The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-08-14
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A DINNER PARTY.

From the New York suL.
Casserly paused at the top of the broad
brown stone steps, undecided whether Il
ring for admittance or to retire ignomi
nously. 1t was already dark. No ont
was stirring on the street. To the righi
and to the left there opened q tempting
avenue of escape. He found his pocket
handkerchief and wiped away the per
SEPARATION from his forehead. He put hi
hand on the bell-knob and stopped t.
think.
The facade of the mansion was a great
cake of chocolate set on end. Its fiat mo
notony was broken by portico at the tor
of fourteen steps, which, broadening, de.
scended to the sidewalk like the terraced
waterfall of muddy stream. The cor.
nice of the portico was supported by two
cylinder columns OF brown stone, with
bastard Corinthian capitals. The win.
dows were yelled with curtains of brown
linen, of exactly the shade of the stone
front. The only bright spot which re-
Gcved the somber exterior was immediate.
lyover the door, where flood of light pour
ed through plate of clear glass that bore
in large gilt letters, the number -
Above, all was dark, gloomy, forbidding
The eye ran up from tier to tier of WIN.
dows till it reached the cornice of the
roof, and lost itself among the stars in the
sky.
Casserly shuddered. The great I3, mum.
Der of ill-omen, glared at him with in.
tense hostility. The entire facade of the
house frowned down upon him, as if il
lacked not the will or power, but only the
energy to descend and crush and bury
him.
A policeman slowly passing cast at him
a look of surly inquiry. Casserly did moi
stir. The policeman passed on, tossing
his club and catching it when it reached
the end of the leather tether that attach.
ed it to his wrist.
For ten or fifteen minutes Casserly stood
on the stoop, leaning against one of the
brown stone pillars Of the portlco, review.
ing the circumstances Of his career of i'm.
posture. He felt that part of the blame
belonged to himself, part to his environ.
ment, part to the cursed law of heredity. He
remembered his mother, the bluestockinp,
pretentiously discussing matters which
she did not understand. He saw himself
boy at school, copying compositions out
OF books and passing them off for his own.
lie saw himself man, led from deceit
10 fraud by weak hunger after adula-
ton, building up an undeserved reputa-
ton for learning, recklessly appropriatinR
the thoughts of other men, writing scien-
tific articles tor the local periodicals, lee
turing before the lyceums in his native
State. overshadowing with his plagiarisms
and lmpudent pretensions the merit OF
honest scholars, seeking always to satisfy
his vanity with homage to which he had
no claim. He saw himself in New York
ut last, continuing on large scale the
system of imposture which had succeeded
so well in the provinces. DAYS spent in
the libraries, pillaging the Thoughts of the
dead and absent; nights OF his desk, ar
ranging the plumber for sale or display:
the fame won by his stolen ESSAY on 1.-THE
Extinct Pachyderms; the excited con-
troyersy started by his stolen paper on
The Triangular Theory of Lights" the
social position which he was gaining by
virtue Of his supposed requirements: the
newspaper notices which hattered his van
ity while they excoriated his conscience;
the compliments of deceit and fraud into
which he was plunging deeper and deem
er-all these things came up to confront
and terrify him as he stood at the door of
the house to which he had been invited to
meet at dinner four of the most eminent
specialists of the age!
A slight noise across the street recalled
his ragrant senses. The policeman stood
there watching him with undisguised in
terest. Casserly rang the door-bell and
was admitted.
Mrs. Walter Hewey rose to meet her
guest, politely concealing her annoyance at
his hardness. The four eminent scientists
had yawned In each others society, while
the hostess and her husband were under
gong an agony OF suspense lest the young
man would fail her. He was the grand
lat, the principal dish which she expected
to serve up at her entertainment. His en-
trance set affairs in proper train.
At the announcement of the butler. the
hostess took the arm of Professor Calder.
Her husband and Mrs. Professor Hem
mingshaw led the way into the dining.
room: CaSserly came next. escorting Mrs.
DIR. Thwing, Il dainty blonde with spec
tacies: Her plump white hand rested
proudly on Casserly's arm. Professor
Flamway, a bachelor, and the greatest
entomologist Of the Western hemisphere,
gave his arm awkwardly to Mrs. Calder.
and Professor Hemmingshaw and Or.
Thwing followed with Miss Rideout and
Miss Croker, two maids of robust intel
lect and many summers. Mrs. Walter
iewey and Professor Calder made the
rear.
A slight mishap occurred at the outset.
Professor Flamway, who found his card
without difficulty when he had anticipated
much embarrassment in the search, was so
with his success that he had
sested himself before the others. Blush. |
ing to the roots Of his gray hair, he jumped |
from the chair. and in dong so nearly |
ov erturned Miss Ridecut, who was d.
rectly behind him. Recoiling from the
he planted his elbow sauarely
in the midst Of the wine glasses set at his |
place. There was a sharp craciie of crys-
!al and an involuntary exclamation from
Miss Rideout.
81 assure you did not intend-,t vas
purely accidental" stammered Professor
tlamway, addressing himself to the but
er, who had promptly come to the rescue,
md who received the apology with perfect
Gravity
The celebrated entomologist modify
,pplied himself to his oysters. Miss
rocker. who prided herself on her Wit,
poke in a low tone to Rideout, who
aughed. Professor Flamway took it for
,ranted that the ladies were deridinD his
and he blushed redder
han before.
Miss Croker was remarking," said
Hiss Ridaonf nth a eidolnr, rJ,,n. "a