The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-10-01

''Well, how arc You bothf asked Frank
They told him they were quito well, but, all
the same Frank know by their solemn faces
that something had gone wrong, He Won
dered what the cook had been upto
"And Mis- Clausoni BeatrIcof he con-
tlnued with an assumption Of carelessness
but longing for the door 10 open aud admit
her. The ralborts exchanged sad glances.
Beatrice said Horace, sis not here0
His voice was 40 solemn that Franks
blood ran cold, Horace was not addicted TO
the use Of canting colloquialisms, but the
words were spoken In such a way that Frank
believed mot here" must inevitably be
followed by "but gone above,n He was
immensely relieved when the speaker stopped
short,
"Not here,n he said. "Gone out, you
mean My greetings must waltz
The brothers eyes sought counsel Of one
another
"Beatrlce went to London yesterday
said Horace, Frank seemed much aston
ished
"To Londonl She left London only few
days ago, ls she gone back 10 her father'sP
He was already framing excuses for leaving
Hazlewood House and returning 10 town.
An ominous silence followed his question
"What IL the mattorl Is anything wrongp
no asked In great agitation,
"MY dear Frank" said Horace, "som0-
thing strange has happened, but 10 Ia no
strictly family affair that We are consider
ing whether We ought 10 mention ID TO you.
Not but what your advice might be Of serv-
Ice 10 ush
Frank grew seriously alarmed. "But l
am one Of the family, no said hastily Tho
Talberts shook their heads douUtfully. They
were not sure about II, The family con-
sisted Of two, or, counting In Beatrice, three
at the outside
"l hnvo another right 10 ltnow--n stronger
right STILL" snd Carruthers, who was on
thorns Of suspense "lhere IL no reason
why should N ;ea secrft of IT, have |
loved Beatrice since the day we met. My |
one hope IL 10 make her my wife claim |
the right TO know anything that concerns
her.
The astonlshment depicted ON tho brothers |
faces spo6e volumes In favor Of their trust |
ful natures or Franks circumspect lovomah- |
ing, GOOD heavens, Frank" CALCULATED |
Horace
eyes; asked her TO marry me before |
left here last autumn, She refused; was |
now going TO repeat my oifer,n
"She refused your asked Horace,
"Yes, said Frank, sadly. "But what Is
the mattori For Heavens sake tell me,n
"Horbcrt," said Horace, ~ believe this
gives US the clue to the mystory,n Herbert
nodded,
"what cluel What mysteryl My good
fellowa don't you SEQ you are driving me
madP said Carruther,
"Boatrico left us yesterday This morn.
ing we received this letter. The lcttor was
handed 10 Frank and whilst he read II the
brothers drew aside and talked In whispers.
Franks nst0ushmcnt need not bo described. |
Like his cousins, hc could only calculate, |
"What does II mcanC
Horace and Herbert cnmo forward, llor-
bert spoke, Az the romantic SIDE of the |
question had again turned up, II was felt
RIGHT for him 10 bB spokesman Prank |
he FnId, Eve do not wish tu misiulWe you, |
but tho fact Of BeatrIco's having ro,u'ol you,
and Of your coming down TO rcncw the offer,
make, us thnl, that she must hnyo fed 10 |
avoid you We know little about such mat
tcrg ourlelyos, but we have hoHrd o, young |
girls flying 20 get out Of the way Of distastc-
ml-ahem, what shall say ~
"Pcrccutonn put Ia Horace
mo, the word II too strong-distNslcful
advances, Frank, This is, Of course, q mat
ter entirely between yourself and your con-
Az the oratIon proceeded Frank stared
from ono 10 the other, Then ho burst into
short peal Of laughter In spite Of his 0nx'
iety about Beatrice, the situation over
powered him,
"Thoro Is nothing 10 laugh at Frank" said
Horace.
"Thcro "a madness, sheer madness In the
air, my good men, said COrruihcT, "Do |
look like man who would subject a woman
10 dstastoful porsocutioni Hang itl am
prouder than you are. had BoatricoS per-
mission 10 CONF, Perhaps you may know
that II wns arranged that wo should travel
down togcthorp
Thoy remembered that Beatrice had told
them This, aud NJ once saw the folly Of thor
now theory, Thoy Opologizcd humbly 10
n INK. Nomcn In this world could apologize
moro gracefully than our friends, Thon they
talked the whole matter over again, without
any result, Frank did not saw much. He
wanted solitude and quiet thought, By ana
by tho wngonctto came round TO the door,
"You must excuse our not having sent TO
moot YOU, 80 aald Horace. "l'hc truth IL the
roads are dirty and we could not hovo had
tho wngonotto cleaned In tlmO 10 take us
OUT
"Whcc oro you going for n drive ~
eve are going 10 mako round OF calls"
Frank muryolcd, md thought that under
the circumstances this social umcnlty might
have been postponed.
at is painful, u most painful duty said
Horace, "but We feel u must lC done, We
must go round aud indirectly givo our friends
10 under lOnl that Beatrice has left us under
everyday circumstances TO pay n long pro-
missed visit In London. We can so, no other
way Of arrostng inquiry and scandal"
Itwas aftcr hearing this that Frank under.
stood how truly great was Hornco's noturo
The brothers drove of So far as time would
allow they called upon ovcry one they could
think Of They called upon Lady Bowkor,
who had known them from boys they called
upon Mrs, Catosby, tho stately, yet nifablc,
well-dowored and better connected widow,
who loved artistic society they chilled upon
tho roctor'a wife upon tho Iwlunl, upon
tho FlOtchors, upon mnDy nristocgt and n
few simply opulont persons, Bong such
inyoIlos with tho ladies thoy had
no snrnplo n tontinuiug their oolls oven 10
tlr yry mlpl momnnL allowed ly society
Tr lhy drove homo feeling they had done
al ihp uli tO throw curtain over
poglflcsn a.. h0idinnry indiscrotion.