Show WHICH TOOK HIM mrs vincent widowed and wealthy looked haughty and fierce it was 3 in the afternoon and the ann took the liberty to intrude through the window into the library furnished in purple leather and walled with books which had had a pretty complete rest for the ten years that the late vincent had been in hia grave mrs vincent sat and glared her dark prominent and wrathfully astonished eyes had for their target a young man in whose bearing appeared a singular mixture of deference and defiance he on his part saw before him alady under fifty but not far the lips were yet full and red and her figure though ample still retained agreeable lines if her hair was white the black eyebrows held their color and emphasized the air of command to which the roman con ecru of the nose most contributed well I 1 beverl she cried slapping down a pack of cards on the table the man smiled slightly A young man with curly brown hair cheerful blue eyes untwisted up twisted mustache and a firm chin a fresh alert compact healthy young man whose loose elegant costume proved that he understood how to achieve that careless grace which so charms women an intelligent young man with cynical confidence in his smile he stood just the sort of young man who should not be what ha was secretary to a mature california street widow of spotless reputation and largo means well I 1 beverl the lady exclaimed the young man spoke resolutely no mrs vincent I 1 shall play piquet with you no more piquet is a good enough game and I 1 am not averse to it in reason but I 1 object to piquet in the forenoon in the afternoon and in the evening six days in the week I 1 confess im tired of piquet in that case and because of your insolence said mrs vincent with cold deliberation you may consider yourself discharged mr middles very well maam an he fumed mr Midd lesl he halted his hand on the portiere and faced about she placed her glasses on her modified roman nose viewed him and toying with the cards inquired would an increase of salary bo any inducement sir no then gol he bowed and disappeared her hand sought the bell jeames in livery both imported from london responded spon ded hoggins mr middles is in the hall say to him that I 1 wish to see him the secretary returned overcoat on arm hat in hand mrs vincent threw herself back in her chair and clasping her plump white hands above her head said in the conciliatory cili atory tone of the negotiator mr middles let us not act hastily I 1 acknowledge that I 1 cannot well spare you nest to myself you are the best piquet player this side of new york know it mrs vincent indeed I 1 play better than yon you do hotl 1 I do his frozen calmness cowed her there was feeling in her words that followed yon loved my husband did you not edid idid he was a father to me iowa my education to him and and all that yott are which is vincent ho waa your benefactor and you loved him yet you refuse so little a thing as to play piquet with your benefactors widow 1 I do gratitude has its limits evidently you will not humor an old comans womans weal mess and lighten the burden of her loneliness 1 I will not besides it is not a weakness but a disease this insanity for piquet moreover you are not old on the contrary mrs vincent yon are still a charming woman and by withdrawing yourself from the world and giving yourself over to cards you wrong yourself than that you fail in your auty to your daughter who has the life of a nun that is nothing to you sirl true Agai nhe moved toward the door will nothing asked the lady ir alarm induce yon to sit down to a game with me just one that yon would give mrs vincent pooh I 1 you know very well that give anything you ask 1 cant do without you what is it you want yourself eh you mean that neither as secretary nor friend shall I 1 play piquet with yon again As your hu win god bless my youir to no woman unburied can an offer be either long surprising or disagreeable it was with warmed cheeks and softened Boft ened eyes that the widow said do I 1 understand that that yon yon love me ernst mr middles but averted hia glance 1 she sighed ana murmured ah I 1 am rich Preda elyMra vincentt yow an rich you love to play piquet and I 1 am the best player on the pacific coast if you will marry me I 1 will play if not not well under the circumstances I 1 do not see that more can rationally be said cut tho cards j eighteen golden haired slim supple adorable adele vincent flashed her scornful eyes on the visage of mr middles who undisturbed sat at ease in the conservatory mrs vincent played solitaire in the adjoining library awaiting her affianced and piquet why mamma is old enough to be your mother ernst middles 1 I know it your motive in maeng this monstrous engagement must be purely mercenary strictly and you feel no shame in making the admission i none faugal Faug hl thanks for what for so well expressing my feelings she sank upon a lounge her pretty feet crossed covered her face with her little hands and her lovely young body was shaken with sobs dont cry said mr middles 1 I cant help it oh it is infamous I 1 yes still myself congratulate fl enthusiastically I 1 have neither the brains nor energy to conquer a fortune therefore I 1 marry one you can descend to that 1 I rejoice to find that I 1 can I 1 am not the fool that I 1 might be many men quarrel with their luck I 1 discover that I 1 am too wise for such folly compose yourself my dear adele ill bo a father to you A father you are but eight years older than L oh ernst consider yon have been a son to mamma and a brother to me we have grown from childhood together papa loved you dont I 1 beg of you dont make us all loesl my word is given adelo As a gentleman I 1 must keep it A gentleman indeed 1 thought you a man with a mans courage a mans honor oh calm yourself calm fl you put me to humiliation milia tion and sell yourself and your talents for the prizes that talent gives years of conflict to win I 1 get the prizes without the conflict the brave young man who was to face the world and achieve 1 I have outgrown tho illusions of youth adele and you will marry a woman ia whose crazed sight your chief merit is your skill at piquet you have said it at least you have the decency not to pretend that you love mamma love is a luxury and luxury is not for the poor no I 1 do not love your mother I 1 love you me 1 I have for years you you never never told you why should I 1 would you share poverty with me adele would I 1 loving you permit yon you speak of my talents I 1 have tried to use them they do not exist and you yes with my whole heart and love god it is not in me to express how tin very glad to hear it said mrs vincent wholly opening the library door mammal y one word ernst middles would you ai adeles husband and provided for play piquet with me with pleasure better marry him adele my child oh mammal after what haa happened come mr middles the cards are waiting but tm neither your husband nor your son in law mrs vincent so adele make up your mind yea or no evidently it must be one or the other of us now mr middles piquet it you please j not until after the ceremony madam arthur mcewen in argonaut arrangements will be made in washington for the assembling of the pan american congress in this country nest year the congress will have one delegate to its senate lor each of people giving the united states about twelve senatorial representatives it is believed that the last census will disclose that nearly or quite ona alm d f tho entire population of this nation are twenty one years of age or under this means that we have more than of minors youth and children in this country john stephenson who built the first american horse car is more than eighty years old ant still vigorous and energetic hia mind is yet busy with inventions and be can accomplish as much work in a day as a man many years his junior the fastest vessel afloat is said to be the ton english built warship in tended for the argentine governments she made knots under ordinary draught and with forced braueht tl J |