The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-22
THE PHILANDERER.

not a suspicion that half dozen gentle
men, whose wives were slow to settle
down, were quite pleased to have Algy
! hover about the disconnected lad1es-a
| lady at a time, be it understood.
Algy's soft heart received a violent
shock the first time he laid eyes on Lady
| Susan Grevflle. She was then a bride
of some months standing; she had been
married to Lacy Greville from the house
of an aunt who had kept her in abso-
lutte seclusion. Tall and white in her
! wedding dress, she seemed to Algy the
whitest and most innocent thing he had
| ever beheld.
Algy had been at school with Lacy
Grevil1e and had not fraternized with
him. Lacy Greville had been boy de-
| voted to machinery, born meehaniclan,
always grubbing after oily wheels and
things that smelt shockingly rancid
Algy Shuddered as he remembered
Lacy's hands. and glanced across at the
tall disconnected young giant looking as
! though his evening clothes were a
strait-waistcoat. He wondered how he
could ever touch that adorable White
girl with the hands he remembered
For once Algy was indiscreet. He and
Lacy had never got on in the old times.
You should keep him in better order,
Lady SUSAN he said.
A sharp little flash like blue lightning
cleaned under her ladyship's transpar-
ent lids.
"Ohl 1 gave him leave before we were
married to go his own way. I always
knew that 1 should be second to an en-
| CINE in his thoughts. Did you know
that we spent the greater part of our
honeymoon at Pittsburg. and such hor-
rors of places where they build machin-
ery?"
How you must have hated it," said
Algy, with intense sympathy. Il am an
idle man. If you would honor me by ac-
cepting my escort not as far as
Iitaly, of course; but there are always
some good pictures to be seen in Lon
don. The National gallery
oh will YOU reallV?' cried Lady
Susan, her pale cheek turning pink
How delightful of you! Lacy will be
so much obliged!''
Algy mentally objurgated Lacy. Lacy
and he had not hit it off in the old time.
He did not suppose that Lacy would be
| specially pleased to hear of him.
/ You won't forget Wednesday," the
bride said, the last thing, leaning from
her carriage to say it. Her white velvet
hood was lined with rose-color. Algy
was not at all likely to forget Wednes-
day.
He thought of it pretty we'll all the
time till Wednesday came. He knocked
| al the door in South Audley street with
his heart humping in his breast He
said to himself. in a pleased way, that
he was really hard hit at last.
| Lady Susan received him alone. Other
people dropped in during the afternoon.
Lacy Greville showed himself for few
which proved that his memories of
their school days lacked bitterness. It's
heartiness made Algy vince. The old
intolerable smell of oil spoilt a delicate
pair of gloves which Algy was wearing
for the first time.
MY wife tells me you are going to
trot her round to picture galleries So
much Obliged. old fellow!" said Lacy,
ere he departed to his beloved work
shop, land so sorry Miss Leith has
gone home"
According to Lady Susan. Alison
Leith could not be spared from her own
/ 1orlr - Aa1 hvrrrA TOT
somewhere in the north. and no end of
tenants and workpeople at her factory
to look after. She belonged to every
public board for which she was eligible
in her own district, and was the most
satisfactory sort of squire and employer
of labor possible.
Algy wasn't interested.
1t had never occurred to A1gy that he
good looks and pretty ways to ac-
count.
He didn't say to Lady Susan that he
didn't care for any rich woman, but his
lack of interest conveyed it.
In course of time they became almost
inseparable. and Lacy Greville seemed
quite satisfied that so many of his So
cial duties should devolve on Algy.
Presently, Algy could not fail to
know that people were talking about
him and Lady Susan.
Algy grew uncomfortable. He didn't
want the people to talk about her as
they were talking and would talk. She
didn't know what she was doing. His
philanderings had always been of an
innocent kind and had done no one any
harm. He wouldn't do Lady Susan any
harm for the world
Worse, he had come to like Lacy Gre
vile on further acquaintance The man
seemed so simple and so trusting: a
big good-natured, dali giant, taking all
the world to be good himself.
They went one day from Baker street
n AlOV'S
a delicious pastoral feast under a broad
chestnut with the fertile valley under
their feet.
After lunch, Lady Susan swept off
Algy to show her the garden. Mrs.
Stratton and Miss Leith sat opposite to
each other and fell into conversation.
The mothers talk all of her son.
According to her, there never had been
a son like Algy Algy the ph;landerer
was evidently quite unknown to his
mother
Miss Leith leant forward. listening,
with a smile in her brilliant gray ewes
and on her lips made her almost hand
some.
"A beautiful creature. my dear said
Mrs. Stratton, when she was alone for a
few minutes with her son. "She has
promised to come again.
Her eyes were wistful upon him.
Lady Susan said Algy. Yes, she is
very pretty
Not Lady Susan: Miss Leith"
"Oh!" Algy's face became thoughtful
I shouldn't have thought of her as
beautiful But for her eyes and her
her air. she would be plain
Beautiful. my dear said the little
old mother, obstinately. Lady Susan.
pooh. A pretty slip of girl. The other.
a noble creaturei''
The cousins were accustomed to have
a chat at night before turning in. Lady
Susan had sent away her maid and was
brushing out her long hair in Miss
Leith's room. Suddenly Miss Leith took
} her by the two white arms.
You are such little fool, SUSAN she
said. Il could shake you