The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-15
CHAPTER TX.
REV. MoNrAGuK BLAKh

SO00 uOruOO, WIlen ne lclt tue TOOtu,
went out to look for Mr.. Whittlestaff,
but was told that he had gone into the
town. Mr.. Whittlestaff had had his
own troubles in thinking of the un-
lucky coincidence of John Gordon's re-
turn, and had wandered forth deter
mined to leave those two together, SO
that they might speak to each other as
they pleased. And, during his walk,
he did come to a certain resolution.
Should request of any kind be made
10 him by John Gordon, it should re-
was q man to whom he owed nothing,
and for whose welfare he WAS not in the
least solicitous. ''Why should l be
punished and he be made happy" 1t
was thus he spoke to himself Should
he encounter. disappointment, in order
that Johr Gordon should win the object
on which nc had set his heart? Ger
tainly not His own heart was much
dearer to him than that of John Cor
don.
But if request should be made by
Mary Lawrie? Alasl if it were so, then
there must be sharp misery in store for
him. In the first place, were she to tell
him that this man was dear to her, how
was it possible thas he should 60 to the
altar with the girl, and there accept
from her her troth? She had spoken of
a fancy which had crossed her mind re-
speeding a man who could have been
no more than dream to her. of whose
whereabouts and condition-nav, of his
very eXistence-shc was unaware. And
she had told him that no promise, no
word of love had passed between them.
ayes, you may think of him." he had
said, meaning not TO debar her from the
use of Thought, which should be open TO
all the world, but let him not be spo-
ken Of" Then she had promised; and
when she had come again to withdraw
her promise. she had done so with some
cock-and- bull story about the old wo-
man, which had he'd no weight with
him. Then he had her presence dur
ing the interview between the three on
which to form his Judgment As far as
he could remember, she had spoken
hardly above word during that inter-
but not explaining tie cause of her I'M
happiness. 1t might well be that she
should be unhappy in the presence of
her aflianced husband and her old lover.
But now, if she would tell him that she
wished to be relieved from him, and to
give herself to this stranger, she should
be allowed to go. But he told himself
that he would carry his generosity no
further He was not called upon to Of
fer TO surrender himself The man s
coming had been misfortune; but let
him GO, and in proc SIS of time he would
be forgotten. 1t was thus that Mr..
Whittlestatf resolved.
1t was now nearly five O'Clock, and
Mr.. Whittlestaff. as Gordon was told.
dined at SIX. He felt that he would not
find the man before dinner unless he re-
manned at the houSe-and for doing so
he had no excuse. He must return in the
evening. or sleep at the inn and come
back the next morning. He must man
age TO catch the man alone, because he
was assuredly minded to use upon him
all the power of eloquence which he had
at his command. And, as he thought
it improbable to find him in the even
ing, he determined to postpone his
task. But. in doing so, he felt that he
should be at loss The eager words
were hot now within his memory, hay
inc been sharpened against the anvil of
his thoughts by his culioquy with Mary
Lawrie. Tomorrow they might have
cooled. His purpose might be as strong;
but man when he wishes to use burn
ing words should use them while the
words are on fire.
John Gordon had friend ut Aries
ford, or rather an acquaintance. on
whom he had determined to call, and
Blake OF Mir. Blake he only knew
that he was a curate of neighboring
parish. and that they two had been at
oxford together So he walked down
to the inn to order his dinner, not feel
inc his intimacy with Mr.. Blake sufii-
cient to Justify him in looking for his
dinner with him. A man always dimes.
let his sorrow be what it NAV. A woman
contents herself with tea, and mitigates
her sorrow by an extra cup. John
Gordon ordered a roast fowl and asked
his way to the curate's house.
Rev. Montagu Blake was curate OF
Little Alresford, a parish, lying about
three miles from the town. The vicar
was feeble old gentleman who had
gone away TO die in the Riviera, and
Mr. Blake had the care of the souls to
himself. He was 4 man whose lines
had fallen in pleasant places. There
were about two hundred and Fifty men,
women and children in his parish. and
not Dissenter among them. For look
ing after these folk he had one hundred
and twenty pounds per annum, and as
pretty little parsonage rs could he
found in England. There was squire
with whom be was growing in grace
and friendship, who. being the patron
of the living, might possibly bestow it
upon him. 1t was worth only two hdn-
dred and fifty pounds. and was not,
therefore, too valuable 10 be expected.
He had modest fortune of his own,
three hundred pounds year. perhaps,
and-for the best Of his luck shall be
mentioned last-be WAS engaged 10 the
daughter of one of the prebendaries OF
Winchester, pretty, bright lit
tie girl, with further sum OF
five thousand pounds belonging to
herself. He was thirty years Of
age, in the possession of perfect
health, and not so strict as to make
it necessary for him to abandon anv OF
the innocent pleasures of this world.
He could dine out and play cricket,
and read novel. And should he
chance when riding about the parish,
or visiting some neighboring parish, tc
come across the hounds, he would mo-
scrupie 10 see them over field or two
So that Rev. Montagu Blake was, upor
the whole, a happy fellow.
He and John Gordon had beer
fb,Sou-p torothar OF Dyfori for q Shor-