Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-09-22

tain anxiety to please when speaking to
her, or paying her any little ordinary at
tention, quite different from my manner
towards her parents or sister and ]
thought she noticed it, and seemed rather
pleased than otherwise. There is no fool,
you know, like an old fool
There were opportunities enough Of
showing civility to all of them before we
got to Paris, for though Mr.. Draper did
his best, and was not inactive for his figure
to wrestle with SO much luggage as the
ladies found it necessary to travel with,
was quite beyond the powers of any one
man who was not a Briareus, or an Argus,
or Hercules, or some other peculiarly
gifted myth. And then that overtasked
gentleman's anticipations about the wealth
I er proved correct; it was blowing very hard
in the Channel, and he did not get of
much better than his wife on this occasion.
Indeed, the whole Draper family were
7 thoroughly prostrated, and as I am no sub
ject to the malady of the sea, they looked
up to me very much as people do to doc
tor when there is illness in the house. The
romantic boy breaks ground by presenting
the girl of his heart with nosegay; [ mid
dle-aged and practical, insinuated myself
by handing basin. - -z- --E.-e
When we were in the train on the other
side, and my fellow travellers had recovered.
they seemed really hurt and ashamed at hav-
ing put me to so much trouble; not that they
bored me by dwelling much on the subject,
but what they did say was evidently genuine
Then they deferred to me in everything,
(Which is the best hotel to go to, Mr..
Stumps?" 'How long ought to stop in
Paris. Mr. Stumps ?"
That was queer thing; they never spoke
to me without mentioning my name with an
emphasis, pausing upon it, as it were, as if
to impress it upon their memories. And
when Miss Garry grew playful, as she did
under my attention, she said ''bIr. Stumps''
in sly way, as though there was some joke
in the word, which did not at all like, see
ing that I soon began. to contemplate the
possibility of asking her to assume it,
For [ went to the same hotel as they die
walked, drove, dined, and visited the thea
tre with them. When they were tired of
Paris, we went to Cologne and up the
Rhine together; and by the time we had
settled down at Weisbaden, I was quite
like a member of the family, and the con-
tinued Difference they and particularly
Garry paid to everything [ said, might
well have tickled the vanity and softeped
the heart of q man even older than [ was
At last I determined to declare myself
and took the opportunity of speaking to
Mr. Draper after the table d'hote, when we
were taking cigars and coffee at a little
round table in the courtyard of the Rose
I told him that knew I was rather old for
his daughter, and thatI was not possessed
of that wealth which in these cases often
makes up for lack of youth; but that was
not exactly poor either and would do my
best to make Garry happy.
''Well my lord, % said he, 'tof course I
am deeply sensible of the honor a man of
your rank does my girl such an offer.--'' y
My lord. What on earth do you mean?'
interrupted 1.
Surely it is time to throw off your in
cognito when such serious matter as mar
riage is being discussed" said he.
sIncognito ! What are you driving at
Whom do you take me for ?"
f'Why, for the Marquis of Walden," he
replied.
'Marquis of Walden" cried I. e'Come,
come, ifyou have other views for your
daughter say SO, but there is no need to
banter me.
''Do you mean to tell me you are not the
marquis?"
ssOf course am not; there never was a
title in my family yet.
''Ihen who are you?"
"Ihe man [ profess myself, to be sure, -
plain Mr.. Stumps."
Mr.. Draper remained utterly dumbfound-
ed for a while, but at last reused himself
sufficiently to say, II beg your pardon for
the mistake; but why, may ask, did you
sign yourself the Marquis Of Walden in the
visitors book at the Victoria Cross Gal
lery ?"
81 never committed such an absurdity.
FIt was the last name in the book when
we entered, and you were the only person
in the room"
81 can't help that" cried I, losing pa
| tence; q never signed my name at all.
Mr.. Draper sat still a little while with
his lips tightly compressed, and his fat
sides and shoulders heaving convulsively
at intervals. At last he could bear it nc
longer, and exploding with irrepressible
laughter, he rose and rushed into the ho
tel; while I strobe off in state of boiling
Indignation to the Rooms, and lost couple
of pounds worth of forms to relieve my
feelings.
The cold manner of Mrs, and alas also
of Miss Draper towards me on the follow.
| ing morning was SO extremely disgusting
after their late cordiality that [ packed ur
my portmanteau and left the place at once
L must say that Draper himself looked hurt
and ashamed, and, doubt not, would have
apologized for his own mirth the evening
before, and his wife and daughters be
havior afterwards, ifhe could have got holG
of me alone. Poor hen-pecked wretch
Well, if had been a marquis or a million
alre. might have been hen-pecked too a
this present writing; but that I may safel,
say that never will be. [ have Learned
my last lesson.