Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-29

berry and made Il bid for the hotel He
was a well-looking Young man 81 thirty
two, and brought With him 4 Young
wife, to whom he had lately been mar
ried His antccedent> Were Of the best.
At eighteen lie had Obtained 4 clerk
ship iua big London hotel; thence he
had risen 10 the posi- II cashier; and
afterwards that otmanagcr New. haN-
ING married, hc wished "a Set up III
business for himself, and lie quietly
laughed away the idea that the Fried
sole WAS bewitchei. The man who
had during FIVE years managed the
Great Metropolitan of London 50 suc-
ccsStullN that lhc directors had voted
him 4 purse OF five hundred guineas on
his retlremcut was not likely Ia be
dauntcd in his new enterprise hy tales
of winds through keNholrs Reuben
Dark looked like man ~ firm pur-
pose, and the tone in which he an
nouced that he was resolved to make
the Fried Sole pay inspired many
with confidence
Nor WAS the trust deceived. Some
how il seemed is il the luck ot the lo-
tel had turned from the daywhen tlcl
Dark son came into IT, Young Mrs.
Dark made an excellent hostess, and
She was 50 pretty that she attracted all
the officers Of the garrison, which boast
cd two regiments, inst rs the former
Mrs. Dark had done. Then Dark him
self was marvellous billiard,player
and soon drew all the fauciers of this
game Ivy providing them with fancy
tables, and the occasional chance o.
seeing him make four hundred otl 4
break besides. which lie had i great
taste for sport. ami introduced the APP
parontly eXtraNagmt ISvelty of causing
kilograms To be sent To him dairy am
nouncing the results Of all the import
ant horse races boat races, Yachting
races, and cricket matches i'll the king
dom. These were posted up III the
>moking-rolm, which Was stocked with
about fifty different newspapers and
magazines. All that cost the landlord
about cleo wear, hut it brought him
twenty tim tina amount III the way
of custom. for the cotlccroom soon
became Il sort of free exchange, with
cr rcSorted I'LL the classes of men who
had patronizcd the hotel ufold Squircs,
farmers, barristerS. Free Masons, bet
ting men. officers, id Hers. once more
began To swear Ivy the Fried Sole, -
whose comforts and good cheer were
eQualcd, rs they avowcd, by no other
house il tine kingdom
One might suppose that Reuben Dark
waNed merry ut seeing his hotel pres
per So we'll, but ii wis not So. He had
been Il happy man enough when he
came to the hotel, but soon he was Oh
served to grow thoughtful and silent.
\ great change came over his pretty
wife, too. Her eyes We're often red
from crying III secret; She wore Il fright
encd expression, starting at the least
sound, shlvCring constantly us if from
cold, and 50 forth. At length She con
tidcd to one of the officers who So fire.
qucntlv danglcd behind her bar, that
she heard strange noises at night in the
house groans, falling of furni-
turc, shrieks and sounds Of voices
raised angrily in quarrel She had be
sought her husband To leave the place.
hut he would not, though he was dis
turbcd by these noises too The officer
Swarthy and gallant dragoon condoled
with the pretty hostess, and She, from
tho time She had made confident Of
HIM, took heart Of grace and waved
more communicative every day. Hcl
manner became Eighty; She took ships
of sherry to keep her spirits up, laugh
cd loud, chatcd gaily and carclessly
and was Very atlablc towards the dra-
COON. Reuben Dark, noting these
things. said nothing. but grew morose,
and there We're times when his eoun-
tcnance was terrible 10 see, 50 broolng
was it. and lcrccly sullcn.
His servants noticed the change in
him sooner than his customers did for
towards the latter h6 was invariably
civil, having a sort Of business manner
that he could put on and Of as he
| pleased. But towards his servants Id
was short and grutl. There was an
old gardener in the house who had re-
manned there through the rcins of sue
ccssRe landlords. ever since the time
Of Rcuhen's father: and this old fellow
who was nearly seventy now, used to
shake his head when lie observed the
hypochondIiacal looks of his master
"lt'. just like his father" the old mar
used to mutter, and his wiGc-shes Just
the same sort lis his mother vas and
no gool'll come Of ii.
One hot and sultry summer evening
the gardener having stopped to work
in his strawberry beds a little later
than his wont heard sounds ofa dispute
between Reuben Dark and Iii. wifc
proceeding from the parlor Of theh
tel. Mrs. DmN'S voice was raised i
shrill defiance; Reuben stormed in Il
hoarse tone, and uttered awful curses
Suddenly the dispute ceased. door
was slammed and The next minute
Reuben strobe into the garden. Iii,
face pallid with deadly rage He
stood irresolute for a moment. thcr
walked 70 a shed where tool, were kept
and seized 4 pickax
Great God therc'll 10 murder. eiac
ulated the old gardener; and ali al
once out Of the haze Of year-. there
started before him an image that Of
Reuben's father He remembered that
! thirty wears ago Abel Dark had come