The Portland daily press., 1881-04-23


morning-room. Say that Mrs. Mainwaring
Trumpet wishes to see him instantly. H.
stantly! do you hear?" she said to the
servant.
Eyes, ma'am," the man answered. ''In
taking she p'he remarked, as he went to
deliver the message.
The Infatuated Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet
might have heard two or three gasp-like in
halations before the door opened. She
might have seen the faintest remnant of a
grin On the rector's lean face as he entered
the room. But. she saw no smiles, heard
no sound of laughter; she was riding on the
whirlwnd of her rage, and alive to nothing
but the chastisement she must inflict.
'Arthur Arrowsmith," she began, "you
are found out. Walls have ears and win
dows have eyes. o you perjured manr'
'They may have" retorted the rector,
who seemed wonderfully we'll prepared for
the attack; ''but even if that be so, however
curious and interesting the fact NAV be con-
sidered in the light of an unexpected and
"a Their inexplicable phenomenon, still I
don't see what it has to say to my being a
perjured man."
'You were seen in this room,' the lady
went on, ''seeing when that clock was
What was going to happen just then, Ar
thur Arrowsmith?"
II should say the clock was going to
strike the half-hour,' the rector answered,
with perfect compos sure.
so you wicked and most shameless man!'
cried Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet 81 could
not have believed it only saw it with my
own eyes,"
"Aided by Dolland's telescoper' remark
ed the rector.
Eyes, aided by Dolland's telescoper' his
accuser answered. She did not care that
the fact was discovered. "And let lis be
thankful for any instrument that finds out
the baseness of men. Carrying on with
that chit of a girl! 1 declare l could not
have believed It'll!
'Why should not carry on, as yon call it
with that girl if l please?" demanded the
clergyman not the least moved by her vehe
mence.
"Hear him speaku' she screamed, invok-
ing some invisible power. 80 Arthur Ar
70. smith, to behave so with that white tie
round your neck!'
''The only thing to be said about the tie
round my neck is that there is not quite
enough starch in it," replied the rector.
That. | take it, is the laundress's fault,
not mine"
"And your gray headp' continued Mrs.
Mainwaring Trumpet, sweeping forward in
her invective, regardless of this flppant in
terruption.
''Now as to my head" the clergyman
said, for the first time with little warmth.
"There is not gray hair on it."
swell, with your bald head, thenr' cried
the frenzied Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet
"With your bald head, to behave SO, it's
appallingv'
'sIf were to behave so without my bald
head it certainly would be appalling" re-
torted the rector. Surely, Mrs, Mainwar,
ing Trumpet, you don't mean to say that if
were decapitated my conduct would have
been more becoming?"
This sardonic mood he maintained through
the interview; but no such boyish Opposi-
ton could stem the rush of Mrs. Mainwar.
ing Trumpet's wrath.
"You knelt before herv'
eyes; her shoe-string had come undone."
"You put your arms about her neckv'
''She asked me to fasten her neck-ribbon.
By the way" the rector added, "what dc
they call the ribbons that stream down theiI
backs? A name in jest. Follow-me-lads
That's it. She asked me to fasten her follow
me-lads."
"Her follow-me-lads!' repeated Mrs.
Mainwaring Trumpet, in a voice that sank
into the deepest bass with Indignation.
swell, if the earth were to open and swal-
low me up But" she cried, darling back
to the main track of her impeachment, 81
saw more than that; you kissed her."
'sAs to kissing," the imperturbable rector
replied, ''that might be the kiss of peace"
kiss of peace, indeed" echoed the scorn-
full dame. "a likely story! The kiss of
peace was not given half dozen at time.
And if the first was kiss of peace, will you
tell me what were the other five?"
II shall answer no questions" answered
the rector, seeming to become very grand
and dignified all of a sudden.
so, then you don't even repent" Mrs.
Trumpet went on. And now her last bit of
patience vanished. "You glory in it, Ar
thur Arrowsmith," she cried, in a voice
which rang through the room: 81 renouuce
you; cast you off; l would rather marry
your coachman than you. We are strangers
from this moment and forever, and 1 only
wish there were witnesses to hear me say
tine words!'
witnesses are here" the rector said,
breaking into a smile, and throwing open
the folding-doors as he spoke. "You were
not likely to miss much of Mrs. Manwaring
Trumpet's interesting conversation, were
your he added, addressing himself to the
adjoining room.
Here two ladies sat at luncheon. One was
the pretty rival, the other Miss Quick. Both
ladies seemed trying to suppress their
laughter, only the younger one was little
rosy red amid her amusement.
''Miss Quick you know" said the rector,
now quite calm. "This is my dead brother s
only child, my adopted daughter, dear
good GIRL" and he stroked her cheek with a
warmth that was pleasant to see, while she
grew roster red than before.
Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet, for once in
her life lost her power of speech. She stood
and nm n6 Int dc
Here" said the rector, drawing his
niece's neck-ribbon through his fingers,
'here is her follow-me-lads. 1 tied it
smartly. did 1 not?"
II have made mistake" gasped poor
Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet at last. 81 have
made mistake; apologize; withdraw my
words. We shall be as we have ever been. l
mean," she added, hanging her head a little,
Gas we have been the past two months"
mo, thank you," the rector said: "you
have renowned me and cast me aft. If you
please, we shall be as we have been for the
past two minutes
Mainwaring Trumpet could not finish the
sentence.
Il mean," the rector said, drawing him
self up and buttoning his coat tightly around
his thin frame, "that any lady who takes tel
escopic views of my private life shall for the
remainder of her existence be kept at tele-
scOpic distance from me. From henceforth,
Mrs. Malnwaring Trumpet, distance shall
lend enchantment to any viewof me and my
concerns that you may take; and from VIII at
have seen l am inclined to think that any
enchantment which may derive from the
inspection of yourself will be in great mea-
sure owing to the interposition of the same
agreeable medium"
Light broke on Mrs. Mainwaring Trump
ct at last.
81 have been ensnared," she cried, more
furiously than ever; "Ihave been deceived
"You have, by your own telescope" the
clergyman answered. Take my advice and
keep that valuable instrument for the obser-
walton of the heavenly bodies, and let other
bodies alone.'
"Well," Mrs. Mainwaring Trumpet retort-
ed, with creditable rallying of her spirits,
just as she marched out, call I can say of
my telescope is this, have not tried it on
any heavenly body yet. Good morning to
you?' and with somewhat recovery of mai
esty she swept from the room.
"Adams," she said, when she reached her
own hamber, It's all over! We are stran-
gers now. Our lives are parted, Adams,
and will run in separate channels to the
great ocean,"
Adams was not quite equal to this high
yp,ofop nh 81 A;nI