Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-12-18
kindly hearts. Sylvanus himself was
Franks informant.

| were unable u sec how parochial asairs
| could SO on unless they worked hand III h2n
with the crrate. 50 when Sylvaal,S returned
Re was infor,rsel that he might tricycle kigs-
self up to HSslewood House as often as h
chose, Which, as he was resolved to cas-.
harden his heart by acclsstomiIlg himself II
seeing Miss Cla,!son in the light OF nothing
moro than friend, was Very often.
! So Mr.. CarTuthegS and the curate me: NJ
/ luently. They recognIaed each others ,g,te.
points, and were soon on terms Of frienlShn
such as fiction, ct least, seldom allows to e.
/ st between rivals Rivals is perhaps IL
wrong word, for, if any stray fragment e
nope chung TO Nj. Mordle'S portnlantssu -
50 returned with him TO England, it ~
swept away for ever and ever as soon ss
owner saw Frank and Beatrice together.
oecognized destiny, and bowed to it As a "
ared man should.
/ Ii was nc doubt the desire to prove lie
aeStahly to himself that he was cured. l..s,
nade him, in u moment of brisk eoniidu.e
ell Frank how lie had Jared. The manncri
which the communication was made shove
Frank that his own secret was no secret frr&.a
Mordle. Ii he did not meet caufdeuc, / :
.o..tidence he made 10 attempt nj de>tp' on
lie looked a. Mordle with curious smile
You scarcely expect me 10 ssy =.
sorry he asked
NO Want no sympathy GA.l vas.
Fou to b. sure that when the time s0...p; l..
songratulate you l can do 81 with ali II,
leart."
AL said Frank, smiling. ',Nolle-
very noble. When the time comes, he aGs,a4
softly. Thercupou he fell into a train a
hought-a train which ran upon a Siag,l
inc and always took him 70 one particular
station.
This, then, is how matters stood at the
beginning of October. Mr.. Carruthers ha>>
ng completed his diagnosis, not perhaps t.
as en,ire satisfaction, felt that the moment
was drawing near when Re must mako the
supreme effort to eNpcl forever that morbid
aess which he believed to haVe intrcEchtNl i.
self in Miss Clausons system. Still be was
bound to confess what many other praC;i
sioncrs ought TO confess, that he was wu.i
| ng i'll the dark. He was about to Try Kill
or cure remedy, the desperate nature q
which would, strangely enough, act not
! lpon the patient but upon him who admins
:ered it. No wonder, with SO little to guide
| lim, he hcSitatcj and postponed.
At this juncture the TalbertS gavo din
| aer-party-a mans dinner party. The fGl.
lowing We're the blessed recipients of invita-
| dons: Lord kolstou, who was staying for
few days at lis place; Sir John Williams, Of
Almondsthorpc; Colonel White. the officer
commanding the regiment at the neighbor
! ing barracks; Air. TSllon, the polished ROYAL
Academician who was sojourning at the vii
| lage inn, and making outdoor sketches OF
autumnal foliage. and Mr.. Fletcher of TIE
| Hollows, the largest landowner, save Lord
kelston, IN tho county. These, with Frank
and the hosts, rnade a party of eight the
number which, according to an axiom of the
| TalbertS should never be exceeded.
From the above names and descriptions il
will be rightly guessed that the party was
distinguished, well-selectad and wcll-hal-
anced. Selection and balance were matters
upon which the brothers prided themselves
as much if not more than they did upon TIC
refinement of the dinner itself. In this par
ticular party, small as it was, culture,
| learning, art, arms, landed interest and
hereditary sway We're properly parSonitfel
1t was, indeed, a representative gathering
after the Talberts' own hearts.
But two days besorc it took place an event
happened which threatened it ill. Lord ktl-
ston wrote Horace one of those pleasant,
familiar letters Which, coming from n lord,
are always delightful He said he should
take the liberty of bringing his friend MIR.
Simmons with him. As this would raise the
number to nine it ncCCsiitatcd asking another
man in order 10 equalize the sides of the
table.
Then came consultation high and earnest.
Whom could they ask upon SO short a notice
worthy of forming one of such n distinguished
party! Each of tho Talberts would have felt
insulted had he been asked by friend to stop
q gap; so, following the golden rule they
shank from tho task before them. Still,
they could not have four on one side of the
table and three on the other.
/ Frank listened to their solemn deliberations
for some time, then tried to help them out of
the difficulty. Leave me out he said.
Beatrice and The spoke of her sometimes
now as Bcatrice--"will dine together in the
nursery or the housekeeper's room. Whit
taler can bring the dishes straight from your
table. 1t VIII be delightful"
''Mf dear Frankl'' This joint exclamation
showed the utter futlity of his suggestion.
"Why not ask the rector2 l thought it was
the duty of a country clergyman to meet
emergencies like This"
'Het - about nothing but his fishing,
said Ho: acc nournfully.
Fishing for what2 For mem
"No; salmon and tro - answered Horace
as usual taking the matter pyosaically.
why not Mordlei He is capital com
pany."
'.II4-Eu1n' said Horace, glancins at 49,
bert. This Is scarcely curnte's party.
no, scarcely" said Herbert shaking b:
heal
A last they decided to ask a Nh. Turner,
but ha c.aicn was arrived Mt with nlisGi.
in-a: Tor Mr. Turner was in trade. He was,
however. a merchant princc-even me-
chan c-1Iperor-and, as Horace expressed i,
| wcS a member CT the aristocracy Of veal L.
| They fel5 that nr. Turner might bo asked n
short notice, q ID would not be offended
when lo leard It was to meet Lord Relstoa.
| tbs is enc of the many advantages Of onteF-
tanning lords.
Nevertheless they were conscience stricken
| at hay askeI am one to stop a gap 50
made e:acrds b. arranging their guests So
that NJ. Turner should sit on Herhert's LEFT
hand; Ho:aco's supporters being Lord Kc,-
ston AMI his friend, Mr.. Simmons. The Latter
was a I.an of middle age, with dark eyes ard
e,,qu.si.ely chiselad aquiline features, anil
wearing an cir Of refinement that al once
commended him to Horace.
The dinner began propitiously and pro
gres4ed fau,less.y. The table, over the dec
o-at.cG CT which the brothers had spent rsuch
| ,iae and more thought, was perfect picture.
! When their guests We're only Elen tho Tai
/ bcrtS were extra particular The lack Of the
refining element, the presence Of woman, had
! 10 be compensated by an ultra fastidiousncsS
/ # deal. Even Frank, who had been behind
he scenes, Iaarveled at the effect of his hosts
/ h9sT3itable and artistic e1ertions. Bat, all the
/ same. LIE pitied them as we should al pity =
lost who is certain to be rendered Vrelchod
| by a tureen of burnt soup or a bottle q
! coried wine.
Horace talked gravely and pleasantly e
| the right and 10 the left. Herbert was com
| PEELED to attend almost entirely to Mr.. Tur-
ner, who had booming voice, which he in
| sisted upon making heard. Frank, who was
next TO the artist, found the dinner not 50 dull
as lie lad feared it would be-
t II the course Of conversation Horace learnt
/ that Lord Kelston's friend was Mr.. Simmons.
| TIE no-ed barrister, who had SO suddenly
/ sprung into e1ninence. Mr. Simmons was
| Jew of gentle birth and education, and Horace
was very fond of high-class Jews. So the two
men got on admirably. Frank also knew
who Mr. Simmons was. Herbert did not.
All went on as well as the Talberts could
have wis-ed until the claret was placed Oh
The table. Then an awful thing occurred-a
contretcmps, which to this day is a sore sub
jet with Horace and Herbert. tall arose
from inviting the gtop-gap Listen.
lIr. Turner, as leaders Of commerce arc
very properly in the habit of doing, began
falling about England's commercial con
dition He spoke in his biggest voice.
IS he was treating upon subject on