Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-29
THE HERALD.
OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS.

-fo'SA EhoWu outu WUmeu anu
offer this fact as some paIIlatisn
f bis want Of faith in them.
He was ignorant of his parentage;
he bad been found one summer
morning on the steTs of the Found
stion School, in Baxtergate, Ripon;
and az it was on the festival Of St.
Mark, he bad received the name Of
the saint and the name Of his native
city, and been adopted by the insti-
tuition.
Wholesome food, stout clothing,
and decent trade had been given
him by the Foundation and in many
respects he was felt to have done il
60 honor, for after fifty years of
creditabie citizenship. he was one OF
the cathedral vestry sat in the Com
mon Cornell of the ancient city
which had adopted him, and was
said 10 be worth at least ESQ, 900.
But there is q success which the
world sees little of--that of the
heart--and IN this respect Mark
Ripon was the veriest pauper. OF
the nurses and matrons who had
been around his earliest years he
had not one tender memory; none
of them had fed the hunger of his
heart. Ho had no home. no mother
and no sister. The school had been
simply place in which to eat and
sleep and to learn.
Unfortunately, when the lad fell
10 love, it was with q pretty flirt,
infinitely more heartless than him
self. But Marks love bad been
cruelty deceived and Knocked, and
when he had come out of his cha.
grin and sorrow he had a confirm
ed belief in the general and natur-
al unfaitbfulness of women. Popu.
lar maxims and jests confirmed him
every day in his idea, and like most
Ensllshmen having once avowed
this as bis opinion. every reitera.
ton of his own idea was fresh con.
firmation of it.
But he bad many friends among
his own sex. Men generally spoke
of him as crusty old bachelor, but
otherwise az a well to-do, shrowd
and honorable old fellow. Chief
among these was young George
Downes, the child of the only COM
panion his boyhood had ever known
aud his own godson. If Mark Ripon
loved any human being it was
George Downes. though the latter
as he grew 10 manhood gave him a
great deal of anxiety. for George
preferred the society of women and
would not credit Marks positive as.
surances of their universal falseaess
and worthiness.
One moonlight night, as Mark
was coming from a vestry meetiog,
he met George in the cathedral
close, and on bis arm was a very
beautiful girl. The old man looked
angrily and doub,fully at the pretty
face lifted to his favorite's The
bright moonbeams touched her long
fair curls and made the veil around
them like glory. Marx remem-
bered just such a lovely, innocent
face lifted to his and he bad no
doubt whatever that this girl would
be just as false to George as pretty
Fanny Maltby had been to him.
George however, would not be
persuaded to doubt her. Then Mark
offered to pay his expenses if he
would go abroad and travel for two
years; but George said she had got
place in Butterfield's Bank and
preferred home The young man
in Marks eye, was bent on running
himself, and in few weeks be cele-
baated his wedding with an elabo.
rate rel 1icipg that reused tho old
mans bitterest contempt.
George fully expected that he
would now be ignored add probably
lose any chances that be might
have had of inheriting bis god-fath-
er's wealth. But Mark was unlike
the generality Of menin many re-
spects, and in none more than in his
behavior to the young man who
bad so flGgrautiy disregarded all his
advices and entreaties.
He redoubled his care over him,
and watched oil hi4 movements
with o constantly Increasing inter
est I 10 fact, he did not blame
George at all; be regarded him as
one who, in an unfortunate hour,
had fallen into the hands Of power
which was too great for him. He
pitied the happy bridegroom and re.
solved as soon as possible TO release
him from the tells Of the woman
who bad charmed and enslaved him.
To vain Georges wife smiled up
on and entertained Mark Ripon. He
visited her house, indeed, for it was
necessary to watch her movements;
but neither smiles, nor songs, nor
attentions moved Mark. He had
gone through that delusion once
and was not to be deceived again
1t was one great point Of favor that
George bad taken house in such a
situation that he could keep the
young wife under very close sur
veillance, and be was confident that
sooner or later he would prove her
all that he believed women upiver.
sally to be.
But month after month went by
and George was more in love than
ever. There had also come to the
happy home over the way from
Marks q fine little boy, that had
been called after him, and blue
eyed girl whom not even Mark
could ye. and in his heart to re-
gard as false and dangerous. He
was even yeniuring to make Mrs
George Downes that exception said
, to be contingent on every rule,
when suddenly all his suspicious
were forced into active life and
prominence
One day-a very wet one--a
close carriage drove up TO Georges
house and Mrs. George, heavily
cloaked aud yelled was driven
away in it.
very well, ms'am,' said Mark
suspiciously, to himsIf, we shall
see whether you confess to having
been out to-day
So be went over to Georges,
| nlaved n rnbher or two with his