El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-04
CHAPTER XVI.
sI1RJECTs FOR MATRIMONY

CHAPTER XVI.
SUBJECTS FOR MATRIMONY.
Miss Kildare gave a shrug of her shout
ders. Yes she said, Il suppose it is a
different me. I've got my hair done up
and longer skirts and all the rest of it. In
fact, like the young person in the book,
| I've growed But don't see that you We
altered much, except that you've just a
tiny-iny bit crowsfooty about the eyes.
You haven't even grown a mustache, as
always wanted you to do. -
'tDidn't know 1 was going to meet you,
or might have spared my razor"
81 wish you'd known, then. But fancy
your turning up here of all places! 1t is
an extremely small world. There's no
doubt about that. Well, Pat, we've
each said at least 90 times apiece how
surprised we are to see one another, sup
pose you come out onto the piazza and tell
me things. We shall have a crowd round
us if stay here in the hall much
longer
My dear child, what things?" asked
Cambel, laughing. I've been chattering
history to you ever since 1 turned up at
the hotel''
The girl seated herself in cool cane
rocker and picked up palm leaf fan.
Hundreds of things. To begin with,
what are people wearing in town just
now?"
In London? Oh, frock coats rather
longer than ever and narrow stripe trou
sers and toppers with just twopenny worth
of curl in them, not more"
But I mean the women"
Fifteen yards to the skirt, and they're
beginning to drape them. The fashionable
deforInity at present is eiephantiasis of
the biceps-I mean gigot sleeves. They
start at the ears and go down to the elbows:
some of them farther
"Ah, said Miss Kildare thoughtfully,
81 used to have good arms. Not quite as
nice Mabel's, though. But latterly L
haven't been in places where evening dress
was used. By the way, do you dance
still?''
keen on it as ever
whats the waltz like now?''
"Capering on hot bricks. Heaps more
exercise to the furlong. People kill them
selves at it much sooner
''Reverse?''
In the north of England, where they
all dance well, they re like the Americans
and go each way alternately. In London
and the south, where most of them waltz
vilely, reversing is aceldama."
Il suppose, said Miss Kildare with her
eyes meditatively following bronze green
cumming bird which was darting about a
trumpet vine on the plaza posts, Il sup
pose we shall have a hop here tonight. 1
shan't reverse, and when my partners ask
why l shall tell them it's the latest thing.
One always likes to be as English as pos
sible. Tell something else that it's
tony to do:''
Read nasty novels written by women
you wouldn't sit in the same room with
and then Gush about them afterward-
That's very fashionable amusement with
the up to date young women
Ugh, Pat, don't be a pig. Besides,
that wouldn't suit my style Bit
But why want to change, Elsie? Don't
you appreciate yourself you are at pres
entf I'm sure other people would
That's barney
No, p" said Cambel judicialIy, Il think
it's ordinary fact
is it really though? 1 am glad. You
know, I've thought lately my present stock
in trade wouldn't pass muster outside
Florida. l can handle a boat in any
weather, and ride anything that's called Il
horse, and dance decently in American
fashion, but can't do anything else, ex-
cept perhaps talk, if that counts
Cam BILE laughed. You are refreshing
he said. But why this inventory of
stock"
Because, Pat I'm wondering how
shall get on in England. I'm going there
this fall I'm two and twenty, you know,
and L can do as 1 like, and living in the
back blocks is beginning to pail.
Going there by yourself?''
No, I'm not quite so independent as
that The Van Liews, the people l. m stay
ing with here spend the winter in Lon
don, and they re going to take me with
them. -
And afterward you come back again
to the States?'
Miss Kildare again watched the bronze
green humming bird. 'Quien sabe?" he
said. Il may be induced to stay
What! You're going to get married.
why not, if 1 have an invitation.
Twenty twOs getting on
''Ah," said Cambel and set to rocking
his chair.
.'Yes?"
Il didn't say anything"
You said 'Ah,' Patrick, and that
meant you thought a lot besides -
Quite right, 1 did. 1t had never quite
struck me till then that you were a com
pletely grownup young woman now and
might any day see man to go into per
manent partnership with. It's bit of
Jar mean it comes oddly to one at first
to think of You as married, Elsie