Evening star., 1886-12-04
tone of voice that made me think her name was

| so Defiance was wOOd-man as well as major.
dOrno, cook and Sculllon
II was Noah's world In tine morning: the river
nke roads flowed no less than when the night closed
| over them went down into the hall where were
| lne colonel and Madame.
They looked older, quite wan in the morning
| light though Madame was sueetly smiling and
trusting that had slept well md undiSturOedly.
| "And the rain is to be thanked for granting us
your society for today" the Colonel added. "You
don't know our roads, sir. Defiance, who Is our
| weather bureau, has concluded that Pluv1uS Will
suspend his operations close upon noon; the soil
In this country, while in rainy weather scarcely
navfgable by man or beast dries rapidly, so that
| II your business be urgent you may proceed on
your way four or five hours past meridian, and
| Will nave lost but one day-uneSS you should be
J pleased TO further our qualification and remain
| with us another night And now to breakfast"
| Breakfast, barring the 80 Port, was identical
with last nights supper; chicken, waf11es, sweet
With objectionable precision made up my mind
that we were rejecting on the products OF the plan
/ tatl0n as cultivated by Defiance.
| And there were five plates laid!
| The Colonel indicated the place beside him: "My
| son, Capt. Hamilton Featherley of the Army and
that next his wife, 'My son, the Rev. Hubert FeatE-
| erley, Chaplain I'm the army" as though he had
made everything plain to his guest etiquette de-
fricaSSee."
| While breakfast enchained considerable atten-
ton, and Madame frothed her chocolate I'm an egg
shell jug, was wondering If it were not probable
| that Capt. Hamilton and the Rev. Hubert had
gone somewhere" the day before and been de-
| tanned by stress of weather? But their mother
and father now entered upon an elevating CONVEX
sat1on, taking literature and art for their themes
and brought t to brilliant close as our napkins
were discarded.
The Colonel turned to me:
"We can offer few resources for distraction Of
Paradise Hall shall be glad to be your cicerone
as they say In Italy. In its day this cOnSid-
cred fine house; built In 49, President Washing
ton slept more than one night here; Alexander
Hamilton made the Hall a sort of refuge now and
then when he and Mr.. Jefferson had those differ
| ences OF opinion, and Mr.. Hamilton was accused
q N riC q
our Oldest boy in honor of Mr. Hamilton My dear,
to Madame, ''you will forgive my taking our guest
spray do not mention it, If Mr. Althrop will en-
JOY the sightseeing: gentlemen, au revOir!" as
though we were entering upon considerable
As 1t proved; we passed through biliard-annex,
conservatory, ball room, library, chapel all bare
OF furniture, mOuldering away; up the broad ma
hOgany- y-baluStered stairs to gallery where were
row after row OF closed doors.
"The chambers are similar" the Colonel said.
"Only two OF them are furnished"
He turned the knob of a dark polished door:
''The room OF Capt. Featherley."
There were trunks In the middle OF the floor;
Doxes on the bed; dusty coat hanging over the
mirror, an old cheyal glass; in a corner We're q
pair OF tOp-bOOtS, dreSsing-rObe on nail above
them; swords and rifles were strung on hooks
around the walls, brace of pistols crossed be-
meath framed certificate which announced that
Alexander Hamilton Featherley was member of
the Ajax Duel1ng Club, on each side of which GER
ttfcate were the wildly cOlOred cOunter-preSent-
ments OF danseuses in all the bravery OF stage
smiles ana 0ldpnOnOuS tOletteS.
'BOyS Will be boys said the Colonel back of
me, "and Hamilton in his salad days came out of
many Scrape calculated to burn pretty deeply
But they only singed him. SIR they only singed
him. man of parts; made his Latin verse at 10;
the best rider In the county, with prize stud; a
crack shot; betting book on rare occasions only;
a cynOSure OF men, Il favOrite with women, a gen.
tleman by G., gentleman!"
His feryor had forced the veins of his forehead
into undue prominence. Clearly Capt. Featherley
was smiled upon by his father.
'.And see here, sir" the colonel was saving, as
going to bureau drawer he rummaged there
"Ah, things are rather unarranged in Hamilton's
room, but we leave our sons apartments just as
they" Clearly he meant to add, s'as they leave
them," but just then he interrupted himself with,
'Ah! here it iS.n
He held miniature before my eyes,
saw the loveliest of girlish faces almost an
angelic countenance, surrounded and pressed for
ward by mist-like arrangement OF black lace
that ShrOuded the soft brown hair and beautifully
moulded chin, and accentuated the lustrous hazel
eyes, warm cheeks and coral lips. beauty of
'.Miss Alice Tyrren," the colonel said, s'the
1ancee of my son Hamilton" and fondling the
miniature. launched forth recital OF certain adj
ventures of his son until it seemed probable that
II the colonel had correctly narrated the stories
the lovely girl would find considerable to do in
ameliOratfng the cheerful prOc1vitieS of her lord
and master. But the colonel abruptly stopped in
the middle OF a telling story, rather hastily re-
placed the picture In the bureau drawer and
walked to the door, casting a last backward look
into the room when we stood on the threshold as
he slowly shut all away.
site the one we had just left Here the door had
been removed long swaying curtain OF blue silk
replacing IT.
'The chamber OF my son Hubert he said and
held back the curtain Here was Madame with
Denance. The negreSS held alOft heavy carved
chair over which her mistress twirled a turkey
wing. As we entered, Defiance lowered the chair
into what evidently had been its exact position
before she had elevated IL to receive the minisra-
lions OF the turkeyWing for the caStorS were care
fully fitted into grooves they had worn In the floor
Refined and orderly as a woman's closet this room
held series OF photographs OF the Italian masters
the only modern picture being small Turner
landscape. Close to a bed with muslin curtains
was table piled up with books, poetry devotional
essays and several bound volumes OF engrayinps
and In the center OF the five six pyramids formed
by these books was a small glass case preserved a
tiny bunch OF dry orange blossoms. But the main
OBJECT or the furnishing was tall easel at a
northern window, holding the partly finished pOr-
trait OF lady in the prime of life.
considered fair representation Of me" mad
anne adVentured. Though tdealiZed and made
flattering TO the original. The hand OF affection
Mi. Althrop, may employ cOlOrs which, on the
palette OF scientific art. would be denounced as
extravagant. Hubert began this way in his bow.
hood, before theology demanded all his time. and
never gave him sufficient stttings to complete it,
instant up against the canvas. We were still i'm
this room, and did not know that Defiance was
no longer with us, when the gong sounded In the
''Dinner.' announced the Colonel Madame
carefully covered the pictures with fair white
From the stained-glass window could see that
the clouds We're breaking; in an hour or two /
should go from Paradise Hall. And must / 90
without meeting the sons OF the house. who by
this time, strongly interested me- Their places at
the table told me that they might be expected at
any moment, and yet they did not present them
selves at dinner.
And let it Oe confessed that there was something
startling In the Observation-Disclosures waffieS
sweet cakes and preserves. Was IL not barely DOS.
sible that the captain and his brothe had been
seized with surfeit OF the UNMARRIED deciOusneSs Of
hOme-fare and allowed the StOrm-fiatterine pryi-
leSeS In the way OF OBTAINING them for n day or
two In place Of security? The weather was clear
Ing, however, and all such excuses must lose their
plauslbity. Throughout dinner / tried to bring
myself 10 point OF inquiring casually what mari
OF the country held the two gentlemen and had
almost accomplished the feat as helping Madame
TO her wine i glanced toward the Colonel nv
question ON my lips. He was doing In his chair
the strong OLD lace placid In light SluinDer
"The Colonel IS not well as usual TODAY,
apologetically explained his wife, sWhen one he
comes ul OF years one frequently fails for LITTLE
whileS only for little whileS, though ONLY for
little whites; theE the indispoSition is gone and
life Is complete once more" The sunny smile had
faded from her face; there was a pathetic tired
look IN her eyes that rested with care-takfnp af
lection upon her unconscious husband. Did She
assume a cheeflul aspect?-was she gr1eving old
tons escapadeS had their effect upon his mother.
might IL not be that he was in fresh ScraDe AT
the present time, TO extract him from which his
brother had left home, while the father was TO be
righted themselves? Madames change OF cOun
tenance appealed 10 me, seemed to say that I had
come TO Paradise Hall while the family skeleton
was rampant, ard that she would be gratified IN 7
paid little attention TO any manifestation OF dry
bones.
She asked me to excuse her for few minutes AZ
there was a letter She was Obliged TO write etc
etc, and then she left me.
A.f,x,