The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-04
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER II.
Mr.. wHIITLEsrAFY.
Mr.. Whittlestaff had not succeeded In
what he had attempted. He had felt
but little his want of success in regard
to money, but he had encountered fail
ure in other matters which had touched
him nearly. In some things his life had
been successful; he had never had a
headache, rarely a cold, and not touch
of the gout. He was now fifty, and as
fit for hard work as he ever had been.
He had thousand = year to spend, and
spent it without ever feeling the neces-
sity of saving a shilling. He hated no
one, and those who came in contact
with him always liked him. He trod
on nobody's corns, and was the most
popular man in the parish. To tell OF
his misfortunes a longer chronicle
would be necessary. He had been OPP
posed in everything to his fathers
views. His father, finding him clever
lad, had designed him for the bar. But
he utterly repudiated all legal pursuits.
what the deuce do you wish to be?"
said his father, who was supposed to
be able to leave his son two thousand
pounds year. The son replied that
| ne would devote himself to literature.
The old Admiral sent literature to all
the Internal gods, and told his son that
] he was fool. But the lad did not sue
coed. and neither father nor mother
ever knew the amount of suffering
which he endured thereby. He be-
came plaintive. and wrote poetry, and
spent his pocket-money in publishing it.
which again caused him sorrow, not for
the loss of his money, but by the OBJ
security of his poetry. He had to con-
fess that God had not conferred upon
him the gift of writing poetry, and.
having acknowledged so much, he never
again put two lines together. Ofall this
he said nothing: but the sense of failure
made him sad at heart. And his father,
when he was in these straits, only
laughed at him.
Then the old Admiral declared that,
as his son would do nothing for him.
self, he must work for his son. And
he took to going into the city and
specializing. Then the Admiral died.
and when Mrs. Whittlestaff followed
her husband. her son bought Croker $
Hall, reduced his establishment, and
put down the man-servant whose de-
parted glory was to Mrs. Baggett a
matter of deep regret.
But before this time Mr.. Whittlestafl
had encountered the greatest sorrow OF
his life. He had loved a young lady.
, and had been accepted-and then the
young lady had Tilted him. At this
time he was about thirty, and was abso-
lutely dumbfounded by the catastrophe.
He had been a sportsman in moderate
degree, fishing q good deal, shooting a
little, and devoted to hunting. But
when the blow came. he never nshed or
shot or hunted again. The young lady
would hardly have treated him so badly
had she known what the effect would
be- Her name was Catherine Bailey,
and she married one Compass. who
made a considerable reputation IS m
Old Bailey barrister His friend:
feared that Mr.. Whittlestaff would dc
some injury either to himself or Mr.
Compass But no one dared to speak tt
him on the subject.
Gradually he returned to gentle
cheerfulneSS of life, but he never burst
shooting pheasant. After that hi:
mother died, and again he was called
upon to endure lasting sorrow. Bu
on this occasion the sorrow was of thai
kind which is softened by having beer
expected. He rarely spoke of hi:
mother-had never. up to this period a
which our tale finds him. mentioned hi:
mothers name to any of those about
him. OF Catherine Bailey. who hat
falsely given herself up to so poor s
creature as Compass. after having re
ceived the poetry of his vows, he coulC
endure no mention whatever; anC
though Mrs. Baggett knew the whole
story, no attempt at naming the name
was ever made.
Such had been the successes and The
failures of Mr.. Whittlestaff' life wheI
Mary Lawrie came to his household
The same idea had occurred to him q.
to Mrs. Baggett. He was not young
because he was fifty; he was not an OLE
man. because he was only fifty. HI
had seen Mary Lawrie often enough
and had become sufficiently acquainted
, with her to feel sure that if he coulC
win her she would be 3 loving com
panion. He had turned it all over il
his mind. and had been now eager anC
now hashful On more than one oc
casion he had declared that he woult
be whipped if he would have anything
to do with her.
To him to ask and be denied would b,
a terrible pain. And as the girl did re
ceive from his hands all she had-hel
bread and meat, her bed. her yer,
clothes-would it not be better for he
that he should stand to her in the placs
of q father ttan lover? She might
come to accept it all and not thinl
much of it, if he would take the guis'
! of an old man. But were he to appea
, before her as q sutton would she refus,
him? Looking forward, he could per
ceive that there was room for mint,
, grief if he should make the attemp
and things should not go well witt