Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1885-09-03
"Panton," l repeated; "notsurely
one Of the Wiltshire Pantons?''

inherit the larger bulk of my proper
ty from distant relative who lived
in that country"
A man of property then! The
fact threw new light upon his be-
havior. What 1 had taken for COM
mon impudence was, after all, mere
eccentricity, his favorite manner, but
the natural assumption Of superiority
which the possessor of many acres
may rightly claim over his less fort
unate fellows.
'My dear young friend,' 1 said,
as rose and took his hand, "you
delight, you overwhelm me. AL
though I have lost sight Of them for
many years, the Pantons were once
among my most intimate acquaintan-
ces' "A statement, by the way,
slightly in excess Of the facts; still a
little exaggeration might under the
circumstances be pardonable. "But
what are you doing in this out-of-the-
way part of the world?"
Studying nature, 1 suppose you'd
call it," he replied. "Knocking about
the country and taking sketches here
and therein short, playing at being
an artist. 1t is not bad fun as game
that one can throw up when ones
tired of it, but it must be deucedly
dreary work as a means of earning
a livelihood
An accomplished amateur also !!
My opinion of the young man was
rapidly rising.
"And where are you staying?" I
asked.
'.In the village, at the sign of the
Green Dragon"
"My dear boy" 1 returned, eve
must put a stop to that at once.
This house must be your headquar.
ters while you remain in the neigh
borhood. No, no." 1 continued, an.
ticlpating the refusal, which, howev-
er, he seemed in no way eager to
offer, "I'll take no denial. And here
comes Clare" I added, as my daugh.
ter entered the room, ''to second the
request"
Glare came forward in her quie1
and somewhat chilling manner. 'sYou
wished to speak to me, papa?" she
said.
'Yes, my love-" I answered; 'slet
me introduce Mr.. Panton to you, 6
relative of one of my oldest and
dearest friends
The two bowed, Glare on her side
showing no trace of emotion anG
very little of interest.
"Mr. Panton, my DEAR" I went on
"has promised to take up his quar-
tiers with us for time, so you viii
see that he is made as comfortable al
possible. You had better give orders
at once for the coachman to brins
up his luggage from the Greer
Dragon"
eyes, papa she answered in I
tone of such indifference that I fel,
quite mortified.
Il give you too much trouble
Miss Denby," interrupted Panton
whose somewhat confused name
betrayed that he, too, suffered from
the depressing influence of IN,
daughters reception. Il fear yo1
will think the game is hardly wort
the candle"
The expression in Clare's face wa
not reassuring. ''My fathers friend
are always welcome" she said quiet
|ly. Then turning to me: 'Perhap
1 had better have Mr.. Panton's roor
prepared at once"
'It will be as well," I assented
: going to the door and politely hold
ing it open for her as, with a sligh
: bow to Mr.. Panton, she quilted tn
J apartment.
When I returned to my place tbs
: gentleman remarked, Tipping the as
> from the end of his cigar. "You
: daughter does not inherit you
sprightliness of wit, SIR
: ''No," replied, perhaps now 20
[ understand my amusement when 20
= expressed some fears as to her tral
E guilty of mind on meeting yol
: But come, we may as well see
a your room is ready, and then perhaI
0 we may persuade Glare to give us
cup of tea IN the drawing-room."
In order that the reader may bett,
s appreciate my motive for welcomin
s Mr.. Panton SO warmly to our circl
a I take the opportunity of saying
j word here touching the relations g:
d listing just then between my daught'
and myself.
g In the beginning of the year Cla
= had paid a somewhat lengthy visit
I an old friend of mine, resident
e London, at whose house she had co
tracted an intimacy with a your
9 man named Brown. Now th
: Brown, I subsequently learned, W
II the son Of q school fellow of my ow
e and the fact was not one to prepo
K sess me in his favor. Major. Brov
t. and myself had been companio
p both in Harrow and Oxford, but o
taste and habits were as dissimilar
h night from day. He was wont to {
l. feet frank bonhomie alike to in
"a n,ofnr and ctranonrs which hoxyev.