St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-17
HIS STABLE COMPANION.
BY ''NUNNYKIRK"
Prize Story in London Society.

BY ''NUNNYKIRK"
Prize Story in London Society.
l.
THE BROWN FILI.Y.
''Prosopolepsy, or respect of persons -
said Knox Fraser impetuously, is not at all
in my line. 1t is worse than"
Epilepsy" suggested his friend Magnus
Ericsson, ''or Dr.. Tryon Filgrave, who is so
great at fits that he is too fond of studying
them in the light of experiments at the eX-
penSe OF his friends or patients"
And quite right" replied the other,
''for sacrifice or yicarious suffering-living
and dying for others-is the great law that
underlieS the whole of organic nature. A
man is not worthy of the name who will
not surrender his body, when the oppor-
tunity arises, to the surgeons knife or the
necessities of medicine. Mine isSalways at
the disposal of science before and after
death. The miserable body, indeed l am
perfectly sick of the cant and cutlery of the
sentimental anti-vivisectionists. What is
suffering at the worst? Why, I would die
a thousand deaths to establish the simplest
truth. L have the profoundest esteem for
DR.. Tryon Filgrave."
You are strange fellow, Knox, :"
laughed Magnus, for 1 know you possess
the very kindest of hearts, and 1 have seen
you pick up a worm in the street and put
it carefully on one side, lest it should be
trodden Oh. 1t is mercy that men are
better than their opinions-aye, and their
gods, for you worship experimental science.
And in spite OF your passionate paradoXes
and indignant assertions, | AIN sure you are
as 'prosopoleptic' as all of us. You remem-
Der only yesterday, when the empress had
to step across that muddy pavement, in Or
der to enter the hospital which she wished
to visit, You took off your new overcoat and
spread it on the dirtiest part, for fear her
dainty feet should be soiled. Would you
have done as much for poor beggar
woman ?"
Yes said Knox Fraser, courageously,
''of course. like and admire the empress;
but after all, she is only a beggar (when
she prays), like the mendicaht, though she
happens to be crowned beggar."
1T is useless to argue with you," an
swered Mag1lus, ''for you invariably con-
cuss rather than discuss every subject. You
talk as boxing gloves would, if they could
speak"
''And now" observed his friend, calmly
tiiS lttSJ lcilldiks oIdli UCll yOu
why | asked you to luncheon ?"
ITO beat and bully some new crOtchet
into my dim conservative BRAIN" replied
Ericsson. unconSciously withdrawing his
chair few feet further back from the fiery
Scotsman.
Il am going to be married. the latter
said slowly and deliberately, as if he ex-
pected opposition and was prepared for the
battle. 1T is not good for man to be
alone; bachelor is a mere fragment Of
humanity" He jumped up from his seat
as he spoke, and roughly thrust his chair
back in corner, like a captain at sea sight
ing an enemy'S ship and clearing for action.
IF l am not mistaken" cried Magnus,
in astonished tones, You assured me last
week that You never meant to marry-that
you were welded to your profession, and a
clergyman ought to have no unnecessary
ties or incumberanceS, and you hated chill
dren and all women were false-that you
loved your bay filly more than you could
love the best of wives"
Il was out of Sorts" was the impatient
response to this objection; land this is a
brown filly, you know-wants breaking into
harness and educating, rather wild and shy
at present, jibs and backs occasionally, but
can go straight enough when she likes"
'.What, if l may venture to inquire, :"
said his friend, curiOusly; might be her
name? For l will swear she is no common
person."
sit might be, exclaimed Knox, satiri-
cally. with slash at his friends slipShOd
English, 'sPortia or Cassandra, or Daisy or
Violet, but as a matter of fact it is Butter
cup'-at least, that is her pet name" Her
real name was unmitigated Ann, without
the extenuating circumstance of the terminal
e. but it did not suit him to divulge such an
unromantic secret. ''And as you rightly
conjecture, she is not an ordinary woman
indeed, she is still quite girl
THAT is good" was the comment of
Magnus, as he retreated still farther, feel
ing thankful that substantial table divided
them. ''And you, if Lady Brassey will
kindly excuse me, are well in the roaring
fortieS.'"
.sThat is not of the slightest consequence"
replied the perfervid candidate for matri-
mony. ''She will be wife and daughter
both-a double qualification. Il child-woman
or woman-child."
'sButter and jam," muttered Magnus
cynically to himself; ''and there is no fool
like the old fool"
always excepting the young and con-
Al, y
overheard the criticism, raising cane chair
from the ground, and menacingly brandish-
ing it at his friend, who having now reached
the wall could retire no farther"
You are 45," cried Magnls, in self-de-
tense. land she is"
seventeen next birthday, which is next
week. said Knox subsiding little. '.But
then hate women-grown-,lpc children, with
fixed habits and minds, stuffed full of furni-
ture and dress and rubbish. Give me an
innocent vacuum, which can fill with pretty
pictures and Greek statues, and scientific
truths and Christian philosophy, and taste
for sweetness and"
''Sugar-plums, interpolated Ericsson.
'sDo you want" asked Fraser furiously.
''to be snaslIed?" And he advanced step
or two, gloomirg across the table with the
terrors of his black browS knitted
1T would be a pity was the answer,
because then you would nave no best,
man, and no one TO companion you in your
folly. AS things are, my regard for you is
so great that l would gladly follow you to
the stake even if it should be mistake. :"
''Thank YOU" said Knox. in his heartiest
and most resonant voice. Selling his friends
hand and worrying it in his huge fist as a
terrier might worry a rat, .'but | have not
told you half Listen, please"
AT your service" cried AIagnus, lighting
fresh cigaret and assuming an attentive
and receptive attitude.
The muscular Christian late captain in a
dashing cavalry regiment and now trans
formed into London curate, shook HIM
self like a big Newfoundland coming out of
the water, and began:
You know have some curious notions,
and ON DQ1nparat RodiooI Pavn1I,tiOnict
if you will, to the backbone. Well, l am
going To nractica what / rleach It iS ut