The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-03

| ask MIN WudL uS HICStiI W oioSS-HS
him away from the Gay City With
such peremptory wire.
First of all, old chap, about that
American heiress whom we have seen
darkly limited at in various papers!
"A mere figment Of the fertile
journalistic imagination! hope 10
heaven you haven't dragged me all
this way merely to hear me deny
such an obvious duck as that"
"Not exactly! The next question
is-what about Una Carew?"
My dear Reggie, after her fathers
death she went away somewhere as
a soverness. But all my efforts to
trace her have failed!'
And you are STILL
You Internal idiot. OF course,
am still-as you gracefully put it,
Only, as you know, she refused me-!
"All right. Supposing could tell
you where she ISL
You don't really mean it, Reg
gie!"
well, look here. You know the
Mandeville-Jones lot?'
''I've heard of them
every we'll. That's where Una
Carew is doing the Jane Eyre turn!
And the 'Balmy Bounder' himself is
trying to introduce a little sunshine
into her eyistence!"
| -
The next day when Lord Langley
called in Berkeley square and asked
to see Miss Carew. the pompous but
Ter informed him that she was walk
ing in Hyde Park with Miss Irene.
He jumped into hanson and
dashed off to see if he could find
her there, but not before his card had
been secured by the butler, who in
due course laid it before Mrs. Jones.
Now it. so happened that friend OF
the latter lady caught sight of Irene
in the park, and bore her off to tea,
leaving Una Carew with the after
noon to herself.
By singular coincidence Mr..
BERTHE Jones happened to come upon
her in a solitary portion of the park
and seized the opportunity of being
more than usually pressing in his at
tentions. Things had actually got to
| the stage when Una had begun to
raise her voice in alarm, when Mr..
Bertie Jones suddenly found himself
seated in a freshly watered flower
bed, while a particularly athletic
looking young gentleman tucked
Una's trembling arm in his and
marched her off in another direction.
The next morning, however, Lord
Langley, in spite of the protests or
the butler, insisted on seeing Miss
Carew. He then proceeded, as elo-
auently as he knew how, to plead his
suit.
But Una was still firm in her re-
fusal, being convinced that it would
ruin his prospects in the eyes of his
father.
Lord Langley was just beginning
to wonder whether by any chance
she cared for some one else, when the
door was thrown open and the but
Ter announced:
'The Earl of Chedgrave!"
"Una, my dear" he began, chow
dye do? Come and kiss me! Lang
ley, you Internal young soundrel,
what are you doing here, sir? What's
that? Do I understand you to say
that you are making an offer of mar
riage to Miss Carew? You dare to
tell me that to my very race?"
"But, father, she has refused mel
Refused you? Then, by CAD, sir,
she is a sensible girl! She evidently
knows you are a worthless young
fool, or you would have proposed to
her a year ago."
But 1 did, sir; and she refused
me then, too!'
Better and better! Hanged if
don't marry the girl myself! Una.
my dear, will you marry me-
Poor Una was thoroughly puzzled
by this new aspect of the old man,
but he went briskly on:
"Now, look here, my dear, you
have got to choose between the old
fool and the young fool. Which will
YOU have? Don't mind saying that
you prefer to have me as father-in-
law, if that's how you feel about it.
Langley, you idiot, why don't you
kiss the girl, while do the heavy
father in the background?
When this had been duly carried
out, Langley, vino was still lost in
! astonishment, remarked, But
thought, SIR, you always said !. must
marry an heiress?"
so I did. Because I knew what
an internally obstinate young fool
you were! But l meant you all along
TO marry Una! So now it is all set
tled!"
At this point the door was again
thro-'n open, and this time Mrs.
Mandeville-Jones stalked in and at
once began:
"Mr. dear Lord Chedgrave-"
Pardon me, madam, for interrupt
ing you." said his lordship, who was
now fairly bubbling over with ex-
element "You we're good enough
to write me about my sons move
ments. Allow me to say that my son
is quite capable Of taking care Of
himself And in the future he will
have the assistance o. the lady to
| whom hitherto Won have entrusted