The Penn's Grove record., 1885-05-02

dealer, or anything OF THAT ooLli hcl-
bert. If you could have it in your
chambers"
Now | had furnished my chambers
with what | considered exquisite taste
| had carefully eschewed Queen Anne
monstrosities and rhubarb colored abom-
nations, and stood pledged before my
friends to an anti-aestheti creed. l
glanced ruefully at the ugly heavy
framed machine. What a blot 1t
would be amongst my French mirrors
and satin covered chairs, and how the
fellows would chaffl And then that
horrible chimel l should be the laugh
ing-stock of the club. No, | could not
stand it, not even for aunt Martial
Aunt Martha saw my decision in my
face, and sighed. Evidently her last
hope died out IN that sigh.
1.-THE clock has a history, Herbert, "
she said. at b-longed to our ancestor
Sir John Mordhurst, in the time OF
Queen Anne, and IS the last relic of u
past grandeur. Sir Johns grandson,
Sir Nevil, ran through everything; he
and his SON cut off the entail, the es-
tate was sold, and the son died unmar-
ried. The title went to a distant
branch; but they were poor people, and
did not care for the empty honor; 50
tie family died out. Ny father was de-
scended from them in the female line;
and the clock came into his possession
from his mother, and he taught us all
TO reverence it. l prize it above all my
other relics, and so did Anne-ln fact.
it was about the clock that the MOrti-
mers and | quarrelled. Philip Mortimer
claimed 1t for Anne-and | fatty re-
fused to part with it. My father left 1t
to me; he had no opinion of Philip Nor
timer, and he knew l loved the clock
and should take good "a of it, which
| have done"
Perhaps suggested, Miss Nor
timer
Yes" responded my dear old aunt,
81 have been thinking of that. Girls
have more reverence than young men,
and more sentiment too. Phyllis must
have heard her mother speak of the
clock, and for her sake she would value
it,"
at would be a sort of oliye-branch, "
| suggested insinuatingly.
Exactly" agreed my aunt. Sand
| should like to think'-here the dear
old lady became somewhat involved
when | am in my coffin, that | was at
peace with all the world, and especially
with poor Anne's child"
st would be only right to leave it to
my COUSIN l urged, with decision.
Eyes, | think it would be right" as
scented aunt Martha, with au air of re-
lief. ''J shall send for Preston in the
/ rnnrninr opd p,oka a on1iail IN INV will -
Then the cheerful rattle OF cups her.
aided the entrance of tea, and enabled
me to change the subject of converse
ton.
"Thank goodness | said to myself,
an hour or two later, as / drew IN my
oyercoat in the hall, assisted by my
aunt's venerable butler and factotum
Peters, 81 have arranged that matter
of the clock, and without hurting the
old lady's feelings tool Miss MOrtimer's
are another matter; but they don't con-
Germ me-"
"HerbertI" called my aunt from the
doorway of the drawlng-room.
| stepped back from the already
opened hall door.
"Heaven bless you, my dear boy!!"
exclaimed the good soul %ierYently.
Remember, if my symptoms should
come on tonight, and the worst should
happen-it is angina pectOrtS. | have not
a shadow of a ~doubt-before l have
had time to execute that codicil, you
will hand the clock oyer to your cousin
Phyllis! Promise me, Herbertl"
II promise faithfully answered,
with fervor; aud then l kissed the ru-
| lga..,l ,IonIr1 F,r TA. goao,I ff,na an1
with a goodnight nod to old Peters,
stepped out into the bleak east-wind-
swept street.
"Can't see any one, Morice-not even
the Prince of Walesl Pm particularly
engaged. Tell HIM to come tomorrow,
or next day, or whenever he likes. Can't
see him nowl' l called out from my
dressing-room in answer to a summons
from my man, one evening shortly after
my aunt's birthday. ''It's perfectly
mpossiDlel" l reiterated, applying my
double hair-brushes vigorously, and so
Overpowering al expostulatory murmur
from Morice outside the closed door.
1t was already 1885 p. M, and l was
hurrying through my toilet for a dinner
at eight sharp at Sir George Lance
mere's. Sir George had three pretty
daughters, and Lady Lancemere was
dispo ed to be exceedingly gracious, and
| was getting a little tired of my bach
elor life, and beginning, like Benedict,
to have certain tender thoughts and
dreams, all prompting me "how sweet
young Hero was.n Una Lancemere
was certainly uncommonly pretty, and
the remembrance of her big innocent
blue eyes and rose tinted complexion
had made me more particular than usual
in the choice of the button-hole which
waited now in a glass of water on my
d~ressing-table.
beg pardon, sir" said the voice of
the irrepressibIe Morice once more at
the door; but it's Miss O~yerton's but
Ter, sir, and his message is very pertick-
Ter, and"
IAN right, Morice; I'm coming in a
minuteP' 1 returned graciously, as l
put the finishing touch to my white tie,
and emerged from my sanctum in ail
the glory of my best w~ar-paint-a mes
sage from aunt Martha was not to be
neglected.
Swell, Peters, what is it? All right
at home, | hOpe?"
"No, Mr.. Herbert; | am sorry to say
my mistress is very ill-yery ill IN
deedi" replied Peters. "She was took
at about half.past six with the heart
spasms, sir-worse than she had ever
seen her, susan Miles says. / went Cor
the doctor, sir; and then, by nay mis-
tress's orders, / came for you. She said
1 was to bring you at once; but She
hardly expected you would find her
alive, l was to say
"Good heavens, Peters" Exclaimed,
sis it as bad as that?" Ihad forgotten
for the moment my aunt's craze.
Yes, sir; it's very bad, " answered
the old fellow, shaking his head dele
fully. ''Shall | call a cab?".
Eyes, yes at oncel Stay a momenti
Send Moriee to me- I said, dashing to
my wrlting-table aud ~scribbling a hasty
note.