The Republican journal., 1903-07-23

me. Met him? Yes, of course l nave.
His place is only five miles OIL.
Eyes, know he was at the Anoer
sons garden party-oh, and lots OF
other places :.
''He is a comely youth, and it is a
pretty property"
GLOW stupid men are. You all think
that because a man is young ana gooo
looking - - A.,
about three thousand acres OF the
| best meadow land, | believe.
J 81 wish you would not interrupt me,
Mr.. Spencer; you all think that the
whole sex must worship him..
"Pardon me, never mentioned Wor-
shin. or even limited at love. 10 arrive
| at sound conclusion from adlScuSSloh
such as this, it is necessary TO duly maj
shall the facts. Kindly let me resume
| Miss Ashton. The basis OF our dlS,
cussion is now youth, good looks ana
the three thousand acres, prlnclpally
meadowland.
"Mr. Spencer, l hate you. l wonder
whether you were ever IN love yourseh.
''Miss Ashton, let me reassure you. !
am man with past. Az 1ouf years
of age, l made matrimonial overtures
to my nurse; the good woman still lives,
and nv life is shadowed by this youth
full indiscretion. But come, we are
wandering from our moutons and the
pastureland. Our problem now IS one
sided love affair, in which Fred Norman
is heart broken, while you are scathless.
Had it been otherwise, should never
have been consulted, | am sure. .,
"Mr. Spencer, how clever of you TO -
"Iet us confine ourselves to facts,
please, Miss Ashton, and do remember
that the property is three thousand
acres in ring fence"
"Oh, bother the acres. Well, Mr.. Nor
man wants me to let him know oy Wnat
train am going back to town on wed,
nesday. Now, do you think he would
bel mean if 1 did, should l be You
see, no girl in these days likes TO De
thought absurdly prudish, does she!
"Let me put it to you IN THIS way,
Miss Ashton. We will agree that you
don't particularly care for Fred Nor
man. Somewhere, lurking in a quiet
corner, YOU, no doubt, have glrllsh
ideal. Let me suggest, perhaps, nero
with raven locks and sweeping nous,
tache, who bites his neither lip, ana
PAGES the apartment with long, lrregu-
lar strides
"Please. do be serious, Mr.. Spencer.
"Well. now, will really be quite serl'
GUS, Miss Ashton. Suppose some day
that you meet the ideal or some other
ideal, would you quite like to tell him
that you wrote to young Norman about
your train?-as the strong probablllty
is that, if you do, he will be your fellow
traveller"
"Thank you very much, Mr.. Spencer;
You can be so nice, when you like.
am going in now to make myself pretty
for lunch. wonder where the others
have been all the morning"
1t was more than an hour past mid
night; the men of the party staying al
Winners Court were still lounging II
} the smoking room. There is an entirely
baseless superstition among all men II
all country houses that their combined
, conversational powers are equal to tn
/ task of keeping each other amused TO
three hours or so nightly. 1t is super
3 stition that will never die, though 1t II
proved to be an absolute fallacy in hun
: dreds of houses night after night. Th'
flow of talk had gradually died ava.
5 into spasmodic inanities, when the sig
8 nal was given for abrupt departure b.
g the remark: II wonder whether any O
you men remember that red setter .
mine called 'Victor'?" The drowsiest o
smokers jumped to his feet with mira
r culous promptitude, and made a dasf