The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-05-03

facets; Jars and pots Of every nationality
filed the corners; ivory carvings, clolson-
mes. Sevres, Limoges, illuminated missals,
precious bits of this and that filled the
tables; and everywhere, on the walls the
shelves. the slabs, were plates, plates.
plates. There was all the rich confusion
and something the confusion Of museum
in the anartment; and Mr.. Loftus-who
had not ! learned China" in the modern
sense Of the word, and hated bric-a-brac-
after stumbling over an Egyptian water
cooler and musical foot stool, and bump.
ing his head on . Palsy plaque, was glad
to sink into sofa corner at 9 safe distance |
from all curiosities, and listen to his host
ess, who looked unusually handsome that
day, and who, as usual, found pleanty to
saw to the quiet Mr.. Lotus.
Gertrude Brixham, in spite of some ex-
travagancies and exagerations, was su-
perior girl. She had genuine leaning
toward the best things. Circumstances
and education kept her away from them,
but the impulse and the struggle, which
were fruitless Of real result, had the power
which impulse and struggle must always
carry with them. She was wider minded
than the girls about her, read more, and
thought more freshly. 1t was this which
made her attractive to Alick LOTUS, who
had reached the age when more than good
Waiting and pretty face is desirable
even in the partner of an evening. he
had asked himself once or twice why he
shouldn't fall in love with Miss Brixham!
This afternoon the question rose again in
his mind, and with more emphasis. He
was able to marry, and desired home.
WHY should not this handsome, capable
girl make him happy? 1t was not just
the thing he had pictured when he was
young, but then things were altered. The
peaceful, old-fashioned home in his mind
was probably obsolete, gone out OF fashion
, with the billions and spinning-wheels.
| He had seen nothing like it since his re-
turn to America Miss Brixham might
; be the next best, perhaps better thing
J Who knew?
: He had time for these reflections dur
: ing few moments Of solitude, Gertrude
r having been called away by fresh in
a hux of callers.
"You are looking at my JAR" said Mrs
) Brixham, following the direction OF his
: unseeing eyes. rs it not a beauty? Rea
! dragon 's-blood, and very hard to gel
$ nowadays, even in China, am told. Yol
with your opportunities, must have seer
i quantities, however,
!? swell, no, not quantities. said MIR
v LOTUS, automatically. Mrs. Brixhan
II moved away, and he fell to dreaming
V again.
d Was it the word "dragon" which Sc
l him thinking Of that almost forgotten tim
e, before he went to China9 1t was at Ora
> CON, the drol little seaside village in Con
e necticut, that he spent the last summer
$ He wondered if the place was still name'
l. SO, or was modernized into something dill
ferent; if thin-shelled, favorous CLANS an
le small, high bred oysters with taste a
Y, their own were still its staples; IT biz
t, pink mottled. bell-wether apples still gre
If on the orchard trees, and whether GRAND
" mother Meyrick made pies of then
Grandmother Meyrick! What was h
" thinking of This was twenty years agt
ID her pie-making must long since be owe
n Then he thought Of somebody youngt
than grandmother-of pretty Hope Me.
lg rick, who had cut the last pie for him Q
ut that last afternoon, had mended the no
Y, in his glove, and said good-by with te'
r, sandwiched between two smiles and
=, blush like a rose. Pretty Hope. VIII
or had become Of herr On that day it hs
seemed to the boy Alick that comir
on home to her was the best hope with whit
" he went Did he whisper word or tv
,e- of this hope! He cosld not quite remer
ty Der. Three or four letters had passed b
nd tween them, he knew he had neat, cram
IN. ed. little notes somewhere among h
M things still; then, somehow, Hope Al
or Dragon and all things American began
as grow dim and strange, and till tod
on nothing had come up to remind him
ke. them. A plague on the dragon chin
De- Mr.. LOTUS was unusually sbsent, ~
me Brixham thought. rs h6 wished her goo
ng by. I'M atjHs1 ~ 1a6.z
sa- "A penny for your
ms est, after repeating g. 4I
by twice over without al i !l i! E! -. /
ere .Your offer is
M thoughts are worth ~ =: "a H. r.
ny rising from abstract! ~ M =. -
on old fellow" 1n zfzf$. II Mr. : z1a u
- THE fact is" said
:. his list, . the next is
-. must be made now o.
- and distance. It's
one partner, you know.
I ~ the spring, and his 4 w. -
- keep house for him.
-; in Fifty fifth street,
- call. 1t is bore
- can sit in the carTl4 ~
80 -. not be five minutes. " = s + n
est- Mr.. LOTUS did NOT y
,clc cold, but that did a.
,oks he, for the sudden in
to enter the small
,est. they now drew up.
Yrs dwelling enough, in
,ok- like its neighbors;
,rix- Of the door a sense
me and comfortable STR
he it the snugness OF
l;no whose walls were Il
Rnt red, the trails Of gro1
If from the picture-fr
rib the big white owl
ravs pair Of antlers, turn
en- down upon them, Or
!, :. Of glass Of roses