The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-07-04


something Of importance to communicate.
Without a word they united their pima
fores, folded them up and laid them across
the sherry cask.
Shall we 60 up stairsf' asked Horace.
"Oh dear, no. This will do capitally.
What want to tell you is this: Last week =
asked Miss Clauson to marry me. She r.
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.
"Wcll, said Mr.. Mordle, that's all"
II think, Mordle," said Horace sadly, you
should have consulted us first
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 grayely.
81 tell YOU" said Sylvanus, because I'm
going away TO cure myself When | come
back | should like to be able to visit you as
before You needn't be afraid.
Miss Clau>un must decide, SAID Horace.
Exactly So" said Herbert.
SO the matter was left, and MI. Mordle
went away On his hard earned holiday with Il
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;
1T is time Beatrice was married
"Nes,n said his brother; "but She isn't II
marrying girl She takes after rs think -
There WAS ALWAYS "a comfort in this rencc
ton; especially now, when the fame OF Miss
Clauson's good looks lad spread through half
Westshire
Z indeed
made his appearance. The chances were
that in year or two the girl might fall
into her uncIeS od-maidish ways For the
Taber's were now getting into n domestic
groove down which it seemed likely they
would slide until the end "r their lives.
They had # course seen the great world and
the vanitcs thereof, ana now they found
that there was nothing like home, sweet
home-cspecially when the disposition Of the
home-lovcr is such that he takes an immense
interest in every detail which makes up that
sweetness. With the exception of the percn-
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
May and the whole of June, But Miss Clau
son did not accompany them. She said out
bury and its belongings. So at Oakbury she
stayed. A very curious choice on the part
of young lady who might, had she wished
to do SO, have spent the London season ming
ling in the pursuits and gayetes OF "ha; is
called the upper circle.
However, her decision was a certain relief
to her unceS. 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
Jewell if not nuisance, a responsibility.
Approving as they did in the EIain of her
treatment Of Lady Clauson, they could rot
counsel her to go to her fathers house. There
were, of course, many families they knew
who would have been glad To have taken
charge of niece of theirs, but Beatrce's
staying at another establishment whilst Sir
Mangay was i'll town would clearly show
the world that there was family feud.
Nothing in the Talberts' eyes was worse than
q proclaimed family teud. Hence it was that
even now they spoke of Beatrice as Ouly being
on 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 III the June audit, so giving
Horace another opportunity of showing his
skill in accounts and estimates.
So when Miss Clauson refused to go to
London she extricated her uncles from a
dilemma She stayed at Hardwood 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 or winter
would make little difference to them. They
were not, rs may easily be imagined, enthusl-
astic sportSmen. Sometimes they accepted
an invitation for day OF two's 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 he taken for granted that their
knowledge of the proper treatment of game
was more valuable when the game was lying
in the harder than when it was flying on
running about. They could advise you how
to haste hare much better than how to
shoot him. So it was that after their visit
to London they looked upon themselves as
pretty well fixed at Hazelwood House until
the next spring
Beatrice was now just past D. II really
was high time that q suiyor came, and the
"TabbieS," who could easily have adapted
their feminine gifts TO match making, began
to think over the eligible young men in the
county.
Then fate produced someone. whom, until
now, she had kept in the background. But
whether eligible or not is a matter We must
discover 10y and by.
Beatrice entering the Library one morning
early in August found her uncles i'll high con-
clave She saw at once that something had
happened, and for the moment feared TO hear
that the red currant jelly recently made from
their own receipt, and almost under their own
supervision had turned mouldy. 1t WAS not
that Miss Clauson was particularly fond Of
red currant jelly, her fears were simply On
account os the distress such a catastrophe
would cause her uncles' kindly natures. How
ever, the matter WAS not so serious ~ she
imagined.
Uncle Horace handed her an open letter
Read that, my dear, and tell US how We
shall answer it." She read the following:
"Dear Mr.. Talbert: You and your brother
have several times asked me to pay you q
visit May come for a week or two this
vacatioui 1 am rather knocked up by hard
,,,orL an1 my dnrtor tolls ma I had better