The Reason Why

re soon seated at a table in a corner where they could talk without being interrupted. They spoke of ordinary things for a moment.

el

you, that she is a most difficult problem. You will have an interesting time taming her. For a man of nerve, I cannot imagine a more thrilling task. She is a woma

thrilled as

out all about her for myself. I just want to kn

s already settled. Be as businesslike as you can-and come away. She has made it a condition that she sees you as little as possible until the wedding. The English idea of engaged couples shocks her, for, remember, it is, on her side, not

d then the two men's eyes

ful affair! A real dramatic romance, here in the twentieth

th, of course," he said. "I wish my niece to be a Queen of Society, and to have her whole life arranged with due state. I wish your family to understand that I appreciate the honor of the c

thought of his mother's si

g still counts. It is a valid asset-a tangible security for one's money-from a business point of view. And Americans or foreigners like myself and my niece, for instance, are securing substantial property and equal return, when we bring large fortunes in our marriage settlements to this country. What satisfaction comparable to the glory of her English position as Marchioness of Darrowood could Miss Clara D. Woggenheimer have got out of her millions, if she had married one of her own countrymen, or an Italian count? Yet she gives herself the airs of a benefactress to poor Darrowood and throws her money in his teeth, whereas Darrowood is the benefactor, if there is a case of it either way. But to me, a s

u ought to be in the House of Lor

he felt things. No one must ever read what was really passing in his s

I am a student, a rather careful student of systems and their results, and, incidentally, a breeder of thoroughbred

ably clever," s

fulfills his duties in every way, a munificent landlord, and a sound, lev

er of us at times, but he keeps the thing going splendidly, and my cousin Ethel

examining his claret through the light. "I wish I knew her better. We have few occ

. I thought you were perfectly cynical about and

ary parrot-chatterers one meets. There are three classes of the species female: those for the body, those for the brain, and those f

over things, that was the only really dangerous kind, and he had so seldom met it! Then his imagination suddenly pictured Laura Highford with her tiny mouth and pointed teeth. She had a showy little brain, absolutely

these topics and cigars and liqueurs had come, "I would like my cousin Ethelrida to m

when she came to England, quite put off her mourning; she will then have beautiful clothes, and be more acquiescent in every way. Now she would be antag

isappointed. "It is a

y niece's return" (he drew a small calendar notebook from his pocket). "That will be Wednesday, the 18th, and we will fix the wedding for Wednesday the 25th, a week later. That gets you back from your honeymoon on the 1st of No

calendar, he scribbled the reminder for himself on his cuff. Higgins, his supe

they got out of the restaurant, into the hall. "I think I'll go no

t Countess Shulski was at home, but could not re

t the receiver down, and Francis Mar

gagement ring, hadn't you?" he s

ad forgotten!"

'll go to the family jewelers, they are calle

eeding westwards in a taxi, the lion hu

e orders that he was not to be disturbed for a quarter of an hour. He reposed in a comfortable chair and allowed himself to dream. All his plans were