The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-08-26
he AZ. and lp,elllsepesr
BEL AIR, ND, AUG. 2e, 1904.

BEL AIR, Nd, AUG. 26. 1904.
sweet Miss I'ruc. And just as he kiss
ed her who should come i'll to them
but Mr. Byrau. the rich distant cousin,
who had been for three weeks 1t guest
at Fairlaw.
Mr.. Byram had come there exploring.
He felt the need of Il wife rather than
the want of one. BcSS. who was tall
and twenty and the very moral of gra-
ciOuS StatelineSS when she chose TO LIE,
had captivatcL him out of hand. He
would have proposed To her the second
day of his visit. never doubling what
answer she would make. but that his
sense of propricty forbade. Besides, 1t
would not do to dazzle her too sudden
ly. He must let the great prospects
break gently upon her as dawn broke
over the world SO lie had been nobly
impartial in his drvOirS. SO much 50 he
had twingeS of conscience whenever he
thought of Prue. She WAS hardly more
than schoolgirl, to be sure. but quite
mature enough to break her heart over
loss of him if she once let herself Seri
ously believe she had Il chance OF being
Mrs. Byram.
OF Tom Rodman lie had taken no
more account than to set him down as
an impcrGnent puppy. with Il knacE of
coming in at all hours. especially when
Mr.. Eyran least expected or wanted
him. To discover him kissing BeSs in
the face of everybody made Benjamin
the Blatant simply furious. All the
more furious that Jenny cried out
glcpfnlly: Mister Byran. Mister BY
ram. Come help me hold en-! They
tried to skecr me. n"nt I'm bcatin' 'eEl
ut their own game
Let loose. you little varmint! Shut
up" Tom commanded. Prue made Il
dash at the tanglc and deity untwineu
Jcmmy's fingers. letting Bess escape.
Mr. Byram stood speechless in wrath
and amaZcment until Amelia. siding
up to him. slid her hand within his and
said. with the least loss OF the head:
They amt hchavin' ugly. Mister Tom
will be Aunty BeSS' nephew when he
marries me. and the Fairies always
kiss their kinfolk, if they Amt too far
off and great big Stuffs into the bar
gain. Prue and -Nunty BeSs said so
the first night you came"
Indeed" Mr. Byram exploded.
with my coming, | suppose. for
text. Well, young ladies, l see in all this
the hand of Providence. \ just and
ever watchful God would not permit
me to fall victim to your mercenary
by my wealth and position, although
you are so wholly incapable of appre>
ciating Il man of my character
Kindly come outside with me be-
fore you say any more" Tom Rodman
interrupted, setting Jenny down with
u thump and putting himself in front
of Bess, who had grown very white
and had eyes of scOrching flame. Prue.
contrarywisc, had flushed so scarlet it
hid all her frecklcs. Tom reached Il
hand to her and drew her toward him,
while he went on steadily: Your talk
needs a man to hear and answer it.
I'm that man. Bcss and Prue have no
brother, and Mr.. Fairlie is past fighting
age. But pruc belongs to me, and that
gives me the right to stand up for 'en.
So you come along. Well settle this
the minute we strike the turnpike and
neutral ground
Hush. Tom! Remember he's our
guest Bess pleaded. Prue gave her
sweetheart rOguish and heavenly
smile. Amelia looked fit to cry over
the topping of her air castle, but Jem-
my turned handspring by way of
showing his joy in the "mclley." AS
he came up standing, he stepped in
front of Byram, swelled out his chest
and said stoutly:
Don't you try 10 crawfiSh games!
You know you wanted to marry Aunty
BcSS. You told me so and said l must
court her for You. | amt very big,
but If you try to go back on her I'll let
you know l can shoot my little gun,
and that's more than you can do. We
won't have IL regular duel, like grand
pa tells about. Let's try buttin'
match instead and if butt you over.
like David did Goliath, you'll propose
to Aunty BcSS same aS,ever and GIN
me that Shetland you've been talkin'
so much about
Ladies' and gentlemen. goodby," Mr..
Byram began in his most ceremonious
voice. lie got no further. Jenny
went ut him like Il catapult and bowlcd
him down and out of the door, only
stopping when his enemy lay PROSTATE
upon the hall threshold. There the
SrownuIS came to the rescue and so
managed it that Mr.. Byram went Off
an hour later. somewhat bruised in his
person and self esteem, but as to his
outer man whole and speckleSs. When
the carriage rolled away with him Tom
Rodman drew Il long breath and said
as he tossed Il foreign letter to Bcss:
Your sweetheart is coming home by
the next steamer. Had cable this
morning. You see, have been writing
him things. He will agree with me
and the late Byram that in all this
there is Enthusiastically the hand of
Providence"