The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-08

ILL LII ~
tConlin4,d from yt,tenidyl
Ono fine September morning, when
party OF visitors, who had been spcndinI
some weeks at the Hall, had lust dsivei
oil, Humphrey copied his wife feeding th
peacocks on the grassin front Of the house
lilo h Stoned TO join her In tho best c
spirits, md would have put his arm aroun'
her waist.
The lady OF boutwell, Hall was not Ii
tho mood for these little attentions. Hum
phrcy gave her as true m attachment n
II Is In the power Of man to bestow, an,
she dcspised him in return; but one Of til,
gentlemen just departed, although shI
half.gnesscd him to be as hCartless us her
self, had inspired her with something n
near to passion rs she was capable Of feel
Ing. Some Of his fine compliments ant
ilal.ering looks were Gllins her thought
now rs she threw IN occasional dole hal
absently to the pcacocks.
"Hurral for II little soIitude!" said Hum
phrey. ~ declare | never was SO glad Il
SEQ ihe backs Of my people before, and
don't caro- who calls mo inhospitahlc iol
saying so; but 1t is something 10 have 20,
ali 10 myself for two quiet days and even
ines."
"You forget Grisclda said, carcless),
bribing tho handsouacst peacock to ,
nearer approach, only to d%iyappoint him
by tossing tho gift TO another, "@;c go to-
morrow evening to tho ball ut Bavgply.'
"Nonsensc!" snid humphrey, With 1
little laugh, "you don't mean that serious
~. "A public ball twenty miles Of. anG
nobody there VIC want TO zoe. We vii
have aAlancc together out here Instead
our ballroom will be q finer ono thar
theirs, and cooler, too in this weather."
Fig spoke gayly, and helping himself tc
her bread, began throwing il TO tho pea
cocks too. They looked such a handsome,
hapFy compile in the sunshine, with ill
peacocks swnyins their bright.cyed train:
around, and the old.iashioned picturesque
house Ms q background, that il seems ter.
rihlv i'll to remember that ~treachery lay in
the heart OF ono OF them.
"iou can do as you like, OF course
sud the loving vile, but | Certainly mean
to 20. and told our guests SO only this
morning"
"Why, what difference does that make?
They will DO there, no doubt, but | nm
not going to drive twenty miles Tor the
pleasure OF seeing them again. No,
Griselda, do n%otdisappoint me oitlesctwo
days: 1 want our lie TO BIO Il qnietcr ONE,
my dear; VIC sec too little OF each other
with these perpetual visitors, and | do
not caro- u brass iatthing for any one OF
them beside my bonnie wife"
Ono Of tho peAcocks saw ah angry CLEAN
in Lady Grisclda's handsome eyes. "You
know | hate sentiment" she said, sand us
for the ball | really cannot think OF giving
it up; and for nothing, TOO"
Are my wishes no!hingW
"llere is Mr.. Forlyee coming" said she,
"and | think interruptions arc b~lessingsto
q matrimonial %tcte.a-tete." 10
did You mean that ?"bcran Humphrey
holly, but his wife had already advanced
toward the visitor, III .
Mr. Fordyce was the clergyman Of the
parish, and no loved Humphrey "a y
father. Ho wa a quaint old figure, aud
sometimes afforded food for mirth TO
Lady Griselda, who loyed 10 puzzle him
with gay raii!ery. She now pressed him
TO continue there for the remainder OF the
day, and it pleased her to be verysraaious
to him and to pilot him round The garden
and along the Strawberries to spots that he
knew fur better than she. \
Dinner Mt Hothwell Hall was served at
8 o'clock, and Humphrey was beguiled
out OF all ill-humor BY bis yiip's wit anil
IA cination at that meal. She had but an
old jus hInncd country parson upon whom
to exercise them, but vanity like hers is IL
very ostrich in its quiet. Sow she rallied
him on some. sly. altusion, OF which l,o was
as INNOCENT rs the chair on which he sat;
now her pretty white teeth tlael,ed out in
laughter, either with him or lit him, but
yelled under a sufficient prctcx for Hum
phrcy to join in with u clear conscience;
and now she would press tho parson to
come especial dainty with . charm which,
to Humphrey, ecctiea to comhtnh all per
lection in it's wiles. 70 loat WAS he in adj
miration that when left. With his guest
anil the decanters, he could not leave the
topic, but talked to his old friend more
like d lover OF hts wife than q husband, OF
her superiority to other women, her
beauty, and her charm. Ills spirits had
returned with interest, and neither he
nor Mr.. Ferdyce spared the wine as they
passed from one pleaa:nt topic to another
in the familiar old dining room.
"And now We will 60 10 Grizel," said
Humphrey blitheiy, as they rose at last,
"and she shall give us some Of her best
songs, for ! know yon like her sifiging.n
Assured" ssid aIr. Fordycc, adding
mentally, "a good deaf better thDu j likp
iirraclf: she'll be a thorne to him YETI
But when they reached the drawing-room
my lldy was not there. Humphrey rang
the bell and made inquiries for her, when
he was told her Ladyship had a headache
and would not come downs tairs any more
that evening.
With a SLIGHT frown on his brow, he
went up at once To his wife's bed room,
and found eile invalid lying on Il sofa read,
ing n FRENCH novel.
why, GriSsl.n sail he, lis your head
really bad? Will it not be we'll enough ia
give us some singing? Fordyce wants 80
much to hear you again.
HE will most likely have plenty OF
opportunity for thut," said Lady Griselda
cafclessly, not looking up from her book.
" rInnot 20 down stairs ngain Tonight"
"l3nt i your head is not well enough for
singing, surely reading does not make it
better, said Humphrey. with moro lrutl,
than tact. 'See nov, don't want yoi, to
sing or 10 anything to make it worse, only
come down |i,at to be with us. We are as
quiet as possible.''-
""rhank YOU, | havo had enough, OF the
old man Tor Today" said Lady Griselda;
''you can entertain him now. I mean to
rest this evening so ms TO ba fresh for the
ball tomorrow night"
" thought you had given that up; bit
no doubt was o fool for thinking sao,"
said her husband, and turned In silence to
tho door.
The Humphrey that Joined Mr.. For
dyce was notthe Humphrey OF the dinner
table; but his abstraction was wisely ig.
nored by his companion. AS the clergy
man walked home across the fields lie
shook his head several times with n threat
cning irown. His mothcr-wit Ind long
seen through every vile and grace OF Lady
Grisclda, and no pondcrcl with grief mud
apprehension overa certain look Of misery