The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-31

women-Une nndoie-aged especiauy-tnese
tall, handsome, refined young men were
prime favorites. The fact of the brothers
having reached the respective ages of 40 and
Al without having selected helps-meet for
them argues that something which makes
marrying man was missing from their
natures
1t may be that the pleasure they found in
travel prevented their settling down. For
many years, either together or singly, the
Talberts spent nine months out of the twelve
away from home Their father, who had no
wish to see his sons striving in the ruck of
humanity for the worlds prizes, made them
handsome allowances. Greatly to their credit
| they lived within their incomes, even saved
money. These savings they invariably in
vested in works of art, SO that as years went
| by their acquisitions If united would have
| formed valuable and tasteful collection, the
units of which had been culled from east,
| west, north and south-so judiciously that
| the brothers felt sure that, if such thing
| were needed, the selection would enhance the
reputation they already enjoyed for refined
tastes and knowledge OF matters artistic.
The brothers were the best Of friends.
| They understood and sympathized with each
| others likes, dislikes and weaknesses. Only
| once in their lives had they quarrelled, but
| that quarrel had lasted for six years. They
| shudder now as they look back upon that
| time.
1t was no vulgar dispute, which is made
| known to all the world and in which mutual
friends are expected to take sides. 1t was
| only the Talberts themselves who knew that
quarrel existed. To outsiders they seemed
more absurdly polite to each other than be-
| fore.
| The cause of the quarrel was the Interior
/ ence of one brother in the others affairs. They
were peculiar men, and very tenacious Of the
| Englishman's duty of Winding his own bust
| ness. On a certain occasion one of them
fancied a rather delicate matter as much his
/ own business as his bri theirs. He was mis-
taken. They did not use high words, because
| such things were not in their line; but each
brother was sadly firm. The upshot was that
for six years they only spoke when they met
| in society.
At last old Talbert died. His successful
daughter had been dead long time. The old
man left Lakewood House and its contents
TO his sons conformity The rest of his fortune
he divided into three parts, and left in this
proportion to each of his children or their
children, if any Then the sons met at Halle
| wood House and considered what they should
do.
First of all, as was becoming, they made up
their differences Very little was said ON
either side, but it was understood that cordial
relations were re-establshed. AT which happy
conclusion each man rejoiced greatly-the
six years separation had been a terrible affair
and tacitly registered VOW that for the
future his brothers affairs should be his own
distinct, private property
By this time our friends had grown rather
weary of gadding about Moreover, it was
due to their position that some place should
be called their home. For nearly twenty
years they had lived in the various capitals of
Europe, and they knew that they had con-
quered society Indeed, it is doubtful whether
any two men, not celebrities, were better
known than Horace and Herbert Talbert. So
they resolved to settle down and begin house
keeping ON their own account
They collected their art treasures, and be-
ing not traders, but still thorough men of
business in order to save any question arising
in the remote future, made exact inventories
of their respective belongings, down to the
uttermost, smallest and most cracked cup and
saucer Then they combined their collections
and made Lakewood House curiously beau
tiful with paintings, china and bric-a-brac.
This done, they settled down into quiet do
nestle Ii }, and kept their house as method
cally and carefully, and no doubt great
deal better, than any two old women could
have done.
OF course, with their cultivated tastes,
their general requirements, their cosmopolitan
experiences, and the many desirable friends
they were known to possess, the Talberts
standing in Oakbury was undeniable. They
were a credit to the neighborhood, and
might, had they not been too good-hearted to
dream of such proceeding have snubbed
any one of the families of position without
dreading reprisals. If people laughed at
their womanish ways, effeminate proceed
ings and domestic economies, they were
nevertheless, always glad to entertain OF to
be entertained by the Talberts. The latter
need not be wondered at. The little dinners
at Hazlewood House were the pink of culinary
civilization-the capitalization of refined
gastronomic intelligence.