The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-27
The Subjugation of Patricia
BY ESTELLE .BURNEY.

Suffolk, hopeful of the opportunities
such a neighborhood would afford him
of pushing his court. But what he
heard there had soon knocked the
hepefulness out of him, and Lord Har-
ley's account of Patricia's little way
with her suitors had well nigh reduced
this fresh claimant to despair.
"Of course, you will never get her
left to yourself was his lordship's
modest assurance to his nephew; but
put yourself in my hands and L Will
pull you through-it is only question
of strategy
"Why, it has been the dream of my
life" he continued, to bring you two
together; but ! have not, as you may
imagine, studied woman so closely
without learning something, by the
way, of man, and had 1 proposed her to
you, you would have refused to see
anything in her."
Arthur, of course, had thought this
absurd and was no better pleased at
being told that, for the moment, he
would not renew his acquaintance with
Patricia, and was expected, in fact, to
get himself out of the way little faSt-
er than he had come.
"All the men are at her feet" had
explained his willy uncle. you shall
| adopt other tactics. She has seen you
but little, and, in all probability, no.
ticed you less; but she will be nightly
surprised, notwithstanding, to find you
i have been gone on a visit to me with
out her meeting you"
"And is that all you can think OFF"
had returned his nephew, with the in
science of youth. "That Is a silly old
| dodge, good for females in the last
| century, but likely to be wholly lost
upon one SO modern as, from your own
account of her. is the Lady Patricia
| Nevern."
"It will do to begin with" was Lord
Harley's reply, 'for there is no such
| being as modern woman. The dears,"
| propounded this ancient sage, may ex-
| change bell skirts for draperies they
| cannot move in, and fly from sleeves
| that rival the matinee hat in their
| powers of obstruction to eel-like COW
| erings for the arm that stop the circu-
! lation. till the day of Judgment, but In
| matters essential the tricks that took
| in Eve are good enough for her sis
| ters." And he believed 1t so firmly that
| Arthur, who had no alternative Sys-
! tenn Of his own warranted to turn re-
| luetant widows into glad wives, had
| been prevailed upon to place himself
| uf1reservedly in his uncles hands.
| And it was a full six months before
| he saw Patricia again. Summer had
| come when he was, at last, sent for
! into Suffolk, and, having journeyed
| thither with all available speed, he
/ found most jubilant old gentleman
| there awaiting him.
"She remembers me; can see 1t in
your facet" cried the lover. Il made
| an indelible impression upon her on the
! one occasion of our meeting!"
| Not bit of It'll" retorted MILFORD.
"She had forgotten you entirely, and
| has been racking her brains ever since
! to try and recall your appearance"
I: But you have talked of me to her,
| aroused her interest and curiosity in
me?" said Arthur.
1 Il have indeed" laughed Lord Har-
ley. "She is interested in you, and no
mistake, for have convinced her that
you are an inveterate and confirmed
! woman hater, and she is simply dying
! to know you. And let me tell you,"
he added, with much solemnity,
though she herself is unaware Of it,
she is fast approaching the marriage
able mood"
But will she want to marry me?'
queried the man who loved her.
That returned his uncle, with I'M
! conscious humor, will depend upon
me-"
Patricia, 1t appeared, was having a
1 specially harassing time of 1t, with a
house party of relatives each and every
one of whom, it seemed, had the claims
of some favored sutton to press upon
their hostess, until the latter. distract
| ed, would fly the lot Of them and take
refuge with her old friend, in whose
/ park and gardens it had become her
habit to spend a good portion of her
day;
out of the way" were Lord Harley
instructions to his nephew, as he rub
bed his hands and predicted the immi-
nent subjugation of Patricia. "1f you
come upon her and recognition is inev-
TABLE" he pursued, you will bow
gloomily, you know, and pass on
1T won't be Of the slightest use, and
I shall never be able to keep it up"
said the respondent Arthur.
r But he tried. And success immediate
and Overwhelmingly attended, in his
own estimation, at least upon Lord
Harley's triumphant diplomacy.
AS anticipated" he announced to
Arthur, shortly after the latters ar
| rival, "she knows you are here and is
imploring me to catch and tame you
''She is curious" returned the
| nephew.
1.-The first STEP" rejoined the uncle;
and upon Patricia's taking the second
he was ready to cry Victory"
For Milady, watching her opportu-
nifty, faced Mr.. Soames in the park one
fine morning. And said she, uplifting
her blue yes and speaking with a sim
plicity that touched on the pathetic 81
hear, Mr.. Soames, that you are wom-
an h&ter, but if you only knew how
| very, very glad I am to meet with one,
you would not mind me-"
And she meant it," groaned Ar
| thur, in giving an account of the -epi-
sode, later on, to his too exultant uncle.
! Don't talk to mel" returned that old
4 gentleman, you're a fool, sir! She is
no different, 1 suppose, from any wnnn-
an, God ever made. You avoid her, she
runs after you. I knew she would.
They all do it,"
shook his head. Though. having been
induced by tactful invitation to call
| upon Lady Patricia Nevern in her own
! home, he soon found himself the ia
| vored companion of all her walks and
| drives, and even the recipient of her
confidence.
"She feels safe with me. that's all,'
he insisted, "and does not know how to
make enough of q man who may be
| depended upon to never, even by mad
| vertence, drop into a proposal" Which
pessimistic view of affairs on the part
Of the nephew so Disguised the uncle
that he refused to hear any more, and
took to spying on the pair in company
4 with Celia Allestree (for, of course, by
this time all Patricia's family were In
the secreD, that he might observe for
| himself how matters progressed And.