Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-04-23
A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE.
BY MINNIE DOUGLASS.

The walters watched his slightest
movement, and attended TO his wants In
a manner seldom witnessed. Was he
not the richest American, or, at any
rate, the most liberal, who had taken
up his abode at the Langham this year
There is some pleasure In waiting on a
gentleman who tips half a sovereign as
freely as an Englishman does q shilling
Mr.. Jonathan Lee was evidentlya mill
ionaire, and man who understood how
to enjoy himself. His wife was a thin,
overdressed woman of forty, whose face
had once been pretty, but that was long
ago, and whose aim In life, being child
less, was the acquisition of new clothes
and JeWelry. She never tired of chang
ing her dresses, and was rarely seen
wearing one a second time in public.
Mr.. Lee had passion for sending tel
egrams. He seldom wrote a letter, but
bombarded his friends with messages on
matters of no importance-al always, to do
him Justice, preparing a reply.
One day-it was one of London's hor-
rid days, and an east wind was blowing
Mrs. Lee observed:
81 can't see the use of paying shil-
ling for a telegram that nobody cares to
get"
''And what's the use of giving forty
guineas for dress that nobody cares to
see?" retorted Mr.. Lee, which caused
his wife to founee the one she was then
wearing into the nearest armchair,
where she devoted her attention to the
last fashion-book.
But one day there came a telegram
which had crossed the Atlantic, and the
news it contained, whether it was good
or bad, caused Mr.. Jonathan Lee to
take an afectionate leave of his wife.
previous to starting on a short Journey.
The wording OF the message was this:
'sEnglish gent has got the papers"
Among the woods and hills of Surrey
stands fine old stone mansion belong
ing to Sir Andrew Gordon. In the
library OF the house the members of the
family were assembled one evening,
and the family consisted of the old
baronet and his son Archibald. an anti |
quated aunt of the latter, Miss Dorothy
Gordon, and Contance Gwyn, Sir An |
drew's ward, a beautiful girl of nearly
eighteen.
''There will be a storm tonight. |
Hank how the wind is risingI" said Miss |
Dorothy, with shiver. 'FIt's a mercy
your travels are over, Andrew"
eyes," said the old man, holding his |
hands toward the fire; ''I am better
pleased with the safety of my own stone
walls than the best mail steamer that ever
crossed the Atlantic. But now I'll ring |
for lights, and Archie, my boy, come |
over and try to understand some of the |
mysteries contained in these yellow pa
pers."
Archie, a handsome, fair-haired fell
low OF twenty three, had been resting at |
full Iength-and that was over six feet
on a comfortable:sofa, watching lazily the
figure of his fathers ward. who |
persistently looked every way but
his.
''I'll come; but I don't suppose I
shall make anything out of them" he
answered, rising slowly.
''My boy, it is importont-quite
fortune for you! Your poor mother
never knew of it, " were the words Con-
stance heard as she sat idly in her low
chair near the fire. ''The papers are
worth two thousand a year, That rascal
who has kept them back would give
something to know where they are now"
chuckled the old baronet. as he spread
out the cracking letters and a large
sheet of parchment on table, the but
Ter meanwhile arranging reading lamp
to suit his master In so leisureIy man |
ner as to call forth an impatient excla-
nation of ''That will do! that will doi'
Simmons respectfully took the hint,
and now he busted himself with the
heavy curtains, having noiselessly closed
the shutters.
'1here is a shocking draught," MUIR
INJURED Miss Dorothy. ''Don't you feel |
it Constance?"
mot bit, replied Constance, laugh
ing as she rose to get her working basket;
"but the wind will get in such night
as this"
Simmons retired, and Archie OBJ
erved: EE
I'm awfully glad that fellow is Ieav-
ing-he walks like cat!"
Indeed" cried Miss Dorothy,
q1erulously, ST think your father does
wrong to part with him: we have never
had SO quiet servant.
''Never miRd the man-attend to
me!' cried Sir Andrew. "You must
particularly try to remember this"
arcn1e only ouLWardIy listening, was
exhibiting some of those provoking
symptoms which a lover shows after
there has been cloud in the atmosphere,
and the lady has managed to get the
best of it.
Constance Gwyn seemed to remember
and left the room. When
she returned, after quarter of an hours
the butler bad entered with
tray of glasses and the requisites for Sir
Andrews ''nightcap" of whisky toddy.
The baronet folded the papers into a