The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-11

THE VICTIMOF VIRTUE

nine, who live little way" out OF Lor
don. In the summer our residence is
charming one; the garden especially is de
lightul and attracts troops Of Londol
friends. They are not only always willini
to dine with us, but drop in Of their owl
motion and stay for the last train to town
The vague observation "any fine day." o
the more evasiye phrase some fine day,
used in complimentary invitations, ar
then very dangerous for US to employ, 70
We are taken at our word, just as though
We meant it. This would DO very crafty
ing, however expensive, II it only hap
pened all the year round. But from 0cto
Der to June nobody comes near US,
In reply to our modest invitations w
then receive such expressions Of tender re
greet as would convince the most sceptical
"a previous engagement" "indisposition o
our youngest born" "the horses i'll, somC
catastrophe or other, always prevents oul
friends from enjoying another evening
with US like that charming one they spen
last July" They hope, however, to b.
given the same happy chance again, "wher
the weather is little less inclement," By
which they mean next summer, As FOL
coming to dine with us in winter, they viii
see US further first-by which they mean
nearer first. Sometimes at their own boards
We hear this stated, though OF course with
out any intentional application. Some
guests will observe to us, GprOp0S OF dinners
IT Is most extraordinary how people who
live half dozen miles out Of town will al,
tempt TO ignore the seasons and expect you
to go and dine with them Just us il it was
August, through four feet oil snow. It does
really seem-as Jones, our excellent host
was saying tbeother day-the very highest
OF personal Conceit
As we have occupied our present resi-
denCe for some years, We have long had
the conCeit taken out OF us but we have
still our feelings Our social toes are not
absolutely frost-bitten, and when thus
trodden upon We are aware OF the Circum-
stance. It grieves us to know what Jones
has thought land said OF us, and my wife
drops quiet tear or two during our drive
home in the brougham. AM bound to
confess 1t is rather long ride. find N.Y.
self dropping asleep before We have left
brick and mortar behind us, and as we
cross the great common near our home
feel considerable change in the tempera-
ture. 1t is n beautiful breezy spot, with q
lovely view In summer time; the play
ground OF the butterfly and the place OF
business OF the bee; but in winter 1t is cold
and lonely enough.
In the daytime there is nobody there at
all. In the evening at uncertain intervals
there Is the patrol. In old times II used TO
be fayOrite haunt Of the knights OF the
road, during whose epoch, by the by,
should fancy that those who lived in the
locality found 1t even more difficult to col
lect their friends around them than now.
1t has still bad name for tramps and yag-
abonds, which makes my wife a little nery-
Gus when the days begin 10 draw in" and
our visitors TO draw of. She insists upon
my going over the house before retiring to
rest every night and making q report OF
"All's well" Being myself not much over
five feet high in my boots, and considera-
bly, less in my slippers lin which am wont
to make these peregrinations), it has often
suggested itself to my mind that it would
be more judiCious TO leave the burglars 10
do their worst, as regards the plate and
things, and not risk what Is Ito mel much
more valuable. or course could "hold the
lives Of half u dozen men in my hand'-a
quotation from my fayOrite authority
merely arming myself with loaded revoI-
yer; but the simple fact is, am so unskilled
in the use Of any weapon (unless the
umbrella can be called SUCH, that should
be just as likely to begin with shooting
number one THAT Is myself, as number
two, the first ruiIian." "Never willingly,
my dear" say to Julia, twill shed the
life-blOod OF any human being, and least
OF all my own" On the other hand, as |
believe in the force OF Imagination, al
ways carry on these expeditions, in the
pocket OF my dressing-gown, child's pts.
tol-belonging to our infant, Edward
John-whiCh looks like real one, and
would am persuaded, have all the effects
Of real one in my hand, without the ele-
ment OF personal peril. miserable ruff
ans" ! had made up my mind to say,
H meen GS% posw eSp ns eaby RF p
tolls butt, "but out Of perhaps mistaken
clemency will only shoot one OF YOU the
one that is the last to leave my house.
shall count six" Tor sixteen, according to
the number Of the gangl "and then FIRE"
Upon which they would, | calculated, all
skeedaddle helter.pelter TO the door they
got in at, which l should lock and double
lock after them. You may ask, Why
double.lock2 but you will get no satisfac.
tory reply. / know no more what 10
double.loCk" means than you do, but my
favorite noveist-a sensational one-al-
ways uses It, and ! conclude he ought to
know. II was the beginning OF a misty
October, when the leaves had fallen of
early, and our friends had followed their
example, and had been sitting up alone
into the small hours resoute to read my
fayorite author to the bitter end--his third
volume, wherein all the chief characters
Except the chronic ones) arc slain, save
one, who Is left sound in wind and limb,
but with an hereditary disposition 10 com.
nit suicide. Somewhat depressed by its
perusal and exceedingly sleepy, went
about my usual task Of seeing all was right
in a somewhat careless and perfunctory
manner. All was iIkht apparently In the
dining room, all right In the drawing
room, all right certainly in the study
where had myself been sitting, and al
right-no, not quite all right in our little
back hall sore vestibule, where, upon
the round table, the very largest
and thickest pair Of navy boots I ever
saw were standing between my wife's
neat little umbrella and pair OF her gar.
dening gloves. Even In that awful mo.
ment remember the sense OF contrast and
inConprtiity struck me almost as forCibly "A
the presence Of the boots themselves, and
they astonished and alarmed me rs much
as the sight Of the famous footprints did
Robinson Crusoe, and for precisely the
same reason. The boot and the print were
nothing in themselves, but my intelligence,
now fully awakened, at once flew 10 the
conclusion that somebody must have been
there 10 have left them, and was probably
in the neighborhood, and indeed under
my roof at that very moment. II you give