Daily camera., 1901-07-29

minute-and Swinburne."
And stop they do, finding the broker
magnate still there, though in evident
straits. Is it possible for a man in love
TO look pleased at the coming of Wis
! itors in the midst of even a prolonged
tete-a-tete? Swinburne doesn't. He
looks infinitely distressed, and Parry
doesn't fail to remark it.
"Hullo, Swinburne! Who'd "a thought
of seeing you here at this hour? ] sup
posed you never missed a day like this
for drive, yet your team isn't at the
door"
"No-er-I had business to discuss
with Mrs. McLane before her start for
the west--a journey which had much
hoped to hear Mrs. Parry has dissuaded
her from taking"
"Oh, bless you, mol" responds Parry,
cheerfully. ",The doctor advises change
of scene and air, doesn't he, Fan? And
Sedgwick's the very place for both
There's no scenery within ten miles OF
it, and there's more air than they know
what to do with ten hours out of IL. 1t
blows blizzard there six times week,
doesn't it, FAM"
Then / presume the residents Of the
post must be unusually charming to
offset such monotony Of landscape and
such Objectionable climate" says Swim
burne, stiffly, and looking ruefully at
the fair young widow. 81 have not the
honor of anybody's acquaintance
there" he adds
"So?" says Parry. why, there's
Capt. and Mrs. Grafton, old friends of
Fans, you know-that is, Mrs. Grafton
is, and there's Lieut.. Merriam-splendd
fellow, that! We knew him so well
when he was on duty at the Point. And
there's Minturn, of the artillery. there
with his battery. He used TO visit US
often when Merriam was philandering
about Fan here. Oh, yes, there's raft
OF pleasant people there"
Mrs. McLane's pretty face at this
juncture is study. She is flushed, al
most fearful; ready to pull Ned Parry's
hair in wrath, yet hardly able to re-
strain her merriment at sight of Swim
burne, who sits in open-mouthed dis
may. For downright mischief broth
er-in-law has opportunities accorded no
other mortal, and Parry is at once her
torment and her delight. Mrs. McLane
| has been known to say that Charlotte
| took very mean advantage of her in
having met him first and LANDED" him
D before hp - ha hfya - lan
own lovely blue eyes.
| Very little alike were these two sis
( ters, despite the fact that they had lived
most of their life together. Educated
abroad by benevolent aunt after the
death OF their devoted mother, the girls
| had returned to America the great wear
! of the Columbian fetes, and Charlotte.
the elder by two years, had met Ned
Parry, a rising and successful Young
lawyer, before they had been home n
month, was engaged 10 him before the
autumn leaves were falling-before Fan
even dreamed that anything of the kind
was in contemplation, for she, at the
moment, was having what she termed a
simply deliriously delightful time at
( the Point. Harriet Palmer, her especial
friend at school, both at home and
abroad. had married Capt. Grafton
early that spring. Fan making almost
her first appearance in society as one
of the bridesmaids on that occasion,
and being much impressed with the de-
Irotions of the groomsman assigned TO
her, handsome, soldierly fellow by
the name of Merriam. He was an Off
Ger several years the junior of Capt.
Grafton, but, being OF the captains reg.
imeut and conveniently stationed at
| West Point. he had been called into
requisition with Others of his cloth,
and very pretty wedding they had
had. And then, as luck would have it,
Grafton himself was offered detail at
the academy, and rather than take his
bride to the far frontier so soon after
their marriage he accepted it, and there
they spent the summer; and there, in
July, Miss Frances Hayward joined
them at Mrs. Grafton's urgent request,
and there did Randolph Merriam fall
deeply and devotedly in love with her,
and no one wondered. BY far and away
she was the prettiest girl al the Point
that summer, and Merriam was con-
ccded to be mighty lucky fellow when,
very soon after the announcement of
Charlotte Hayward's forthcoming mar
riage to Edward Parry, he allowed him
self to be congratulated upon his en-
gagement TO her younger sister,
And he had every right 10 consider
himself engaged. She had accepted his
attentions, his derotions, eventually his
ring and also his presents. He had
called upon Aunt and Uncle Mellen in
New York. the guardians OF the girls,
and startled them ont Of all eauanimitv
by the announcement that Miss Hay
ward had accepted the offer of his heart
and hand conditioned only on their
consent, which he besought them 10
give.
II own I never thought Of her marry
ing in the army" said Aunt Charlotte.
as do other aunts and mothers after
their girls have been campaigning at
| the Point.
What income, if any. have you out
side your pay?' was Uncle Mellen's
more-to-the-point Interrogation.
Nothing, sir"
well, neither has she. That is, what
she has is so small il wouldn't keep that
extravagant child in gloves You two
had better be sensible and think it
over"
Randy Merriam did think it over, but
all to no purpose. The more he thought,
the more he declared himself hopelessly
and irrevocably in love, and as Miss
Fan took kindly to his protestations,
and Parry and Charlotte took kindly
10 him and sympathized with the SOL
dierly fellow, who was evidently much
Of gentleman and so much in love.
it resulted in his being made welcome
at Parry's club, received quite as Parry
was at the Mellen2-sfnce not oftener
than once week could he get away
| from his duties at the Point and when
Ned and Charlotte were married, as
they were in state and style early in
the winter, Merriam had many a good