The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-10-01

SOiuelHlHS elSe thdH aS d SJuIplOu vi dp-
preaching age.
One day he came to lunch with a coun-
tenance overspread with woe | inquired
sympathetically whether anything appall-
ing had happened.
I've had my letters forwarded from
the club, he answered tragically, land
this arrived today
This was a communication from the
family solicitors of a curt and distressing
nature 1t informed him that he was well
aware of his fathers wishes, and had
treated them in way which had naturally
incensed his father; that his disappear
ance had added to his father annoyance;
and that until he was prepared to adopt a
more concilatory tone his father did not
desire to see him. 1t added as a conclud-
ing pill that for the present half of his
former allowance would be paid to him.
just fancy the guv-nor going off to a
solicitorr' he said bitterly. ''If he did
want to be nasty, he might have kept it
to himself. Ism t he an old ass .
1t seems to me little unnecessary,
| agreed
And I don [ mind so much about the
money itself, he went on. II can get
along on that all right; but he needn have
reduced the answer to pounds, shillings and
pence I'm not more likely to do what he
wants because | don get so much out of
him. I'm not clerk. -
Il was thinking about your difficulties,
| suggested, ''and | wondered why you
didn start hopeless attachment and put
him off with that. Perhaps you didn't
consider such an event possible" ?"
''Oh! yes, | did, he said; ''I've
thought of that; but if l had an attach
ment, shouldn't ike it to be hopeless. -
You see, he went on, after pause,
Il We been thinking over things lot late
ly, and | see the guy nor point. 1t does
Mt do really for man to go on loafng
about always and thinking of nobody but
himself, and he may make an ass of him
self in such lot of ways.
But l thought you wanted to be
young?' | intepected.
SO | do. he answered, quite grayely;
but there is something in what the guy
nor says. Only haven had exactly
fair chance. | heard such lot about his
theory that when | met a girl | used to
think whether could possibly bring my
sely to marry her. don't believe that
was the right way to look at the thing.
If YOU mean the girl said, 81
think it was a very conceited way Of look
ing at her
1T wasn't really, he explained.
.'Onee, when was little boy, some one
offered to buy me anything liked that
cost FIVE pounds, and it took me month
to choose, and then | wasn't content with
it. But if I'd saved up FIVE pounds and
bought it, | should have been deliriously
pleased with it. Don't you see what |
mean
IN not sure that | do, | said.
If he d only let me 90 around without
saying anything, | might have met girl
and
Saved up aud bought her p l inter
rupted.
NO, no, he went on, with little
of annoyance; but don t you see, if I'd
met a girl and found out what good sort
she was. and then began TO wonder whether
she could possibly be ass enough to marry
me-well, then, you see, it would have
been quite different, wouldn' it 2
Quite different, said, with smile.
And if he hadn' thrust his confounded
theory down any throat, might have met
the girl and But no, | shouldn' t. "
II thought you said you would, re-
Piled.
No, Shouldn t, he said shortly
but let talk about something else now.
We changed the subject, and discussed
the old trout that lived in the big pool and
would not look at fly. He was the mon
ster patriarch Of the river, and suggested
the interesting topic Of the morality of
/ fishing with a minnow At that moment
the patriarch life was in some danger,
but eventually we agreed that, however
tempting he might be, we ought to treat
him as the willy old sportsman he was.
Time went on and my fortnight hastened
to its end The weather and the sport
varied One day was hateful windless
blank. and one was, of course, Sunday.
Now. Suuday-well, never mind, but | do
wonder what a really good person thinks
of Sunday if he is a fisherman. On the last
morning the dear southwest wind blew, and
I prepared for final slaughter Nothing
over a pound should 90 back then. was
at the river by 9, and by lunch-time there
were two heaps of fish lying under the net
ties Mr. Colquhoun was at our usuaI
trysting place already when reached it,
and he wore an overloaded lugubriOus look.
"Hullor' | exclaimed, whats the
matter now The rest of the allowance
gone?
saw a spasm cross his face, and | an
certain that he nearly said, Damn th,
allowance, but he pulled himself together
and merely remarked in a tone of chasteneC
melancholy:
Never mind the wretched allowance
Let have lunch
As we lunched | had to do all the prat
Ting. He refused to be reused, eharme'
| never so wisely, and afterward he sat il
silence for a while contemplating the rive
sadly.
This is your last day, isn't it?' h
said suddenly.
.'Yes, worse luck, answered.
Il have been an ass, he remarked
after another pause.
''What have you done this time ?
demanded
"Ohl nothing; nothing of any interes
to you, he replied mourntully.
You haven't really been and gone ant
married that milkmaid, - l asked.
No" he said absently, Il haven
married a milkmaid. =
.,Then what is it? | demanded.
Eve talked such a lot of rot to you,
he stammered.
dear me = I said, ''what made yol
realize that so suddenly
II suppose you remember it ALP he
added.
IT IN afraid that L We had the bad tast,
to forget most of it, said. There wa
another long pause, and then he began again
It's rummy what difference a weeI
can make Tve-Tve been thinking 10
/ of the last two or three days -