Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-30
LUNCHEON AT LORDS.
London Truth

| yellow mustache His vices were Compare
lively few and Of gentlemanly description.
| His near relations consisted Of q couple Of
married sisters. HIS had no entanglements
and was not gambler. Needless to say,
therefore that he was acknowledged by COM
mon consent to be the most eligible party in
London But, though by no means impervi-
Gus to the charms Of ths fair sex, Byng was
terribly difficult to please. The loveliest
young debutantes and thu most astute
mothers had for years angled unsuccess-
fully for the glittering prize. But each
recurring season brought with it soIne fresher
beauty or some more confident mamma, and
hence, the hunting Of Byne went nserrily On
| He liked to Talk to women about pictures,
about poetry, love- transcendental philosophy
and matters generally mystical and ethereal
He found them SO much more tolerant than
men, and much less apt to detect his utter
and CHASTITY ignorance Of nearly every sub
joct upon which he conversetl. Men, in fact,
considered By,iy affected nincompoop,
ard only endured him for tn. sake Of his
wealth
Why the deuc. don't you marry Adj
Derby" remarked Capt Tom Carbury oDs
day.
Tom Carbury was Byng's IMAM of-ail-work
and devoted adherent He had lived upon
him for some years. and it WIS only when his
eccentricity and vanity becamc utterly
wearisom. t. the practical henchman that
he hintei AT rnatrimony Carbury more
over, did not see why he should not make
pretty good thing out Of his patrons mar
riase by u jndicioas arrangement with the
brides family
My dear TonI,r answ cred the transcenden-
/
kindred spirit with soul above the common
things If earth: one who can really syrnpa-
thize with my own idiosyncrasyF
Blessed If 1 know answered the captain,
terribly puzzled by his patrons long words;
"but if | were in your shoes should get
rather sick Of being hunted about by all the
dowagers IN London and ogled by every girl
who comes out should marry oue of them
% spite the rest"
Il certainly cannot marry them all, ]" unused
Byng, languidlv "Well, Carbury, I'll think
atoat it,"
over, for, as stated. lac was getting little
tired of his position. He WAS q thick-set,
bul-necked man Of two or three and ~. very
fond Of good living and devoted t. London
and Paris. Byny, On the other hand, pro-
fes'ed 10 despise frivolous amusements, lived
like an anchorito for months together, and
was in the habit OF occasionally running of
to wild and uncivilized parts Of the globe,
where the unfortunate captain was fOrced
to submit 70 very unwelcome privatiola.
A journey through Tartary had brought the
captain 70 the verge of rebellion, and though
he did not like the idea VI quarreling with
his bread and butter, he felt that he could
not endure many more such terrible expert
ences, SO he began to look about him for q
helpmate suitable to the errant philosopher.
His difficulty naturally lay in the abund
ance of material from which he had TO make
tine selection. After mature consideration,
however, he decided in favor Of a certain
Miss Constance Lexington. She was exceed
ingly pretty; it was her first season, and her
only near relative was her father, whose
pedigree was much longer than his rent roll
Besides, Mr.. Laxington, as the captain
knew, was by no means overburdened with
cash and was not likely to have any hesita-
ton In arranging some little scheme by
which Carbury might share in the ndvant-
ages Miss Lexington would derive from u
brilliant marriage.
'What deuced pretty girl your daughter
isl" said the captain one evening to that
young lady's father as they sat in the smok-
ing-room of the Lawn club
Think sor' inquired the other, who knew
that Carbury was not likely to make any
such remark out of pure good nature.
might marry any one" continued the
captain, thoughtfully.
Lexington began TO prick up his cars, and
said: yes, think she ought to do we'll"
After little more preliminary fencing,
Carbury began to approach the point. 1Shs
doesn't know Byng, does shei"
mo, and shouldn't think It much use II |
she did He's not a marrying man, is her
Well don't quite understand what con-
stitutes a marrying man" rejoined the eau |
:ious captain; but these things do happen all |
the same should be very glad myself to |
sac Byng married to nice girl, he added, |
significantly: lit would do him q lot of good!" |
Lexington drew his chair closer up to Car |
bury, and the two became engaged in con-
versation apparently of the most absorbing |
nature After half an hour or so, Carbury |
arose to 60
Il suppose must agree" remarked Lax |
ington; -but you are a terrible fellow to deal |
with
IAN right" answered the other: half |
when she's engaged and the other on the |
wedding day Man alive. it will BE- the max |
ing Of you'll"
A couple OF days later Capt Carbury con- |
trved that Miss Lexington, chaperoned by |
her aunt. Lady Carraway, should be intro |
duccd to the philosophical Byng at the house |
IN Grosvenor square
"You might do worse than marry that |
Lexington GIRL remarked the captain to his |
patron the next morning; young and lovely, |
and all that; got no announcement brothers, |
and you wouldn't he plagued with mother |
in-law. Not much money, but that doesn't |
matter t. you."
''She seems nice GIRL" said Byng. In his |
usual languid manner, but how about the |
fatharr
"Oh, Lsxington's all right; CANDLES and |
races bit, but he always settles. and has |
never been caught cheating. What more |
can you expect nowadays!"
Byng was obviously impressed by the prob
ity Of his father law In posse.
I'm call on Lady Carraway," he answered
and tie subject dropped.
Byng duly visited her ladyship, who was
naturally delighted to see him, and he made
himself exceedingly agreeable to the fair
Constance. That young lady heightened the
favorable impression she had already made
upon him, for although inexperienced. she
u
the pet weakness OF her admirer In fact,
by the time he left the house he began to
think that Carbury was a man Of unusual
discrimination, and that he might
really take into consideration the
prospect Of following his matrimonial ad-
vice. Miss Lexington was charmingly unso-
phisticated and mt the same time he thought
he could discover In her indications Of the
possession Of a soul-that is to say, of dis
position to appreciate his genius, and to share
his philosophical warnings without any
SYMPTOMS of boredom 80 Cor few weeks
everything went well. Byng WINS obviously
fascinated, and without being too conspicuous
in his attentions he followed Miss Iaxingtons
movements with considerable persistence,
and monopolzed her society whenever they
met. Suitors Of the detrimental type accord
in;ly dropped of in despair, and the engage
mcnt was looked upon by the quidnuncs Of
society as practically accomplished fact
Ascot drew near and Byng invited Lady
Carraway and her fair charge to share his
box and drag for the meeting This was for
him very unusual step, for lie generally
left the selection and the entertainment Of
his guests TO the indefatigahle man-of. ALL
work
reaching critical juncturs, 30 he thought IL
advisable Ia make few inquiries about the
lecuniary position Of Mr.. Lexington. He
did not succeed in hearing much darlington
had been losing somewhat heavily on the
turf, but he had paid up: and in the matter
of cards he did not seem TO have been doing
either any good OF harm So Carbury felt
for the present no particular anxiety about
Al. al la