Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-06
LADY BEST'S MISTAKE.


which Lady Best bestowed all her
leisure hours and thereby managed
to add no inconsiderate sura to her m
come, which, since her husband S
death had been rather small.
With the money derived from tins
source She had been able TO sead her
only son. Arthur TO Oxford; Arthur,
who was the apple of her eye, the on
ly one being for whom she really
cared. She had given him first
class education, and il had not been
received on stony ground, for Arthur
was clever. and n book worm, too
much so for worldly pursuits, since
he had INDUCED in study and contem-
plation till he had become a dreamer
By the time he reached the age of
twenty-five it had been declared by
all the neighbors, and Lady Best S
circle generally, that Arthur would
never do any good for himself IN life;
a hard verdict, considering that he
had not a single vice, and was hand
some and manly looking. Not that
his habits aud purposes were exactly
manly: fishing was the only sport IN
which he had ever been known to in
dulge and he spent his time for the
most part in wandering about tue
valley. wearing clothes of a somewhat
aesthetic cut, which was particularly
distasteful to his rural nelghbors, a
sluuching felt hat on his head, and a
book - generally poetry in hiss
hand.
Idolizing Arthur though she did, it
depressed Lady Best not little to see
him take to an effeminate do-nothing
sort of life; aud since he had now
wasted more than a year in this sort
of dream, she began to despair of see
ing him embark in any OF the PROBES
sions for which she had hoped hls ed
ucation would have fitted him What
was she to do-how she was to change
the current of events-she did not
know.
"Was he IN love2 Had he had a
disappointment}' her acquaintance
asked her till she was tired of answer
ing. The question, however at last
suggested a remedy Why should not
a touch of the very disease from which
peosle thought he was suffering bring
about his cure?
Girls, she would surround him with
girls: of course, while she had due
regard for good looks, never forget
ting that in her estimation, nothing
made the eyes glisten with so much
pleasure as the sight Of gold
SO Lady Best gave tennis party
and invited all the beauty of the coun-
try, including two or three heiresses
but before the afternoon was half over
Arthur had disappeared He had
wandered down the valley away from
"the noise. as he called the musical
laughter of these maidens, promising
himself to return as soon as they all
should be gone.
Lady Best was disappointed but not
crushed: she would try again, this
time in a quieter but she hoped a
more etIectual way.
Arthur was out so much she was
at times very dull, she told him
''m0reoyer, she wanted some assist
ance in eitecting one or two dairy re-
forms. Her elder brothers daughter
Hannah Milton aged 10, was, she
understood, decidedly practical, en-
ergetic girl. She had not seen her
since she was a baby, but she would
like to invite her on long visit auc
make her acquaintance. Had Arthur
any oblectlOnst
mo; none whatever. OF course hi,
mother was perfectly free to do as SHE
liked
But would he be civil and kline
to this unknown cousin when sh,
Gamer
'If She pleased him, certainly; but
doubtless, she would in no way inter
fere with his pursuits
Not very encouraging if Lady Bes
had any serious intentions in refer
ence to Miss Hannah Milton, who
we will observe in parenthesis-sh,
believed would sooner or later com,
into the possession of at least hun
dred thousand pounds
Not a word of this did she, however
utter to Arthur, but without fuJhe
discussion, wrote an aiiectionate let
ter to her niece asking her TO com
and stay at the cottage as long as sh
could endure the frugaHty and small
ness of their impecunious life.
Miss Hannah Milton answered b
return of post that She should be dc
lighted to avail herself Of her aunt
invitation, more especially as her faith
CIR was going abroad on business, am
she should be her own mistress 70
the next two months. She might
expected to arrive, bag and baggage
at the cottage on the 9th of July.
was then the end of June.
To this announcement followed
postscript that she hoped her dea
aunt did not object to living animals
as of course she could not leave her
all alone at Milton Hal daring lie
fathers absence.
Lady Best was delighted at the su,
cess of her letter, and wrote again I
say that both she and Arthur WEI
particularly fond ofpets.
Arthur had read Miss Millions lie
ter, and merely SAID that he hoped th
dogs, if they were dogs, were thorough