The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-10-02

Every much, it is my favoritc color"
'Blue it shall be, then" cried the dc
lighted bachelor. Mrs Cope, if yo
should decide to take the house, you wi
please reserve these rooms for me, and
and Mrs. Peterson, ma am, at $50
week"
II shall be very happy, SIR" said Mrs
Cope. "Ieannie stop laughing; you be
have exactly like schoolgirl. You vii
give me till tomorrow morning, sir, t
decide?"
"Certainly-certainly."
And with a tender pressure to Jeannie'
little white velvet hand, Mr.. Petro Pc
terson bowed the widow and her pretty
daughter kown the brown stone steps.
ITS as good as settled" muttered Mr.
Peterson, rubbing his hands complacent
ly. by Jove! she's grown to be tn,
prettiest girl in town. Mrs. Peterson!-
it don't sound so badly, after all. II
show the young slips what the ole
bachelor can do in the way of matri
mony."
AS he turned, chuckling, to enter the
front door, already in imagination lead
ing JEANNE to the flower decked altar, d
light football sounded on the steps be
hind him, and a slender. good-lookine
young man of some four or five and
twenty stood beside him.
Good morning, uncle, " he cried breath
lessly.
Good morning, Joe" returned MIR
Peterson, nodding to Mr.. Joseph Frank.
lin, his only nephew. what brings you
here i'll such a hurry"
SIS your house to let yet, uncle?'
| "Yes-no-I don't exactly know" re-
sponded Mr.. Peterson, little awkardlv
What does it matter to you whether ii
is or not, hey?"
"Much, sir. To tell you the truth, l
was thinking of renting it myself"
"You."
Eyes. am going to be married next
week, uncle"
"a very sensible plan," said Mr.. Peter,
son, beamingly.
81 am glad you approve of it, sir, and
in case my wife and conclude to take a
few boarders, can l have your promise
to consider you as one?"
THAT is in case you take this house,
yes"
81 can't promise; in fact, | think I've
already engaged myself. said Mr.. Peter
son. impatiently ITO speak frankly,
Joe, I've some idea of marrying myself"
"You, unclc?"
And why mott" testify demanded Mr.
Peterson. I'm not Methusaleh; neither
am l priest. Why shouldn't get mar
| ried?"
There's no reason on earth why you
shouldn't" responded Joe; "only, you
see, you took me rather by surprise. In
that case, why shouldn't we have the
pleasure of accommodating both Mrs
Peterson and yourself"
Because" said Mr.. Peterson, sentcn-
tiously-"because my nlother-in-law that
is to be is to take boarders, sir a few
boarders, in gentle sort of way-and
I've all but promised myself to her"
",'All butt There is a chance, then,
Of:
"a very slender one" unwillingly adj
mittcd MIR. Peterson.
"And if you should make no other ar
rangement, you will let us have the
house,"
Yves, l suppose So"
There can be no harm in my bringing
her to look at the house this afternoon,
after office hours?'
No. / suppose not"
And with this ungraciously accorded
permission, Joseph was forced to be con-
tent, while Mr.. Peterson went back to
his room to think about JEANNE Cope.
81 do believe I'm in love-" he unused.
"I'll take cigar-no won't. either
He was making a little pencil estimate
about the probable cost of refurnishing
the apartments he occupied, with velvet
and satin, according to JEANNE not par
ticularly economical ideas, that same
afternoon when Joseph Franklin entered,
flushed and proud.
'She's down in the parlor, uncle"
as she?" said Mr.. Peterson. Sixty
nine and three are seventy-two; and twice
that is"
You'll come down and see her, uncle"
persisted Joe, impatiently.
"In minute. Twelve and sixteen, and
there, then, Joe, how can man addup
his accounts with you stamping round
the room? Yes. yes, I'll go down and
see her, and then perhaps shall have a
little peace"
He followed his nephew resigncdly
down to the parlor, thinking the while,
of far other things, and suffered himself
to be led to the little sofa i'll the bay
window, where slender young lady was
sitting.
Uncle" said Joe proudly, this is my
promised wife Jcannie this is my uncle
Peterson"
"Jeannie Cope!" gasped the astounded
bachelor.
You'll give me kiss, won't you?"
said Ieannie, putting up her coral lips in
the most bewitching way in the world.
II said it was mamma, this morning.
but it was really Toe and that wanted
the house"
at was, eh?" said MIR. Peterson. with
a curious commingling of sensations,
Eyes, and you know you promised to
get married and board with US. He did
indeed, Joe"
The bachelor burst into a hysterical
laugh.
Il was only joking" he said Mar
ried indeed! I'm not such a fool yet.
Give me kiss. I'll stay here, but I'll
not refurnish the rooms this year"
So the love dream faded out of Mr.
Peterson's mature life. And the bill was
taken off the front door and Mrs. Frank
lin has learned to make an omclctte that
suits even the fastidions taste of her
uncle-in law.
Maj. Burbon-I really don't know,
sub, how old this whiskyis had it in nah
cellah for 20 yeahs. but" Col. Kahn
tuck-Mah land, majah, how did that
happen, sub. did yo' mslay it"'-Phila-
Jalphia prasc