Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-01-18
Miss |, ,llrlpip's Lovers.


oven IN ii.''>e DAYS Of agricultural depres-
non AMI siaSnant trade: but girl with five
ih"i>hui "A year and pretty face into the
itit -nin l. "A lnSl,ive phenomenon, and. as
st''. 'tn NOT fail 10 I've greatly admired by a
NUM- 'r of more or l"SS eligible young men
with iasi" for biautv of the most substan-
tai KIND Even mpd,ilc acci bachelors awohe
from Their hibtual in Inference when, on
u in- introduced to n luyciy danScl of two
nni iw"iity. they are conS,'ious that tn, POS
s~~ur II considerable fortune s!an,is be-
i''" ih"in; for although money is the root Of
all ''il. II i root which most people very
wi'lin-l' undertake tie risk of cultivating.
SUI" L'dia iI'ripip vas thus beautiful
nnd tlus nch. it is not surprising that she
had Mt only almirers-:nen who dared to
wish uncertain things: lMt lovers too-nlen
VIII" had ia" presumption to hope. 1t is true
that INdin encouraged none of them, for she
wa. pi.,tc satisfied To- live at home with her
father. Gen irririp. in Bruton street
trr>> >enor square. and to ride in Rotten Row
in "a" morning and to drive in the park in
the afternoon. But, fortunately, young men
Il" not require encouragement; nay, in Ger
tam Affairs the less encouragement they re-
g .Nc the greater their persstency becomes;
young women seldom. if ever, give any en-
c"nrnsclnrnt Ia young men, the perSistcncy
II thee Ia ter in the face oi alarming diff
cu''ios J. u matter on whi..h all of us NAV
heartily congratulate Ourselves Indeed, but
for the r"rsistency who Knows whether the
w"rli would 90 round.
II was the height of the London season, and
l.Sd'a i..rrivip went with her father one
l.tt
tnrnal'y's. Everybody WIS there-every-
body, that is. of rank and fashion-and ere
she had been in the brightly lighted TO ms
for five minutes Lydia was engaged for all
tn dances on the programme. Now, to most
II hrr partners she was Only engaged, for a
sinci" valSe or polka. but, for old ac9laint-
an"''s sake, or for some other reason, she al
lowed three gentlemen to take two dances
each. II was no doubt very intliScreet Of her
to do So. But in one case at least it was also
very good naturcl If her, for she permitted
oil Sir lertnax Popiniay, who, as every one
knew, was far too stiff and gouty to move
about properly, to put down his
name for the only two sets of Ian
Gers. SIR P.'rtinax was effusively grateful
nnd smiled his sweetest upon her as he
returned her programme, and Lydia, instead
Of regreltng her kindness, felt thoroughly
rewarded 10y seeing that she was giving pleas
ure to the gray-hared baronet, who, thirty
years before. had been a noted dandy, but
who now struck her as being simply prosy
oil fellow. whom very few girls would he
likely To- dance with. Lydia's other favored
partners were Mr.. Horace Freake- a young
artist who had that year for the first time
exhibited Mt the Royal acadcmy-and Mr..
Merton Iurlcy. n man who had no profession
AMI no occupation, and who, if he had a
private income. derived it from a source not
generally known even to his friends.
In this world many strange condolences
happen. Two chemists have been known to
make exactly the same discovery on the same
day; and two astronomers have claimed to
catch sight Of n new comet at almost the same
moment. II is not. therefore, incredible that,
while dancing these six dances with her three
favored partners. Lydia casually mentioned
To cnch Of them that upon tho following even
ing her father was going to take the chair at
the annual meeting of the Society for the
Encouragement OF Cold-water Bathing on
the Continent; that she was not going, but
would be alone at home; that she wished that
| girls We're able like men to amtlse themselves:
and that she envied her partners their clubs,
their theatres, and their sociable smoking
concerts. Nor is it incredible that, having
heard this, Sir Pertinax Popinjay, Mr.. Hor-
ace Frcake, and Mr.. Merton Murley all made
up their minds to call upon Miss Lirripip
upon the following evening, and to make to
her certain avowa's, which, although they
had long me- eiitate,l them, they now felt i'm
pelled to make rs soon as possible, and with
out any unnecessary delay. What these
avowals were may be guessed; but why the
three gentlemen all determined at the same
time to make them is a question which can
not be explained. although the fact that
Lydia that evening looked even prcttier than
usual may possibly have been one of the
causes Of the extraordinary coincidence.
Lydia little dreamed, when in the small
hours Of the morning she dropped off to
sleep. Of what was hanging over her. Sir
fertinax had made no sign; Mr. Murley had
not been insre attentive than had for some
time been his wont; AMI Mr. Freake had been
actually more dull aud uninteresting than
Mrs Lirrpip hal ever seen him. She there
fore slept soun,lly, and was undisturbed by
fears Of the coming evening and its visitors.
The following day was wet. The general,
who had lived for many years in India, and
had liver which caused him to be somewhat
irasciblc, shut himself up in his library and
| sayagcly studied the statistics of Coldwater
Bathing; and Lydia, who could not go out,
painted in her boudoir. The Lirripips dined
at $50. to enable the general to get to the
meeting at 1880; and as he had taken
no exercise during the day, and had
been quite unable to master all the informa-
ton he required relative to the average Of
cleanliness upon the continent, Lydia's
father was not in the lest Of tempers. "Sit
up for me" he said; 81 shall be in by II l:30"
These were his last words, as, the carriage
having been announced, he hurried away
from the table, stopping for an instant at
Lyda's s,.c 10 kiss her hastily on the top of
the head. And Miss L;rripip was left alone
in solitary grandeur, sitting at one end Of the
dining ROOM She did not stay there long,
but went TO the drawing room, whittier she
babe the servant bring two candles, which
but dimly lighted the large apartment. Then,
taking her seat at the piano, Lydia began to
play AMI sing alternately.
Tha drawing -rooih at Bruton street was
like many other London drawing-rOoms. 1t
occupied the whole Of the first floor of the
house, save where in one 'rner the staircase
ascendel: and it was therefore I-shaped, the
titrfT arm VI tue IL having tAicc WiuuoWS
looking out into the street, and the shorter
arm one window looking out over some news
In the rear. Heavy curtains of tapestry
hung between the back and front portions of
the room, but were usually looped up; and
in the back room was the piano at which,
within the halo of the two candles, Lydia
Lirripip playel and sang.
She had considerable knowledge of music
and fine voice, and, wrapped up in her oc-
cupation, she started when the door of the
front room opened and servant, who was
to her invisible, announced Mr.. Horace
Freake
Lydia rose AMI received her visitor, mean
time ordering tn, gas tn be lighted. 1t was
$50. Why had he ca!lel at that hour.
Why had he not come in the daytime, while
she was so dull, rather than just when she was
sinsingi But, upon the whole, she WIS glad
to sec Horace, who. no doubt, simply desired
10 inquire how she was after the dance Of the
| rrcvious evening. and had not been able tc
| do So earlier. As he betrayed, nevertheless,
n certain lesit ,tion in hi; mlnner, she led
the conversation, and asked him whether he
ha, enjoyed Lady Carnaby's bill. He had
| H. said, pretty well; and then cnsued a pause