Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-04-01
A VERY NARROW ESCAPE

Col. Augustus ChOplelgh, late OF her
maiesty's Indian army, lived in state
lv retirement upon his snug little es-
tate in one of the pleasantest of the
home counties. From an outsider S
point of view the colonel seemed to
possess most things which are gener-
ally considered to constitutem mundane
happiness. His liver had survived
pawness, currie and a tropical sun in
tact; his income, was ample; he be-
lOnged to two or three good clubs; he
had an excellent cellar of wine; he was
respected by his neighbors and wor-
SHIPPED by his tenants, and he rode to
cover on the best OF cattle; yet With
all this, the colonel had two eternally
grinning skeletons n his cupboard.
The first was the possession OF a
ne'er-do-well son, and the second was
the non-possession Of wife.
Augustus Chopleigh, Jr., although a
ne'er-do-well in the eyes of a parent
who was rigid and precise, was, after
all, but an ordinary, "every day young
man" He betted a little, it is true;
he belonged to a club where play was
sometimes high of an evening; he
could drink his claret like a man; he
was a connoisseur in cigars; he pos
sessed two or three long tailor's bills,
and he was given to staying in town
sometimes for week at q time, Still,
after ali, what could be expected of a
high-spirited young fellow who had re-
ceived tirst-rate education, and was
therefore untitled for any serious walk
IN life, who was good-looking, who
dressed well. who found lire at stately
Dunn Dunn Hall little monotonous
at times, and who had a handsome
annual allowance?
But in the eyes of the colonel all
these little peculiarities were heinous
crimes, and the poor old gentleman,
as he pondered in the solitude of what
he called his study" saw very clear
ly that unless the young man was set
tied in life with q well-bred, WELDON
Quoted girl, he would infallibly follow,
at a headlOng pace, that broad road
which leads to destruction.
Often alone at Dunn Dunn Hall, de-
prived of the society of his son and
not caring very specially for that So
ciety when offered, it was hardly to
be wondered at that the colonel
yearred for q suitable partner in his
exile.
The memory of the departed Mrs.
Chopleigh' could hardly be said to be
yet green, for she had succumbed to
an aggravated attack of jungle fever
some twenty years before, when
Augustus, Jr., was but a STRIPPING in
plaid dresses and bare legs. 1t might
be said that the remedy was easy.
Why didn't the colonel take unto him
self a second Mrs. Chopleigh? There
were plenty of eligible spinsters who
would have jumped at an offer from
such a fresh-faced, active, wealthy gen
tleman, who was little beyond the
prime of life. There was, however, an
almost invincible obstacle Unlike
most military men, Col. Chopleigh was
painfully shy. Perhaps remembrances
of the departed Mrs. Chopleigh, who
was known as the Dunn Dunn Tartar,
had driven out the youthful assurance
which had won her. He had loved at
a distance q score of times, but had
never placed himself within speaking
reach of the various objects of his af-
lection.
Suddenly matters look a different
turn. Ayoung lady of strikingly pre-
possessing appearance Millicent Van
John, only daughter of the local vicar
had been espied bp the colonel pro-
ceedIng up the lane which ran parallel
with his grounds as he paced along his
favorite shrubbery walk Being on his
own property had inspired him with
courage; he had gazed at her, and she
had blushed and looked down He
hurried into the house and shut him
self up in his study.
II am So" he said to himself, II am
well | am well looking my waistcoat
is of decent girth; / have good COM
plexion: and a man is only as old as
he feels. Why shouldn't I? may be
called an old fool. Well, there are
plenty of cider fools in the world. I
yes-I viii"
Miss Vaniohn was walking at the
next day, and the next day after that,
and so on for more than a week, and
each day the same little dumb comedy
was played-sheep's eyes on the part
of the colonel, bushes and looking
downs on the part of Miss Millicent
Vanjohn.
Did Miss Vaniohn walk up that lane
so regularly with fixed purpose? OF
course she did. Principally at 4
O'Clock every afternoon Mr.. Augustus
Chopleigh, Jr., met her at the top of
it. 1t was rather an odd thing to do
the daughter of a well-known parson
meeting sub rosa, the son of a we'll
known colonel. The following CONVEX
station explains 1t:
''Oh, Gus | begin to feel SO awfully
guilty, meeting you like this! Why
can't we love each other openly?
There's nothing to be ashamed of in
it.
For more than one reason, my
darling, I've bad reputation down
here. If the old man were to know |
was spooningyou he'd rush off to your
father and warn him. If your father
were to know he'd rush off to mine
and tell him that | wasn't a fit as
pirant for the hand of his daughter"
But isyour father such a terrible old
gentleman, then? What is he like? l
have never seen him.