The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-07-30
BOZ yab. SIXTEEN:
Or
The lady in white Satin.
IfAP.tirER 4.

s1 JAMES PARNE.
CHAPTER u.
Nothing Is, more common III these day
lhan TO sec advertisements ut the librarie
Of q; guinea box'' to be hired at this .
that theatre for the evening. They proba
bly, belong to shareholders who haY
agreed TO take a portion Of their dividend
in that shape or to families who have go
, tired of going to the play sooner thar
they thought they should, and are glad t.
get back some portion Of their luSlIiou
investment. But in the days when ] wa
young such things were less common
and there was 4 certain sguinea box" q
GoVent Garden for which three 81 foul
guincas were sometimes given BY reason
Of the wouli-be hircrs bidding for it.con
temporaneously on some popular night
for the box, though only holding six, Wat
an excellent box in the grand tier, witt
Il little withdraWing-ro0m attached to il
where you could have refreshments in
private, and those who were acquainted
/ with such matters knew that Box G at q
guinea was a bargain. Yet it was always
advertised to DC let at that price, and
3ileFcr by amy chance occupied by its
4 legitimate owners. The matter was open
" discussed i'll play-going society at that
tine, but it had never reached my ears
/ when ] was at school at Blackheath, at
never mind what date, but during a GER
/ tain December, in which my fathers law
+ Yer, Ir. Tredgold, sent ME All invitation
to spend Saturday and Sunday with him
/ i'll town, and accompany his family TO the
| theatre.
My uncle and guardian, Mr.. Ralph
Tressillian, lived in the t;ar north of Eng
| land, and had no connections nor any
! friends III London, SO that the proposition
was even 4 greater treat than it would
have been 10 some schoolboys. Moreover,
it was enhanced by the fact that Lucy
Iredgold was a very pretty girl, whom |
thought most charming, and whom be-
lieycd to be expressly created to be my
bride-thou9h in that case she had been
created Il little early, for was but sixteen
at the time Of which speak, and she was
twenty-one. That, however, was the only
difference Though of course it had always
cxisted) that had ever happened between
lis; moreover | was tall and tolerably
mature-loolsing for my years, with quite
JictiIlrE linz af tfIItf on my 11nrnr lin
and in my new tail-coat, which | was to
wear that evening for the first time,
might have been taken, battered myself,
for an undergraduate of the university, OF
Il gentleman Cadet at Woolwich, at the
very least. | remember the fUotman at
Mr.. TredqoId's announced me as "Mr.
Frank G;lrrard,'' without that fatal indie
cision between Mr.. and Master that had
hitherto marked my introductions into
society.
took my wine 1t dinner like i man,
but (thouglI this afterward became 4 moot
point not TOO much OF it, and conported
myself in every way as belonging to that
section Of the human race entitled the
'sgrown-llps," and one who had no con-
ncctions whatever with that other and an
'tagonistic section dcnoninated the ''young
people" Sometimes, it is true; | looked
for my handkerchief Ill a side pocket
(whcre no aide pocket was any more to be
found,) and occasionally experienced u
sentiment Of surprise at Sitting suddenly
upon a couple Of tails cone Of which had
A six-bl:tded knife in IT'D but my presence
,,r -rl1rII1 var ;trways stlneichG " coiitcai
the embarrassment that followed upon
those little contretcmps.
My Uncle Ralph was somewhat fufi-
tanical in his ideas, and had been brought
up in his old Lancashire home with a
strange mixture of strictness and la,ity.
| had been suffered to take my own way,
that is, SO f;tras country sports and amuse-
ments were concerned, but had been for
hidden those Of the town. Ny guardian,
as it happened, had an especial objection
To theatical exhibitions ofall sorts 50 that.
though would not have had ii known to
Lucy for millions, this was the first oc-
casi0n Of my Introduction to Il theatre. 10
hear me talk, however tlattered myself
YOU would have thought had a seat i'll
the ''omnihus box for years: and, after
all, it is far more reasonable that young
fellow should wish to represent himself
Il little older than he is, than that an old
man should ape being young. IN the
former ease it is Il sort of natural defence,
since intxperiencc and simplicity are a.
ways looked down upon.
The play which we were about to Wit
ness Hamlet was perhaps better
acquainted with than any Of the party.
They consisted wholly Of Mr.. Tredgold's
fanily-llamely, mis- wife, three daughters
lof whom .fiS charmer was the voungest,)
and Il son. Gilbert Tredgold, Of about
twenty years Of age. They were not
given to reading, and with one exception,
which need no, indicate) struck me as
somewhat commonplace; but they We're
very kind. as was the host himself. and
enjoyed their hospitality very mucl. MI.
'rrcdgoII did not go to the play, having
certain papers, he said to look over.
These were reported, however. by his
offspring 10 be only newspapers. Papa
could never by any chance, they said, be
induced 10 move after. dinner, and he only
male business an excuse for stopping at
home. Goodness knows ] didn't want
him to go, and should have been very
we'll contented to have escorted Lucy
alone Vet, for al my tendresses tor her.
I looked forWar,lsto the play itself, | re-
member, with quite as much pleasure
N to lie. conpanionship, which showed
What Il mere simple hobbledeboy was
after all.
We dincd early and arrived at the thea
tire in good time, which gave us an oppof-
tulitv of atlinirsing the box and its with
dr;lwiun-ro0m. SO far as | knew. every
box had tilis addition to it, but | learned,
from what was said, that this was not So,
a,id that No. l6 vas great bargain. II
was next but one to the stage on the grand
tier, and held four chairs il front and two
behind yery comfortably. At first the
ladies occupied tile former, but Gilbert
tl,redgoll WAS very near-sighted, and
presently. 70 my delight, Lucy changed
places with him, 50 that | had her all TO
myself. Tie deal. creature was sttblimely
ignorant OF the plot of the piece @ rare
thing in those days. when Shakespeare
was much more acted, ifnot read. than he
is at present, So that had plenty to tell
her, antl twas told lso a. not e disturb
the audience ii i very lew tone. The
4 ah9st III IIan4let.s father had Interested me