Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-16
CHATTER LII.

AN ARGUMENT AND AN ARRIVAL.
On the night when the down train carried
the golden-headed child to BIacktown, the
Talberts had dined at home without conf
pany. The two men were still at the table,
slipping their claret and smoking cigarettes
They were neither great drinking men nor
great smoking men If such habits are sins
the Talberts might have gone on as they were
going for many years and then made atone
ment very easily. 1t is needless to state that
the two brothers were faultlessly dressed in
the evening garb of the nineteenth century
1t will also be guessed that the dinner table
was most tastefully lai1 out. In spite of the
season being midwillter, it was gay with
flowers. Quaint antique silver spoons and
forks did the duty which is exactad from the
horid kings pattern and the ugly fiddle pat
tern denominations ct olr day. The napery
was OF the whitest and finest description
the polish on the glass such as to make the
most careful housewife on conscientious SER
want wonder and envy. There is a tale CON
nected with the glass
Once upon a time lady who was dining at
Hezlewood House asked her hosts, with par
donable curiosity, how they were able to in
duce their servants te send tho dccanterS and
wine glasses to the table iii s,I,h glorious
state of refulgency. Horace Ta,Ic.t smiled,
and answered with exquisite simplicity:
I'VE should never think Of trusting our
glass TO the hands of servants. III brother
and see to it ourselves
Thereupon the lady, who had narragsable
sisters. and was no doubt ke9nly alive to the
fact that her hosts were eligible bachelors,
said: 1T was very sweet OF them to take 50
much trouble" but her husband, who heard
the question and the answer, burst into a fit
e, 4. IL
coarse. commonplace mind, utterly unable to
divest the ideal from the material. To such
a groveling nature the picture Of these two
six-feet, brawny men washing and rubbing
their rare and costly glass seemed intensely
comical
The Talberts showed no signs Of annoy
ance; they even smiled gravely in response to
his vulgar mirth: but Lakewood House know
that person no more.
But the wretch took his revenge after the
manner of his kind Unluckily, in spite of
his faults, his position in the county was not
to be despised. and more unluckily he pos
sessed certain amount of huInor Of the low
class. He was brutal enough to nickname
our friends the ''Tabbies,n and, appropriate
or not, the name chung to them, and viii
cling for ever and ever. This Is but another
proof Of how careful man should be in the
ztiection Of his friends.
Although tonight the glass was as radiant
as ever, there was at present no one 10 admire
It save its owners and caretakers, By virtue
Of his year of seniority. Horace TalbeEt sat
at the head OF the table. Herbert was at biz
right hand The two brothers were strangely
alike both In figure and face They were
brovn-haired men, with long, straight noses,
calm, serious eyes, rather arched eyebrow,
and average toreheads. Each wore a well
kept beard and mustache, the beard clipped
close, and terminating in point at the chin
Ia fashion which suited their long, oval faces
remarkably well. and, perhaps added kind
Of old-worid courtliness 70 their general ap-
pearance. Their looks may Be summed up
by saying that the TaIberts were men who
one felt ought 70 posses picture gallery Of
distinguished ancestors. The absence Of such
desirable possession seemed q heartless
freak Of nature.
The room IN which the brothers were sitting
was furnished with bold mixture Of modern
and antique Where comfort and utility were
the first consideration, the modern prevailed
where ornament or decoration had TO Be sup
piled, the antique, often tie grotesque antique,
was called into requfHhon- On the high,
eZTd psntslpiees Stood Oriental bronzs