The Press., 1914-03-11
Mrs. Meriiweather
By SADIE oLCOTT

A young man about twenty five gears old, his dress smacking of the kind worn by gentlemen in London, entered the gateway of a country residence, went up to the front door and rang the bell. His summons was answered by a maid. who took his l card on a .salver and ushered him into a drawing room. Presently a | young woman several years his junior, l ih plain apparel, came down the broad, winding staircase and advanced to re- ceive him.
 "I have called" he said, "as neigh bor. own the property adjoining this and have learned that Mrs. Meri- weather during my sojourn abroad has bought this property, and I would like to welcome her into the neigh borhood. Is she at homeY | Now, the properties of Mrs. Meri- weather and her caller, MT. Hinchel- wood, had originally been one tract of 1 land. A lawsuit had arisen between | Mr. Hinchelwood's father and Mrs. Meriweathers uncle involving the title to Mrs. Meriweather's part of the estate, which had become so for midable that it threatened to swamp both sections under load of court costs and lawyers fees. Finally the | two lawyers representing the Meri- | weather and the Hinchelwood inter ests got together, and after confer ence 1t was intimated to Mrs. Meri- weather. a widow, and Mir. Hinchel- wood, a bachelor. that if match could be made between them it would make two defective titles perfect. end litigation and save two valuable prop critics.
 HincbelwoOd. who had been sent to England to be educated and had re- mained there ever since. concluded to come home and look into the mat ter. He arrived when his attorney happened to be out of town and. with out waiting to learn anything of, the widow and other features pertaining to the case, resolved to make a neigh bOrly call with a view to informing himself.
 ''She is indisposed this morning." the girl finally replied. "I shall tell her of the object of your call, and I am sure she will appreciate your motive. Won't you be seated?" she added, since the gentleman remained standing.
 Thank you: a few minutes. Will you convey to Mrs. Meriweather my regrets at not seeing her and tell her that it will give me pleasure to call another time.'
 Mrs. Meriweather would be disap- pointed if you did not" was the reply
 ''Is Mrs. riweather-eh-a-an cid erly lady?"
 ''She Is not young"
 "Um. She has been described to me as remarkably fine woman a
 This was for pumping purposes. The lady had not been described to him at all. .,4
 ''She has friends was the senten- tiOus reply.
 "That is true of all of us'' Quite so."
 :T'm very ignorant" MT. Hinche- wood proceeded in this unanimated dialogue, "Of everything that has beef going on about here. I haven't been here for a matter of ten years
 That's long. while for one to be away from home" Now, it must not be inferred because the two confined themselves to these commonplace remarks that they were bored with each other. MT. Hinchel- wood gathered from the young wo mans quiet though impressive de meanOr that she was a person of char acter. and. though he smacked of Rot ten row and Piccadilly, she gathered that he was n0b0dYs fool. After some ten or fifteen minutes of these prelim- inaries they fell to chatting about places abroad, and the lady showed herself as familiar with them as the man. The ice at last broken. they enjoyed a chat which Mr. Hinchel wood was surprised to notice by his watch after leaving had occupied more than an hour. He would have liked to ask the lady's position in the house hold. but was too well bred to do so.
 Later a meeting was arranged be- tween Mir Hinchelwood and Mrs. Meriweather to occur in the office of her attorney. ostensibly with a view to making some mutual concessions that would better the situation as to their properties. But the real object was, and was so understood by both parties. to give them an opportunity to have look at each other to deter mine whether the difficulties might not be overcome by union of interests bv marriage. af
 MT. Hinchelwood, remembering the few words he had heard about Mrs Nleriweather from the person who had received him at her house. was indif- ferent. but consented to the meeting When he was confronted by the yonng woman he had met before he supposed she had come to represent her princi pal. When he was introduced toaher as Mrs. Meriweather he stood gaping at her
 "You are Mrs. MeriweatherP"t he asked
 lam" .-....-
 You told mel
 "No falsehoods. said Mrs. Meri weather was at home. but indisposed was not feeling very well that morn ing"
 There was lot of legal talk between the lawyers that did not bring any re suit. MT. Hinchelwood made another call on the widow. and another and another Finally the lawsuit was end ed and the two properties made one by the marriage of the owners
 An Old Idea.
 Macaulay was not the first man to