Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-08-14
yHisrsNang.
A DINNER PARTY.

From the New York Sun.
| Casserly paused at the top of the broad
brown stone steps, undecided whether tt
ring for admittance or to retire ignomi
nously. 1t was already dark. No onc
was stirring on the street. To the right
and to the left there opened a tempting
avenue of escape. He found his pocket
handkerchief and wiped away the per.
spiratiOn from his forehead. He put his
hand on the bell-knob and stopped to
think.
The facade of the mansion was great
cake of chocolate set on end. Its fiat mo.
notony was broken by portico at the top
Of fourteen steps, which, broadening, de.
scended to the sidewalk like the terraced
waterfall of IL muddy stream. The cor
nice Of the portico was supported by two
cylinder columns OF brown stone, with
bastard COrlnthian capitals. The win
dows were veilcd with curtains of brown
linen, OF exactly the shade of the stone
front. The only bright spot which re-
liCved the somber exterior was immediate.
lyOyer the door, where flood of light pour
ed through plate of clear glass that bore.
in large gilt letters, the number 49,
Above. all was dark, gloomy, forbiddng
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 13, mum.
Der of ill-omen, & Jared at him with in.
tense hostility. The entire facade of the
house frowned down upon him, as if it
lacked not the will or power, but only the
energy to descend and crush and bury
| him.
A policeman slowly passing cast at him
look of surly inquiry. Casserly did not
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 iitleer minutes Casserly stood
on the stoop, lear 'ng 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 iheredity. He
remembered his mother, the bluestocking,
pretentiously discussing matters which
she did not understand. He saw himself
BOY at school, copying compo3tio out
OF books and passing them off for his own.
lie saw himself man, led from decei.
to fraud by a weak hunger after adula.
ton, building up IN undescrved reputa-
ton for learning, recklessly appropriating
the thoughts Of other men, writing scien-
titic articles tor the local periodicals, lee
turing before the lycrumS in his native
State, OvcrshadOwing With his plagarsms
and impudent 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
at last, continuing on large scale the
system of iplposture which had succeeded
so well in the provinces. Days spent in
the libraries, pillaging the Thoughts of the
dead and absent; nights ot 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-
troversy started by his stolen paper on
"The Triangular Theory of Light" the
social position which he was gaining by
virtue of his supposed requirements; the
newspaper notices which iiattered his van
ity while they excoriated his conscience;
the compliments of deceit and fraud into
which he was plunging deeper and deep.
er-all these things came up to confront
and terrify him as he stood at the door of
the house to which be had been invited to
meet at dinner four of the most eminent
specialists Of the age!
A slight noise across the street recalled
his vagrant 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
going an agony of suspense lest the young
man would fail her. He was the gJuud
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 Cadder.
Her husband and Mrs. Professor Hem
mingshaw led the way into the dining.
room. Casserly came next, escorting Mrs. |
DR.. Thwng, IL dainty blonde with spec
tacles. Her plump white hand rested
proudly on Casserly's arm. Professor
Flamway, u bachelor, and the greatest
entomologist Of the Western hemisphere,
gave his arm awkwardly to Mrs. Cadder, |
and Professor Hemmingshaw and DIR. |
Thwing followed with Miss Rideout and |
Miss Crooker, two maids of robust intel
lect and many summers. Mrs. Walter
Hewey and Professor Cadder 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
charmed with his success that he had
seated himself before the others. Blush.
ing to the roots Of his gray hair, he jumped
from the chair, and in dong so nearly
overturned Miss Rideout, who was, di-
rectly behind him. Recoiing from the
encounter, he planted his elbow squarely
in the midst Of the wine glasses set at his
place. There was a sharp crackle of crys-
tai and an involuntary exclamation from
Miss Rideout.
81 assure you did not intend-lt was
purely accidental" stammered Professor
Flamway, addressing himself to the but
Ter, who had promptly come to the rescue,
and who received the apology with perfect
gravity.
The celebrated entomologist moodily
applied himself to his oysters. Miss
Crooker, who prided herself on her wit, |
spoke in low tone to Rideout, who |
laughed. Professor Flamway took it for |
granted that the ladies were deriding his
embarrassment, and he blushed redder
than before.
"Miss Crooker was remarking," said |
Miss Rideout; with sidelong glance at
Casserly, "that we are rapidly adding TO
the list Of extinct pachyderms."
"But, my dear, said Mrs. Hewey, "are
you quite sure that the oyster is pachy- |
dermp My impression is that it's
polpy." Il
Perhaps Il is a pachydermatous polpy,"l
ed Miss Rideout,