Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-30
CHAPTER XIV.
Business Only.


Next morning Hughie made Miss Joan
Gaymer q proposal of marriage.
It was not an impressive effort-very
| few proposals are. But performance
Of this kind may miss the mark as q
spectacle and yet. by the Indulgence OF
the principal spectator, achieve its end.
Even thus Hughie failed, and for various
reasons.
In the first place. he proposed directly
after breakfast. which. as Joey pathet-
ically observed to Mrs. Leroy long after
ward, was just the sort Of brutal thing
he would do. A woman. especially If she
be young likes to- be won, or at any rate
| wooed, In a certain style. A secluded
spot, subdued light, mayhap moon; II
possible. distant music-all these things
| tell. If Hughe had paid a little more at
tention to stage effects Of this kind he
might have found his ward more amena-
| BILE. Being Marrable he brushed aside
these trappings and came straight to what
he fondly imagined was the point, little
| and cOurtship make up one great and
glorious vista, filing the eye and occupy
| ing the entire landscape, while marriage
is a small black cloud on the distant
horizon.
| His actual method Of procedure was to
sit heavily down beside his ward as she
| enjoyed the morning sun in a corner OF
| the lawn, and say:
Joey, I want to talk to you-on busi-
ness"
"All right. warder.' replied Miss Gay
mer. meekly: fire away"
II suppose you know" said Hughie. a
little dashed. that all your affairs have
been left in my hands?"
| II do, worse luck!'' said Miss Gaymer.
frankly. And that reminds me, Hughie,
dear, I should like tritie on account.
You won't refuse poor Joey, will you?"
She squeezed her guardians arm in a
manner which a Frenchman would have
described as tres caline.
II think had better put you on an al
tlowance," said Hughie.
| Joan's eyes danced
"Oh. you ripper! How much?''
Cant say replied Hughie. until I've
been up to town and seen the bankers"
| when are you going?'
| "Tomorrow-thats why I wanted to talk
to you today. You see. your money Is in
two parts. so to speak. One lot is tied
up in such q way that it can't be touched
until poor Uncle Jimmy's death is actual
| ly proved"
I. Joan's blue-gray eyes were troubled.
"Hughie," she said. lis there any hope?
I still like to think So
| Hughie shook his head. mot much"
he said. I'm fact. none 1t is known
that he went with that crack-brained ex-
petition Of Hymack's up the Congo-to
study the rubber question on the spot
and the last letter he sent home said that
he was suffering from blackwater fever,
and it is also known that the expedition
came back without him. And-all that
was two years ago, joey.
| Joan nodded her head submissively.
| Poor Uncle Jimmy she said, softly.
still" continued Hughie stoutly, you
never know. l have sent a man out to
make inquiries, and II he fails perhaps
shall go myself. But until We learn
something definite the will can't be
4 ho of me f1 n
structions what to do in case he did not
come back. 30 l must carry them out.
There is plenty for you to go on with. /
shall run up to town tomorrow. and when
1 come back I'll let you know how much
it is. and how much year / can allow
you
Miss Gaymer clasped her hands and
sighed happily.
| I'VE will have time, Hughie! she
said. "I'll stand treat"
Thank YOU" said Hughie, gravely.
There was long silence. Hughie. sud-
denly i'll at ease-he had arrived at part
Gus attempts to roll cigarette His
| ward sat with rapt expression in her
| widely opened eyes. mentally visualizing
| a series Of charitable enterprises Cranging
| from turquoise pendant Tor Mildred Lee
roy to a new cap for the cook made
feasible by the sudden prospect OF wealth
Presently Hughie cleared his throat In
q heart-rending manner. and said, In
what he afterward admitted to himself
was entirely the wrong sort OF voice:
Joey, I think you and l had better
marry one another.
Miss Gaymer. who was more used to
this sort of thing than her companion,
turned and eyed him calmly.
And why?" she asked.
There was only one possible answer to
this question, and Hughie should have
given 1t with the full strength of his
heart and soul and body. But-well re-
serve Is a curious and paralyzing thing.
All he said was:
Il think it would be very suitable: don't
your
For you or for me?" inquired Miss
Gaymer.
FOR both Of u.s." replied Hushie. No