Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-08-13

~, YOU LINK me an aWIul young ass,
Sir Deans"
'I-ah-not yet" was the guarded re-
ply.
You're an old man. / am young
one Dick went on heedlessly.
"Ah-very young, I should say" said
Sir Deans, smiling at him.
Dick gulped down something that
seemed to rise in his throat "'In plain
English, I'm in love with Miss
Stephany," he announced gruffiy wait
minute. And try not to laugh. please.
I've loved her ever since / first set ewes
on her. And / am conceited enough to
believe that-in a woman's way-she-
she likes me, too.
DO you think it fair, sir, with your
advantages of wealth and position. to
try to cut me out with the girl, when
you know you don't really love her
yourself and | do
while it stands to reason she can't pos
sibly feel any genuine"
Pardon me-" interposed Sir Deans,
blinking rapidly. Il have no desire to
baulk your confidence. But surely you
must now agree with me that it is in
discreet to be so much in earnest after
dinner? Let me put it to you, as a
man of the world, that it would be wiser
for us to return to the ladies at once"
Il don't want to be wise; | want to
be happy" Dick answered miserably.
Sir, give me chance. Don't dazzle
Ella. She is only a child, really. Don't
lead her on to act unworthily, to behave
in way that she would be sure to re-
gret-regret bitterly, with tears-in the
future. I'm not rich, as you are [ can
not make her my lady as you can. But
God, how | love her!" And the boys
eyes filled with tears.
IF ya married her." continued Dick,
do you think either of you would be
happy? Wouldn't everybody know that
she had married you, not for yourself,
though she admires and respects YOU
immensely"-this was a shrewd thrust
but for the wealth, the establishment,
the name and position it is within your
power to confer on her? And don't YOU
think, when the glamor of possessing
all those advantages had faded away.
that she would feel Inundated and
ashamed? She might even get to hate
you, knowing that everybody knew why
she had become your wife and despised
her in consequence. Some women would
envy her, no doubt; but their envy would
be an added insult, because it would
rank her along with them. She would
grace your household-she could not give
| you her heart; and at last you would
grow to realize that you had ruined her
| life and, incidentally, mine,
too, not to speak of yours"
But | am not aware, sir" exclaimed
Sir Deans, chat you personally have
any sort of claim whatsoever upon my
consideration. You see, leave myself
out of the matter entirely-as you do
No, no." he added hastily, test
lily. II have heard enough-more than
enough. You assume too much, young
man." He put up a deprecatory hand
between them Not another word Let
us go back to the ladies'"
And then they walked slowly back.
"Ah-h | am tired" sighed Sir Deans,
as he sank into his old place beside Mrs
Stephany Il say, Havers, why don't
You take Miss Ella and show her that
waterfall? Most wonderful sight, with
all those colored lamps hung about it."
he remarked, addressing the dumbfound-
ed Mrs. Stephany. Ella rose slowly, re-
garding her lovers face obviously.
Then, as the Two young people wan
dered off together, Sir Deans turned to
Mrs. Stephany again with his rare
leharming smile wrinkling the crows
feet about his eyes.
| Tonight" said he, endeavoring by an
lunwonted tenderness of tone to soften
the asperity of her demeanor; tonight,
Amelia, have been indulging in per-
nicious habit that I thought / had COM
pletely discarded many years ago"
| "Indeed!' uuoth the ladV.
Il have been what is called
thinking things over" he ex-
planned.
"And, if / may say so, Sir Deans, you
have also made me think" she said soft
| ly, after pause.
when we were young together" he
said, I'VE were sometimes grateful for
a little kindly interference, were we
not?"
81 don't know what you mean,' she
said
II mean what / meant then" he re-
piled; lin those golden days when we
had dreams of future in common. |
think it was because Ella reminded me
so much of you that | thought / wanted
to marry her.
Mrs Stephany fingered the stuff of
her dress. 81 hardly follow you, even
now" she faltered.
But why" he whispered. drawing
closer to her; why should l seek to
possess a replica whilst here is the orig
linal? VIII you marry me, dear?'
For answer she slipped her soft, warm,
motherly hand into his dry, shrivelled
palm.
81 have often wondered why you
never thought of asking me, instead of
Ella" she confessed demurely Edwin
Pugh in Sketch.