The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-12-15

her chair, looking straight before
her, with couple of her fingers
pressed tightly to her lips, as though
for fear they should open of their
own accord and say something to be
afterward regretted. After moment
or two she seemed to have found
what she considered an appropriate
comment. "It says in the Scrip
cher" she began
'It ses in the Scripcher," inter-
rupted Henry, ''that it amt good for
a man to be alone.'
'You amt alone" faltered Jane.
I'm ere, amt L? Their amt a
'ome nowhere that's been looked
after like this as. IT isn't as if you
was a young man, 'Enry. You're
forty-four an eight months come the
twenty-6rst, an that amt no time of
life to charge all your old ways, an
go gettin' married. I see in the
Scripcher, Rejoice with the wife of
thy youth, which is as much as to
say that if you don't get married
when you're young, you'd better by
'alf keep single for the rest of your
days. And it isn't as if you were
going to marry sober, middle-aged
party, either. O. I've 'eard all
about your Florrie Bates. Been
a-talkin' about it all over the village,
so they ave, an you old enough to
be the gals father. can tell you
straight out 'Enry-"
Henry, who had been growing
more and more fidgety as the dis
course proceeded, came to the boil
ing point at last. Springing to his
feet and kicking the chair away, pet
ulantly, he said:
"That's quite enough, Jane. I
know what I'm about, an I've got
something better to do than sit ERE
an be jawed at. I'm goin' down to
the shop, an at tea time I'm goin' to
bring Florrie down ere. You've got
nothin' to worry about. You'll be
looked after all right"
Looked after p echoed Jane.
"What dye mean?"
"'Ang it all p said Henry, ''you
can't expect to stay an keep 'ouse
for me when I'm married. 1t amt
likely Mrs. B. would put up with
that. But don't you worry about it.
You'll be looked after all right"
And then Henry, apprehensive of a
stormy turn in the conversation that
he lacked the courage to face, snatch
ed up his hat and went out.
At four o'clock Henry, with Miss
Bates on his arm, came proudly down
the road. After the little breeze of
the morning, Henry was rather
glad to think that he would not have
to face James wrath alone. For him
self, he could see no reason why Jane
should not remain in the old home
with them, but Miss Bates secuted
the notion. "It was not" she said
with snperh hauteur. "her idea of
being mistress in her own house. "
And Henry, carried away by his in
fatuation, argued that Miss Bates
must be right, and any reluctance on
the part of Jane to concur in the ar
rangement would be unreasonable
and unseemly. Miss Bates had cheer
fully volunteered to relieve Henry Of
the painful duty of making James
position clear to her, and there was
every promise that the clearness
would not be under-accentuated. It
was agreed between herself and
Henry. however, that he should
throw in a remark from time to time
in order to make the statement of the
case more convincing and more COM
pletely authoritative.
Henry rang the bell, and Jane
opened the street door. AS an actual
matter of fact, Jane had anxiously
watched the approach of the couple
from her position behind the window
curtain in the drawing-room but her
dignity demanded that she should
wait for the bell to ring. Henry was
all smiles. Miss Bates, pretty girl,
with sparkling eyes and dimpled
cheeks, was frigidity itself. Jane
noticed that she had kid gloves on.
Four buttons, too. Jane had always
regarded cotton gloves as the correct
wear for sober minded and God-fear-
ing young women. There was also
a dainty rustic about Miss Bates as
she walked into the drawing room.
This, of course, cannot be explained
except by the remark that Jane made
to herself as she heard the rustling.
"Silk, I'll be bound !" she said.
At the tea table there was an awk-
ward silence for some time, broken
only by Miss Bates admonition tc
Henry that he mustn't pour his tea
out into his saucer, as it wasn't man.
ners, and her explanation to Jane
that she would eat her cake without
taking off her gloves, as you didn't
take off your gloves nowadays IN
good society. Jane scowled, but
Henry smilingly nodded his approval
In his minds eye he could see him
self already mixing with the peerage
on terms of pleasing equality. Foi
the greater part of the time, Miss
Bates looked searchingly round the
room at the oldfashioned furniture
and decorations, while Jane followed
her every glance as if prepared to de-
fend the house from any and all out
side criticism. Finally, Miss Bate:
spoke, and at her words Jane sal
back in her chair and pressed hei
two fingers on her lips as a measure
of prudence.
IT don't think much of the way
the furniture's arranged, Miss Bid
DOCK" she said, with superior cur
of the lip. 81 should ave put thos'
two vases on the mantelshelf, and
wonder you don't tie few bits o
ribbon on the chairs to make 'en
look stylish. It's quite the rage il
society now. I should ave tina
grandfather's clock so close to thu