Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-03-21

he had long ceased to think with any bit
! terness of the shallow hearted Julia to
whom he had become engaged immediate.
ly after taking orders, and who had
thrown him over in favor Of man OF
much greater wealth and higher position;
he had, indeed, ceased to think about her
at all. But none the less was it her con.
duct which had shaped the course of his
life. BY it be had been driven into deep
study, into an Oxford professorship, and
finally into canonry; by it also he had
been driven out of society. for which the
treachery Of one member OF the sex had
imbued him with strong repugnsnce. At
Oxford, where he had resided up to the
time Of his recent preferment, the ladies
had quite given him up. It had been un-
derstood there that be did not care for the
relaxation Of dinner parties and tea par
ties; and 1t WAS somewhat singular coin
cidence that, having from sense of duty
consented to break through his long
standing rule and dine with the Dean OF
lichburg, he should have found himself
seated opposite to his old love, whom, by
another odd coincidence, he had wooed,
won, and lost in that very neighborhood
20 long before.
This chance meeting had upset the
worthy man q good deal. In the gray
haired but vivaciOus Mrs. Annesley who
had claimed acquaintance with him across
the table, he had scarcely recognized the
heroine of his buried romance, nor had he
either the wish or the power to resuscitate
the tender feelings with which he had
once regarded her but the sight of her
had stirred up old memories within him,
and these had haunted him through the
night. had prevented the Papacy from
rising satisfactorily in the morning, and
inally, AZ Aforesaid, had sent him out into
the open air, prey to vague regrets.
So that elderly lady was Julia Annesleyl
And she had grown-up sons and daugh-
tiers. about whom she talked great deal;
and her husband was dead-the husband
for whom she had never cared, and whom
she made little pretence of regretting. To
oil appearance. she regretted nothing
Why should she, when she had all that a
woman would could wish to have? Perhaps,
Thought the Professor, it might be better
thing to be the father Of sons and daugh-
tiers, when one was growing old, than to
be the author of an unrivalled monograph
on the merits and dement's of Julian the
Apostate. To be sure, there was no reason
why one shouldnt be both. And then he
fell to wondering whether that ambition
which had been the chief cause of Julia g
iniidelity could have been satisfied with
such fame and social standing as an his
torian, . professor, and canon may lay
claim to. Only, If be had married Julia,
he would probably have begun and ended
as country parsou. He SMILED at him.
self for INDUCING in such nonsensical fan.
cies at his time of life but he went on
dreaming all the same until he was startl-
ed by the opening of gate which connect
ed his house with the Precincts.
somebody strobe with brisk, ringine
step up the brick pathway to the front
door. singing loudly: +
81 loved her. and she ml ght have been
The happiest in tn land:
But she fancied q foreigner who played he
clarinet
In the middle Of German band"
Then came vigorous pull at the bell.
followed by subdued whis'ling of the air
Of this opposite but vulgar ditty. 1t waa
not after 20 INDIGENOUS fashion that the
Professors visitors were won't to approach
him. and he could not resist the tempta-
ton to steal softly across the turf past the
library windows and see who might be the
author of all this disturbance. His curl
osity was rewarded by full-lenRth view
of a handsome, merry looking young fell
low in undress cavalry uniform. who him.
self happened to b. peeping round the
corner at that moment, and who at once
advanced. saying "Oh, how do you do ?
Canon Stanwick. isn't it. My mother
asked me to leave this note for you az l
passed-MIs Annesley, you know. She
says you and she are old friends"
II am much obliged to you, SIR" said
the Professor in his grave voice, taking
the note. "Pray come In"
"Can't, thants," answered the other
81 must be off to barracks. See you this
afternoon on the cricket ground though,
I hope. We've got great match on
garrison against the county. We shall
be awfully licked, Of course; but everybody
will be up there, and it's something to do.
Very glad to see you If you'll come to our
tent. You'll find my mother there; the
the notes to tell you ell about it. Go od-by
for the present."
And with that this unceremonious
young man clanked away, leaving the
Professor, who had not looked on at 3
cricket match for matter of thirty
years, much amused. The note ran as
follows:
DEANERY, LICHBURY, Thursday.
"DEAR CANON STANwICK hope, il
you are disengsged this afternoon. you
will join our party on the crlcket-eround,
and give me the opportunity. which l
sought in vain last night, OF having lit
tie talk with you. am obliged to leave
anxious to have few words with you be-
fore 20, about my son, who is CHARTERED
here. d. come, and
Believe me most sincerely yours,
JULIA ANNEsLEY."
"Oh, by all MEANS" said the Professor,
who mad 9 solitary mans habit OF think
ing aloud. 81 shall feel rather like fish
out of water among all those people; but
never mind. I'll 60. Only 1 can't think
why you should want to talk to me about
your son."
Perhaps the Professor was still little
in the dark as to this point, even after .
long interview with Mrs. Annesley;
though he certainly could not complain of