Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-07-17
A FAMILY AFFAIR
BY HUGH CONW AY,
author of"Called Back" and ''Dark Days"
Continued from last qceek. ]

SOu11 odJ enAAl Slo 1shAo 49, clliSlS SOSdo<
Moreover, his manner showed them he hae
something Of Importance to communicate.
Without a word they united their pima
fores, folded them up and laid them acros
the sherry caslz.
''Shan we go up stairs?' asked Horace.
ooh dear, no. This will do capitally
What want to tell you is this: Last week
asked Miss Clauson to marry me. She re
fused. Thought you ought to know"
Horace looked at Herbert; Herbert looked
at Horace They stroked their boards medi
tatively, but for some time neither spoke.
''Well, y said Mr.. Mordle, 'thats ALL"
81 think, Mordle, said Horace sadly, "yol
should have consulted US frst.n
''Quite So" said Herbert.
''Don't see it at all. Miss Clauson is of age
But it doesn't matter-I tell you now"
The brothers shook their heads gravely.
81 tell you," said Sylvanus, s'because I'm
going away to cure myself. When I come
back I should like to be able to visit you az
before You needn't be afraid"
"Miss Clauson must decide, =" said Horace.
''Exactly So" said Herbert.
So the matter was left, and Mr. Mordlf
went away on his hard-earned holiday with q
clear conscience, if heavy heart
The brothers returned to their fascinating
occupation and worked away for some time
in silence. Three dozen of sherry must have
been bottled before Horace spoke:
"It is time Beatrice was married"
eyes" said his brother; ''but she isn't 8
marrying girl. She takes after us, think. ,
There was always a comfort in this refec-
tion; especially now, when the fame Of Miss
Clauson's good looks had spread through halt
Westshire.
7 ind f1ot to11 ifo,
made his appearance. The chances were
that in a year or two the girl might fall
into her uncles' old-maidish ways. For the
Talberts were now getting into a domestic
groove down which it seemed likely they
would slide until the end of their lives.
They had of course seen the great world and
the vanities thereof, and now they found
that there was nothing like home, sweet
home especially when the disposition of the
hone-lover is such that he takes an immense
interest in every detail which makes up that
sweetness. With the exception of the peren-
NAL visit to town. they had not left Halle
wood House for any length Of time since
they settled down to rule its fortunes They
went to London this year for the last week in
Nay and the whole of June. But Miss Clau-
son did not accompany them. She said out
right that she hated London and loved Oak
bury and its belongings So at Oakbury she
stayed. A very curious choice on the part
of a young lady who might, had she wished
to do SO, have spent the London season ming
ling in the pursuits and gayeties of what is
called the upper circle.
However, her decision was certain relief
to her uncles. Had she selected to accom-
pany them to town, they would hardly have
known what to do with her. A handsome
niece staying with them at their hotel would
be-well, if not a nuisance, a responsibility.
Approving as they did in the main of her
treatment of Lady Clauson, they could not
counsel her to go to her fathers house. There
We're, Of course, many families they knew
who would have been glad to have taken
charge of niece of theirs, but Beatrice's
staying at another establishment whilst Sir
Ma1ngay was in town would clearly show
the world that there was a family feud.
Nothing in the Talberts' eyes was worse than
a proclaimed family feud. Hence it was that
even now they spoke of Beatrice as only being
on a visit to them, This delicacy on their
part was a costly matter, for had they
brought themselves to consider the girl as
part of the house, they might with perfect
justice and propriety have associated her
with themselves in the June audit, SO giving
Horace another opportunity of showing his
skill in accounts and estimates.
So when Miss CIauson refused to 90 to
London she ext1icated her uncles from O
dilemma. She stayed at Hazelwood House.
and for five weeks ruled Whitaker and the
other servants as well as she could
The Talberts had now settled down for the
remainder of the year. Autumn OF winter
would make little difference to them. They
were not, as may easily be imagined, enthusi-
astic sportsmen, Sometimes they accepted
an invitation for a day Or tsos shooting;
but that acceptance depended more on the
quality Of the host than on that Of the SPORT
Although when they did shoot, they shot
fairly well-as they did most other things
it may be taken for granted that their
knowledge of the proper treatment of game
was more va1nabls when the game was lying
in the larder than whes. Is was flying OF
running about. They could advise you how
TO haste a hare much better than how to
shoot nina. 80 il vas that after their visit
to London they looked locked upon themselves as
pretty well fixed 81 HazelWsoQs House until t.1
the next spring.
beaHlce was nov J..s~ t~-~ -. -. -.
was high time that q sutton came, and the
''Iahbies,H WHO could easily have adapted
their feminine gifts to match making, began
to think over the eligible young meA il Ihe
county.
Then fate produced someone, whom, until
now, she had kept in the background. But
whether eligible or not is matter we must