The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-05-31

worse sounds than her pretty playing.
but to Burnham there.was thorn of
wounded vanity in all the sweetness.
You behaved very nicely" said
Nine. Muller next morning. "And it
would take more than your lawyers
logic to make me believe you didn't
ENJOY 1t. So, topay You for your pa
tlenI attention to so much piano, come
IN this evening again for quiet game
OF whist. My young ladies have made
we'll" re - -,
NO demur now-no hesitancy, no ex-
cuses. He would come. %. '..... 49,.
de hated the charm that held him,
but he yielded to it.
The next evening was an improve
ment on the musical one-very little
card-playing, very pleasant talk. And
from that time forward Nine. Muller,
with her strong tendency toward match
making, made opportunities without
number for the young people to be to-
gether With her as chaperone they
went to operas and theaters together,
and to various other gala places.
But when penitential Lent came on
she became obdurate and strict, and
made them all miserable by refusing
them any public pleasures. ....
Lets form little club amongst our
selves" said Cdthbert one evening,
"for the study of something Shak-
speare, for eXample--since we must
moatify flesh and spirit accolSing to a
canon
Burnham blushed.
'Burnham. heard once you had
pr6elivities for the stage-that YOU half
thought of forsaking the law for the
drama. Is it SOP"
1t was so; he had INDUCED such a
dream, but it had been rudely dis
PEELED. ... ....'
60" he answered evasively, 81
think we are AL stage-struck at some
period in our Ives
'Well, you must have given some at
tention to the study of the art if you
really purposed devoting. yourself to it,
Give us a sample Of what YOU can do. :"
Eyes, let us hear YOU" joined
Wanda.
"Do, please, Mr.. Burnham," urged
Bertha. .,
A desperate resolution entered Burn
hams heart; it was crisis of all his
secret modification, sellscorn and vex-
alton. Sweet as those girls were he
would put them to confusion. He
would read from Macbeth!
He leisurely got down from Nine.
Muller's bookcase a battered old copy
of Shakespeare. His finger points fairly
quivered as he turned the leaves. He
deliberated; read now and then Jew
eled line; halted at this rare speech,
fingered with lovers greed over that;
and, finally cleared decks for action at
Act T., Scene III. D1Aasnaa1se.
Enter Macbeth, Doctor and 4uendants.
His hearers gave polite attention. He
subdued himself properly at the outset,
but reused to fine martial fervor when
he ordered his ''banners on the outer
wall. " Wanda's face had been
gradually deepening in color and
Bertha's was like q ripe cherry.
But Burnham was past blushing now
he had bearded these two kittens in
their den, and his spirit rose in proper
ton to his daring.
Bravo, Bravo" applauded Cuth,
bert and Madame when he had con.
cluded, somewhat heated and wrought
up. Bertha gave guilty start and fol
lowed suit with tender clapping o.
hands. But Wanda was silent.
As soon as Burnham had let himsel-
down an octave or two in his emotions
he ventured furtiye glance at Wanda
Her eyes were full of tears.
All. what brute he had been to re.
sortto such anunmanly revenge. What
would he not give to beg her pardon.
go on" cried Cuthbert, ''that's MOI
half enough. He does uncommonly
well, doesn't he, Miss Wanda?"
Nonsense, sneered Burnham, ''it's
sheer bombast. I can't read-don't
ask me. Let's talk of something else. .
No amount of ilattery or persuasion
could induce him to 90 on after having
made Wanda cry. He put the boob
back in its place. ..
"Sing, please, Miss Bertha-there':
nothing like music" he said.
A blast of north wind seemed to have
blown over them, so chilling was the
influence that had fallen. They LOST
sight of the fact that they were about
to form club for mutual improvement
Three of them knew where the icy
breath came from, but Cuthbert was il
ignorance. . f..-..... o..
"What's the matter? You all seem
to have been stricken with a kind OF
thunderbolt." eva
Bertha FASTENED to the piano. She
was not usually so willing to sing
Burnham sought Wanda on the sofa
She did not wait for him to speak.
sit was you who were reading in the
room next to ours the first night We
came to this house. 1t was very rude
in me to rap on the wall, but it wa,
ruder still to laugh about it afterward
l was always ashamed of it, but never
so much as now" - t' E
"Why more ashamed now than be
fore?'' ...-.....
"Why-you see. az long.as l believed
it was that fat old gentleman felt sor
of justified. because well, | suppose
because he is old, and fat, and wheezy.'
''And now?" -r a.. .. ~.
''Now-it is different" lob. ..
81 had betterright to disturb people
than if l had been more advanced il
years and more corpulentP That i.
your logic, as understand it.'' m
IF you tease ME Ishall be glad die
it, .....s $500.
81 for one am not sorry. Experience
is a fine disciplinarian. 1t was nearer
like being henpecked than any thing