The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-30

accepted engagements I have made for
him, and these usually include Mrs.
Lacquerre and her daughter Frances.
This was after Uncle Silas remarked,
Dear sister Sally'-meaning my aunt
lis a bit persistent in mulling the
subject of your marriage to her daugh-
ter to be entirely entertaining to
man somewhat inclined to null the
subject of his own marriage"
What" 1 exclaimed, laughing at the
absurd thought. ''Are you seriously
thinking of marriage, Uncle Silas ?''
why not Master Impertinence?" he
responded. "The reason I'm not mar
ried is because I've not had time to
commit matrimony. I've been too busy
making my own fortune and increasing
yours to give the hour I suppose one
should devote to the choice Of a wife
or finding girl who'll have him. I be-
ieve l could take an hour off for the
purpose-if / got up uncommonly early
one day.
Il have often thought of your marry
ing Mrs. Lacquerre, Uncle Silas,
said to him. ''and with pleasure, for
she has been such a good friend or
mine: but, really, it will be cruel turn
to deprive me of my best ehum-
Couldn't you find some one else who
would suit you as well?"
HE replied, looking at me whirn-
siealIy: ''That is the most selfish
speech I ever heard. Here are you,
making suit to the daughter, yet you
want also to retain the mother as
friend-an unmarried friend! How
ever, if you seriously object to my mar
rying Mrs. Lacquerre, and depriving
you thus of your chief adviser, promo
ter, chum and guide, / will look around
this little old island of Manhattan to
see what else offers. You promise not
to object to my second choice, whoever
she may be?"
I responded in the same half-serious
vein that l would urge no further OBJ
lection, but that could not, with for
titude. think of Mrs. Lacquerre marry
ing.
In truth, such was the fact. Although
1 am still decorously pursuing my suit
for the hand of Miss F'rances-with no
more success than at f1rst-it is with
her mother I find myself more often
thrown in cempanionShip- Ii we make
a partie carree Mrs. and Miss Lac
querre. Uncle Silas and |, for the thea
ter, opera, dinner, or for some OF the
many private society events with which
the season is rapidly filling, it is with
madame, rather than la file, am dis
posed to pair at table, in strollS, IN the
box, wherever. 1t is not agreeable to
be intimately associated during an en-
tire evening with a young lady who,
during the afternoon, without heat or
passion, but with persistent ealmness,
has repeated a refusal to marry you.
So, perforce. Uncle Silas is thrown
with Miss LacQuerre. She does not
seem to be bored with his company,
but. so peculiar a girl she is, She Is genu-
inely interested in his accounts of Wall
street activities, of his moves on the
chess board of haute finance. So mad
anne and I are left to our own resources
and interests.
But here am I, my dear professor,
writing to you, although my groom in
formed me some time ago that my
saddle horse was at the door, and l
must be off on promised eanter
through the park with Mrs. Laequerre.
Miss Lacquerre will not accompany US,
as she has promised to lunch with I'm
Gle Silas in the city, and, afterward at
tend with him meeting of bankers,
whereat he is to make an address. My
engagement calls. so 1 shall postpone
the conclusion of this letter until
later hour.
1t is a later day instead Of a later
hour but 1 assure you that my time
has been so filed with matters Of the
greatest Importance that no thought of
letter writing has been possible. And,
as you shall see, the affairs which have
occupied my time were of singular
ly distracting nature. I spoke of the
canter through the park. When it was
over Mrs. Iacquerre graciously said
might lunch with her and entertain her
until the return of her daughter from
her engagement with Uncle Silas.
experienced lively pleasure from the
prospect of an uninterrupted afternoon
with the lady. Her society is most
congenial to me, and had come to be-
Iieve that mine was not distasteful to
her. I confess that.I entertained this
belief humbly, not with the vanity
with which I once held as to the de-