Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-03-12
Calista sighed Il wish this dreadful title

Calista sighed. Il wish this dreadful title
had never come"
$50 do l. A white elephant would have
been much more useful. Ore might at least
i kill him and dissect hirs, and put his bones
together in the back garden. l should like
to have white elephant. But what can be
done with peerage when the income re-
mains the same, and you have got to go on
| dispensing your own m edicines?'
But is there nothing at alls tt mu be
an extraordinary reerage."
There is nothing your father tells me-"
"Then am sure the best thing to do will
be to make no difference at all, and to go on
as if nothing had happened. What does
Daffodil say.'
| ''He takes it pleasantly, after his manner.
and laughs at it, In fact, no one would take
it seriously if it were not for Uncle Jo eph.
who has got a fixed idea. which he has COM
munica ed to your mother, that every title
is accompanied by princely fortune. It.
appears that at the hospital there is:
some excitement over the event. They
haven't had an honorable at the hospital for
long time, and they naturally desire to-
make much of the title So they have
raised his rank. and he is now Baron Daffodil
Viscou't Daffodil, and even Earl Daffoiil,
and while we were taking our cold mutton
PASh1Oo
dressed to the Right Honorable and Right
Reverend His Grace the Duke Daffodil."
'And what does your mother say, Hughg'
"She says everything that is kind, and
something that is surprising"
And then the young man began talking
about himself, and of the time, not far dis
tant, when he would buv a practice and set
up for himself, and start that partnership
with Norah, and combine the serious work
of a physician with lovemaking, which
should be as blackberry jam to dry bread.
Or Sewers sauce to cold mutton, and should
turn the gloomy doctors house-presumably-
in DID Burlington street or Saville row.
into palace of enchantment.
Calista was good listener, and she heard
1t all with answering smile and sympathetic:
eyes, and the young man, in his selfish hap
piness, accepted her symrathy and interest
in his fortunes as if they were things due to
him. Everybody used Calista in thip.
fashion.
But the babies, watching their long talk
| grew suspicious. They were neglected. This
young gentleman. whom they knew because
twice every day he bent over their cries.
was not baby. Why did the sister waste
her time upon him? So great and so wide
spread was the uneasines3 that they first
began with the cough preliminary already
alluded to, and then with one accord burst
into that ailing which was familiar to
Virgil from his acquaintance with the hos
pital near the Porta Navalis
It was just what you would expect Of
man that, at such junc,ure, should
meauly run away and leave the babies to be,
wrestled with by the sister. This is what
Hugh did.
He went to his private room a snuggery
whittier the babies could not follow him. and
where he proposed to spend the short re-
mainder of the morning in an easy chair,
with book in his hand to assist meditation
on the virtues and graces of certain young
lady. He did no5 Immediately carry out.
this intention, because there was a visitor
occupying the one easy hair in the room.
why, Dicks" said Hugh. Il did not ex-
pect to see you here to-day"
The visitor was young man about his;
own age. When Hugh opened the door, he
was sitting wi b his head cent and his face
set in deep Gloom. But he fastened to put
on smile-rather a weak and watery
smile.
II had nothing to do this morning, and so
l took the omnibus to the Bank and walked
| over"
'sAre you come to congratulate me, Dick2'
mo, Pm not Daft told me about he en-
gagement. 1 suppose you know you've cut
me ou5a Did she tell you how she'd refused
| me-?
mo. I have not talked about previous as
pirants."
Eyes; asked her to marry me- Half q
dozen times | asked, and she refused-thats
ALL We'll, i'4l congratulate you if you like.
But ought to have been told by some of
them that you were in the field. l don't like
being kept In the dark
There has been no keeping in the dark,
because only came into the field, as you
call it. TOUR days ago."
''Well-when are you going to get mar
riedg'
Dick looked as if doubt might be raised
as to this assertion
II don't know. Perhaps we NAV have to
wait some time 1 must find out first, what
nv mother will he able to do for me- I
haven't seen her yet since our engagement
and don't know how she will like Norah.
What is the matter, Dicka You look pretty
bad this mornings Ii you weren't such a
steady file, should say you had been drink
ing and keeping late hou:s."
Dick Murridge was at most times Young
man of g.oomy and somper aspect At this
moment he looked as If sunshine would have
no place in his countenance at ALL his face
| was paie anu LIS udlf DlaCk ana rdlSnU,
his eyes were black and set back in his head !;
he had short mustache; his mouth was set
and hard; he never laughed except in the
primitive and primeval manner OF laughing.
namely, when anybody suffered some griev-
GUS misfortune or when he was abe to say
very disagreeable thing; his chin was
square and hard. He was dressed quietly,
even for his age with almost ostentatious
quietness, in tro k coat buttoned close y
dark trousers and tall hat. There was about
him something which proclaimed contempt
of Washers.
You are such staid and serious char
acter," cont nued the resident, that it cam
be drink and late hours Got no pain any
where. have youa Is 1t some worryq"
What should l be worried about. should
like to know2' he replied, almost savagely.
s'Can't say, Dick. ehortness of temper,
perhaps 1t is like shortness of breath, DIFF
ticult to cure, but it can lie alleviated. Are
you going to stay and have some early din
ner with meg
"No; must go home. My father expects
me at half-past one. Sunday dinner a. home
Is as cheerful as meal in sepulchre among
the bones. BIT must go. How does Norah
like the gran succession and the family
honorsa"
"Oh, it will net make the least difference
to u.s."
''There isn't any money with the title, I
hear; but it ought to help man in your
profession for his wife to have handle to
her name, even if it is only an honorable.
Id make it help me. I know; if was a
physician, I'd get money out of it somehow.
It's the only thing in the world worth get-
ting Or having Title! What's title with
out an income2 But if I had the title d
soon get the income"
81 believe you would, Dick" Hugh replied,
quietly.
These two young men had been at school
together. Of the old schooldays there re-
manned the use of the Christian name. When
they were quite young they may have had
he same thoughts and the like ambitions.
But their paths from the beginning diverged,
and now they were so wide apart that they
looked in opposite directions; one to the
sunny south and one to the bleak north
One looked downward and the other up
ward. One saw @ br ght and sunny picture
with wonderful and unvarying effects Of
light and color, and the other saw only E
gray and fog-laden landscape with bit Of
lurid sky; one saw men and women noble
erect and god-like; the other saw men ant
aI-l~;