The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-01-08

he would have to make love to mel
"Ah! he would do that" said Col.
onel Wright, with conviction. "He
would do that WE'LL"
II think 1 would rather be his
mother" said Lena.
''Nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs
Wright, incredulously.
II once saw him making love- be-
gan the colonel in tone somewhat
suggestive of long story.
Indeed" said Lena, indifferently
and she extended her hand toward
the morning paper.
YES" continued the colonel. ''It
was one of the funniest sights have
ever seen, and yet Mistley was as
grave as a judge. She was a Rus
sian; her complexion was of dull
yellow; she appeared to be ignorant
of the primary use of water, and she
| smoked very bad cigars. Added to
| that, she was somewhat older than
his mother!"
why did he do it?" asked Lena,
smiling. She was more interested
now in the little story, and had laid
aside her newspaper.
He wanted some information
which he knew her to possess"
'Are you sure you did not make
love to her, too?" asked Mrs. Wright,
with smile, which the old soldier
fully appreciated.
81 tried" was the candid reply,
"but could not get on at all. The
| best of it was that she half suspected
what \he was about; but she was so
| anxious to get some information out
of him, that she encouraged his love-
making. In fact, it was game of
cross-purposes.
"And who won?" asked Lena.
"Oh, he did," replied the colonel;
and he returned to his toast as if
there could only have been one an
swer to that question.
Presently, after some moments
spent in deep thought, Lena looked
| up with a twinkle of merriment how
ering in her eyes.
81 think, papa" she said. that ne
will do very we'll for the par we
wish him to take. Your description
of him sounds dark and mysterious,
and that is what we want"
Excuse me, little one. / never
said he was dark and mysterious. AS
it happens, he is rather fair and the
very reverse of mysterious, for he
is open and almost boyish; though,
| sodood I;c xoop1or oh q pooc ca rouch
and so suddenly that it is nearly i'm
possible to say when he is in earnest
or in fun. Generally the latter,
| think"
Because" continued the girl, cit
is villains part-a very nice villain,
thought"
'The part he takes in life is that
of the light comedian, think" said
the colonel, thoughtfully stirring his
coffee. "He usually plays the light
comedian to my heavy schemer, if I
may put it thus; but then it is only
| because he has found it convenient
to do so. People consider him a
frivolous, light-hearted boy, and he
is content that they should do So;
| but / know him to be different. The
| fellow is born organizer, foreseeing
everything, ready for every emergen-
cy, which he meets With that imper-
turbable smile of his, as If he were
enjoying himself immensely"
81 am rather afraid of this para
gon," said Mrs. Wright, rising from
the table.
"My dear" replied the colonel,
who was occupied in selecting Gig
arctic from very polished leather
case, eff it were not for this paragon,
should very probably not be sitting
here now. You must not let my
praises prejudice you against him, as
praise is very apt to do. VINEYARD
Mistley is a clever fellow, and what
is better still, he is sincere. He does
his work well, and he does it because
he loves it. 1t is such men as he
who get on in the world-provided
they do not marry"
why should the poor man not
marry, papa?'' asked Lena, who was
busy with some flowers at a side
table.
Simply because marriage would
completely spoil HIS career. You see,
a man cannot go roaming about in
disguise in the heart of Central Asia,
when he has young wife fretting
her life away at home"
Lena looked around, and then
turned again to her flowers, which
she continued to arrange thoughtful
ly for some moments.
Il know, said Lena, partly to her
self and partly to her mother, when
the colonel had left the room-"I
know I shall be disappointed in him. I"
Mrs. Wright said nothing. She
was standing near the window with
tie newspaper in her hand; but she
was looking over it into the sunlit
street. She was thinking of the lives
of two women who had married sol
diers- lives that had not been quite
success-lives made up of weary
waiting and anxious watching; and
running through these thoughts was
a vague desire that this visit to
Broomhaugh might yet be avoided.
CHAPTER VII.