlemauly young man
"'Pah." said Mr.. Burke.
And il is really very hard-very hard.
pursued Mrs. Mackenzie, with sniff or
two. ito be Obliged to turn out after all.
and for Molly 10 have 10 work again, Just
like Cinderella ana her fairy godmother,
when I had let my house and everything
The lawyer compassioncd his old
friends mistress too sincerely to criticise
this slightly confused speech.
1T is "a pretty state of affairs, | must
say" ne assentcd. after pause, "itnd all
the result of one woman's morbid craze
about her family. Poor Miss O'Netii! /
don't wish to abuse her now that she
is gone, but / must say'-hcre Mr. Burke
compressed his lips as though repressing
volumes OF dsapprovai--"I only wish" he
remarked. Niciously at last. that she
could see her heir. that's all. / wonder
what she would say to the O'Neil fas-
cination as eNomplihed in him-good
Lord.'
Further discussion was prevented by
The entrance, first of Molly, and after
wards of MIR o. y ell himself.
A slight not To say lean, young man,
with d flce pallid in hue. and almost tri-
angular in shape fair hair and moustache
and passably regular features. The gait
with which he crossed the room was
somewhat hdluug, il is true. but the air
and gesture with which he offered his
arm 10 Molly We're graceful TO the last
degree During dinner he devoted him
self eallautIy to his cousin though her
pretty shoulder was perslstently turned
toward him aud his various oyerturQs
cIicited only monosl liable replies The
others were too much preoccupied TO
evincc much interest iu his uuceasinS flow
of small talk, while even the vapid little
jokes with which he endeaNorcd To- enliv-
cn the conversation would have passed
altogether unuoticed. had it not been FOR
an occasional lueuhri0us ''Hahi' from
Mrs. Mackcuzie. Who sometimes managed
TO eaten their urttt i've minutes or SO al
ter they were uttered.
Another man would have been discour-
aged. but Mr.. ONcilis buoyancy was un-
impaired he talked on as though he were
wound up" (as Molly subsequently re-
markell, ana appreciated his own hui
NOR, If no one else did. His voice was
somewhat high-pitched. and mis- accent
peculiar; he esChewcd the nasal twang as
completely a.; the brogue itself. and while
ne elongated his VoWels. and occasionally
used words in q sense not usual on this
side ot the Atlantic. he also rolled his
Rs like any foreigner.
you certainly are not bit like an
American calculated. all at once. Mrs.
Mackenzie. who had expected their new
acquaintance to put his feet on the table.
and TO guess" and calculate" according
to the conventional idea Of "A yankee
you see, / don't call myself an Amer
lean" s.;id Mr O'Neil smiling, 'aud
neither anticipating the correction
which Mrs Mackenzie was Fastening 10
make-'nCither dc ! consider myself an
Irishman. / have lived pretty nearly
everywhere, ana do not claim to belong
to any particular country: ia fact, ! am.
as / say, a citizen OF the world. =
Molly shot disdainful glance at him
over her shoulder; IL struck her that the
term was not altogether original
Like the dear little busy bee. you
.zaaalgn1IFs " g