Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: mantic novels,"—with a kind of grumble. "I admit there never was a particle of romance on your side of the family," the girl retorted. "Happily. There is peace in the house where I live." "Do not argue with me." "I am not arguing with you; I should only be wasting my time. I am simply warning you that you are about to commit a folly." "I have made up my mind." "Ah! In that case I have hopes," he returned. "When a woman makes up her mind to do one thing, she generally does another. Why can't you put aside this fool idea and go to the opera with me?" " I have seen Carmen in Paris, Rome, London and New York," she replied. (Evidently a traveled young person.) "Carmen is your favorite opera, besides." "Not to-night,"—whimsically. "Go, then; but please recollect that if anything serious comes of your folly, I did my best to prevent it. It's a scatter-brained idea, and no good will come of it, mark me." "I can take care of myself,"—truculently. "So I have often been forced to observe,"—dryly. (I wondered what it was all about.) "But, uncle dear, I am becoming so dreadfully bored!" "That sounds final," sighed the old man, helping himself to the haricots verts. (The girl ate positively nothing.) "But it seems odd that you can't go aboutyour affairs after my own reasonable manner." "I am only twenty." The old man's shoulders rose and fell resignedly. "No man has an answer for that." "I promise to tell you everything that happens; by telegraph." "That's small comfort. Imagine receiving a telegram early in the morning, when a man's brain is without invention or coherency of thought! I would that you were back home with your father. I might sleep o' nights, then." "I have so little amusement!" "You work three hours a day and ...