The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-03

"oh, no, no--conldn't think Of such
thing; never pay that" hallooed h
knight. "Six pounds for board and lodi
3 Ing; that's what I'll pay; not q shillin
more. Consider the rooms mine from thi
moment. I'm going to take nap. B
all I want GOod.day."
| In this peremtory manner did Sir HeC
tdf Robin enter into possession. At
o'clock, when John Taddy came HON
from his office, he heard violent ringinl
Of bells, and met Agnes running down TIL
stairs breathless, "0h, John, dear, III
that horrible new ledger" she said, In ag
itatlon. HE has rung q dozen time
within two hours, and there's no pleasing
him, whatever do"
"Eever mind, dear; hushW exclaimed
prudent John, when he learned who the
exacting ledger was. ave mustn't rufIlt
Sir Hector Robin, my love; that would
never do"
Sir Hector was not rutIled. FIe had
things all his own way under John Tad
dys ROOT. Inquiries revealed that he was
bachelor Of means, without known heirs
and that his social position was lofty. He
was the chairman Of some joint stock com.
pany and director OF several others; he
was member OF many learned societies
Of two or three first.rate clubs. He had
business cham ers in the city; he hired a
broug ham by the month (paid for him by
sharehoIderS), and oil the visitors who
called on him were eminently respectable,
staid and prosperous persons whose cards
II gave John Taddy great pleasure 10 see
lying on the table In his hall. The fire..
quency. OF these visits led, however, to an
almost immediate alteration In the house.
hold arrangements. The parlor maid
could not run up at all hours 10 answer
knocks and usher in strangers; and Sir
Hector grumbled that there ought to be a
iootman In q well ordered house. John
Taddy split the difference by hiring page.
Next, the knight demanded that par
Tor should be placed at his disposal for a
waiting'room for such visitors as he could
not receive Immediately; and so the din.
ing room was. given up TO him. John
Taddys study had to be converted into a
sitting-room for Agnes; but by and BY
she was elected from this retreat also, be.
cause Sir Hector often had several sets OF
visitors who required to be kept waiting
apart. Luckily there was house.keep.
er's room near the kitchen, and here Ag.
mes began to spend her days, though she
protested, in her mild way, against the in.
convenience. But John Taddy closed her
mouth by saying: "Hush, DEAR; we
must try and please Sir Hector. He has
always lived in the best society,""
every voracious society, too" unused
q n
quantities Of food which Sir Hector con.
sumed; and the worst Of it was that there
was no satisfying the manabout the cook
cry. be had begun by arranging to take
his meals with his host and hostess; but
after day or two he limited that Taddy's
society bored him, and that he should IRE:
Ter to be served apart. His breakfast at 8
was 10 consist OF tea with cream, two
boiled eggs, bacon, mullins and dry toast;
at midday he wanted chop or steak
with cheese, pulled bread, celery, etc., and
bottled beer; at seven in the evening his
dinner was to comprise soup, fish, entrees,
etc. All the time he ate he used to grum.
BILE for the edification Of the page aud
parlor-maid: "Call that reshershay quee.
seen? Watery soup, stale fish-pah (? they
dine better than this in the work.house I,
One evening when Agnes and John
were sitting in their kitchen parlor won.
dering how they could possibly manage to
please the capricious Tartar upstairs, Sir
Hector's bell rang with its usual violence,
and soon the page came down to say that
the knight wanted Mrs. Taddy 10 90 and
play the piano to send him of into doze.
Agnes was staggered by the cool request,
but John bestirred himself at once to get
his wife's music. He reminded her that
piano.playing formed part of the "com-
forts OF refined home" which had been
promised to Sir Hector. eve mustn't ruf.
Ae him, my dear" he repeated. "Come
along" And they went up together.
The knight was reclining on the sofa
withayellow pocket-handkerchief over his
face, and glass OF port wine on table at
his elbow. ave don't want you, Taddy,"
cried he. "Lay down the music; your
wife is going to play and sing to me till l
Taddy backed out with a smirk; and
Agnes, reddening all over, sat down to
play series OF operate selections. By
and by, at her tormentor's request, she
sang few ballads. "Your voice wants
pitch, and your style OF play is faulty"
said he; "but dare say you'll improve If
you come up and practice every evening,
Now just play that last bit from 0beron
softly until you hear me snore. Then you
can go"
From that time Agnes Taddy was made
to go upstairs every evening and play for
Sir Hector. Her representations we're ali
in vain, and only succeeded in Irritating
her husband. One day, indeed, the latter
regularly lost his temper. Agnes had
come down with scarlet face, and burst
into tears, exclaiming that Sir Hector had
kissed her on the forehead. "He came up
behind me while I was playing" sobbed
she. oh, who would have expected itP
| will never go up to the drawing-room
Snow, there you are" exclaimed John,
exasperated. "You ought to be ashamed
Of yourself, Agnes. Sir Hector is old
enough to be your father; what harm can
there be in his giving you a paternal kiss
He has his colonial ways, which are not
ours"
"But, John, am I to allow him 10 kiss
me as often as he likes?"
''S saw 80 tIllHS VI Luo hlHul w"
men are always In extremes / see what
it is; you want to throw our six pounds a
week out OF the window"
"No, dear, l won't complain again, said
Agnes, resignedly. III you don't mind,
it'sall the same to me-"
And she dried her eyes.
agnes did not complain anew; only il
began to be noticed some months later by
John Taddy's acquaintance that there
was something uneasy and distracted in
his manner. A kind Of gloom had settled
on him. How 1t had come no one could
guess, but itseemed to deepen as weeks
rolled on. II John Taddy's friends could
have overheard dialogue which took
place between him and his wife not many
days since, they would have caught these
words:
SSH Hector seems to have given you q
new bracelet, my dear" began John, sour.
IL, Nlhatis thu filth unlnahla nifk he has