The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-17
CHAPTER yy.


Mr.. Whittlestaf did at last get into
the train and have himself carried up
TO London. And he ate his sandwiches
and drank his sherry with an air of
supreme satisfaction--as though he had
carried his point. And so he had. He
had made up his mind on certain
matter; and, with the object of doing a
certain piece of work, he had escaped
from the two dominant women of his
household. who had done their best to
intercept him. So far his triumph was
complete. But. as he sat silent in the
corner of the carriage, his mind revert
ed to the purpose of his journey, and
he can not be said to have been tri-
umphant. All Arlesford would know
it. and would sympathize with John
Gordon. And rs it came to be known
that he himself had given up the girl
whom he loved. he could read the ridi-
cule which would be conveyed by the
smiles of his neighbors.
To tell the truth of Mr.. Whittlestaff.
he was a man very open to such shafts
of ridicule. The "robur 1t as tripler"
which fortified his heart went only to
the doing of good and unselfish action.
and did not extend to providing him
with that adamantine shield which vir-
tue should of itself supply. He was as
pervious to these Stings as man might
be who had not the strength to act in
opposition to them. He could screw
himself up to the doing of a great deed for
the benefit OF another. and could. as he
was doing so. deplore with inward tears
the punishment which the world would
accord TO him for the deed. As he sat
there in the corner of his carriage, he
was thinking of the punishment rather
than of the glory. And the punishment
must certainly come now. Itwould be
Q punishment lasting for the remainder
of his life, and so bitter in its kind rs TO
make any furtheS living almost impos-
sible to him. Ii was not that he would
kill himself He did not mediate any
such step rs that. He was q man who
considered that by doing an outrage to
Co.'s work. IN ofense would lie COM
mitted against God which admitted of
no repentance. He must live through
it to the last. But he must live IS
man who was degraded. He had made
his effort, but his effort would be known
to all Alresford. Mr.. Montagu Blake
would take care of that.
The evil done to him would be Que
which would admit of no complaint
from his own mouth. He would be left
alone, living with Mrs. Baggett-who.
of course. knew all the facts. The idea
of Mrs. Baggett going away with her
husband was, of course, not to be
thought OF. That was another null
sance; a small e-il in comparison with
the great misfortune of his life
He had brought this girl home to his
house to be the companion of his days,
and she had come to have in his mouth
a flavor. as it were, and sweetness be-
yond all other sweetness. She had lent
q grace to his days OF which for many
years he had not bel eyed them to be ca
pable. He was a man who had thought
much OF love. reading about it in all the
poets with whose lines he was CONVEX
SAINT. He was one who. in all that ne
read. would take the gist of it home
20 himself, and ask himself how it was
with him in that matter. His favorite
Horace had had fresh love for every
day: but he had told himself that Hor-
ace knew nothing of love. OF Petrarch
and Laura he had thought; but even to
Petrarch Laura had been n subject for
expression rather than fer passion.
irince Arthur, in his love for Guinever.
went nearer to the mark which he had
fancied for himself. Imogen, in her
love for Posthumus, gave to him pict-
ure of sill that love should be. 1t was
thus that he had thought of himself in
all his readings; and as yeavs had gone
by he had told himself that for him
there was to be nothing better than
reading. But vet his mind had been
full. aud he had still thought to himself
that, in spite of his NJ stake in reference
to Catherine Bailey, there was still room
for 4 strong passion.
Then Marie Lawrie had come upon
him. and the sun seemed to shine no.
where but in her eyes and in the ex-
preston OF her face. He had told him.
self distinctly that he was in love. and
that his life had not gone 50 far for
ward as to leave him stranded on the
dry ssnd-hilis. She was there living
in his house, subject to his oriers, af-
fecticnate and docile; but, as far as he
could judge, a perfect woman. And.
as far Is he could Judge, there was no
otter man whom she loved. Then,
with many doubtings. he asked her the
question, and be soon learned the truth
= but not the whole truth.
There had been , man, but ne was
one who seemed to have passed by and
left his mark, and then to have gone
on altogether out of sight. She had