Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-05-28
en- . doubt In her mind that sh. 1. no,


brought the tears to his wife's eyes in this
wise.
But am wandering far away from the
mistress of Glinn, still musing on her
unwelcome task. Like her. | am 10th TO
begin, though the miserable story must be
told, for the furtlierance of this narrative.
1t is stealing the bloom off the girlhood
of such a maiden as Maude when you first
break to her that she is put up to auc
tion as veritably as if she stood in the
Constantinople slave market. The Turk
has suppressed it; but in the West the
trade goes on merrily, and Lord Penzance
finds it quite as much as he can do to
rectify the mistakes that occur from ig-
noring natural feeling in the contract
matrimonial.
"AIaude, dear" at last observes Mrs
Denison, whom did you like best of all
your partners at the minister ball?"
Like bestv' and Maude's great grey
eyes opened wide as she uncoied herself
from the sofa upon which she lounged,
intent on the latest novel Nude had fur
nished. What makes you ask that,
mother?"
'Never mind Tell me-"
"Well, | don't know L never thought
about it. Gus Brisden was nice, and
Charlie Tolamache-he' a dragoon of
some kind, you know-he was great fun,
and valsed very well. Then there was
Mr.. Handley, not very young, but l got
on very well with him. | think, though,
| liked dancing with Gren best; he can
valse-and then we had such laughing
over other people but he got sulky to-
wards the finish, I'm sure | don't know
why. I'm very fond of Gren, you know,
mother, but he bullies me and can be
very nasty at times, and the finish of
that ball happened to be one of those
times. l don't know why continued the
girl, meditatively, unless it was my dane
ing with that Mr.. Pearman; what could
that matter to him"
"And did you and Gren part on bad
terms?"
"No; 1 came down and gave him his
coffee before he went away, and he
kissed me-and so we parted friends
| think, had | been Grenvlle Rose,
should have preferred Maude being a lit
tie more reticent about the kiss. Still,
the slight hesitation in her speech, the
slight flush that crossed her cheek as she
alluded to it, were favorable signs to an
astute observer. He had kissed her as
his cousin all his life-why should the
recollection make her blush and hesitate
now? Young people situated in this way
may like each other for years; the ex-
plosion of some aesthetic force suddenly
awakes love. More often than not the
train is lit through the precautions taken
to prevent it. The doctrine of separation
is in high favor among chaperones, but
they often forget that when using it
with view to contrary result.
"But you don't say anything about
Mr.. Pearman, Maude did you like him?"
well, he was pleasant and amusing
enough. l only had one quadrille with
him, you know. But Gren scolded so
about my dancing with him at all and
said he wasn't FORM or bad form, or
something or other-meaning, in short,
that l ought not to have stood up with
him. If he wasn't fit to be danced with,
mother why did they introduce him to
me-" and Maude raised her pretty eye
brows, as if she had propounded a regu-
lar poser.
II see no reason in the world. He is
not one Of the old county families, but
his father is very rich, and he will take
his place, ere many years are over, in
the county. 1t depends, of course, a good
deal upon how he marries. Suppose he
fancied you, now, Maude-we are very
poor, you know-what would you say to
itT
81 Mother, dear, what makes you ask
such a question? I'm sure l don't know.
Glinn is happy home enough for me at
present. But don't think, if l did mar
ry, | should like there to be any doubt
about my husband being gentleman and
they-that is, l mean Gren-didn't seem
to think he was"
"Gren, my DEAR is prejudced Young
Mr.. Pearman has had an university edu-
cation, and though his father was a no.
body. he mixes, I'm told, with all the best
people round
"Well, it don't much matter I'm never
likely to be called on to decide. l think
I'd rather not, if it was so. But you
don't mean to say mother, you are try
ing to fit me with a husband out of my
ball partners! Oh, you scandalous
matchmaking mamma !'-and Maude
laughed merrily.
But suppose l was, whom would you
choose?
"Oh, dear, none of them. If it came
to the worst, l should say l was engaged
to Gren."
"My dear Maude !"
No; dear Maude never had the chance
yet; he never asked her, and l don't
think it at all likely he ever will But
tell you what, mother, if really was in
such quandary, l think l should ask
him. could tell him afterwards, you
know, it was only to get myself out Of a
scrape, and Gren's been doing that for
me always"
"Stop, Maude, and listen seriously to