Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-26

monotone shout the psuper iunatlcs
and discharged prisoners, temperance
vssherwomen, and oil the rest Of IL,
wnen suddenly the servant announced
Lady Pimlico. Joseph's face changed
and hardened, and old Sir Peter bright
e,ed up. Ny Lady entered, evidently
10 high spirits, more untidy than ever.
She greeted her brother with sffeatoi.
me With cordially, and Joseph With
pugpscity.
ave got news" cries the old lady,
seating herself, With her feet on the
fender and her hands on her knees.
| Isaw Sir Peters hands move feebly
and . CLEAN Of light pass over his face.
"Good news, hope" says Joseph.
"What | call good news" snsps
back the old woman, and what you
may call bad news. Ny boy is coming
home"
In an instant could see ths sorr,~
and grief Of all those years pass from
| the old mans face as he turns 20 his
sister and cries, I" What Whenf Oh,
Elizabeth sit trueY'
And then, before she can answer,
Joseph rises, pale and darkling and
cries in voice no longer decorous,
LADY Pimlico, this is your doing;
YOU have striven for years to complete
the ruin of your own house. Butlesrn
one thing, your nephew John does not
return here"
My Lady filings off her tippet aud
stands to her guns. " He shall return
to my house and to his fathers house.
Who are you to stand between my lad
and forgiveness Listen, Peter Your
son Jack was tempted and he fell be
was rascal and blsckguard. | don't
deny it :. but he has suffered and he re-
penis. Esten to what he says in letter
had only to-day. He has fallen so low
that he works rs farm-laborer he
hasn't q decent coat to his back nor
decent meal to his belly; be is broken
down, body and soul. But, Peter, don't
forget he is your son-your own flesh
and blood"
Old Sir Peter turns very white, rises
from his chair, and leans trembling
toward Joseph. " Oh, Joseph, hear
what she says. Let him come back
sgain."
"Let him come back " bursts in
this wbirlwind of a woman. "Aye,
but he shall come back. Are you mas
ter here, Peter, or is Joseph" As
my Lady wakes hot, Joseph steadies
down into deadly GOODNESS.
81 will answer that question for my
father" he says, folding his hands on
the table and looking straight at the
old lady. "My brother has ruined his
own future, but he shall not ruin nine
be shall not return here. He stroye for
years to pull down the honor Of my
fathers name, and / have striven for
years to build it up. He suffers want,
misery, and shame. He has sown the
wind, he is but reaping the whirlwind."
All the time he speaks my Lady is
pluckipg NANCY tufts of fur from her
pelisse. Now she springs to her feet,
shrill and red-fsced. "Don't quote
Scripture to me. You respected you
honored you, with your smooth tongue
and your vanished face; as a boy
you we're a coward, as a man you're a
sneak. Ny boy sinned, but he sinned
openly. You air your virtues in the
public streets, but You keep your
French novels hidden behind your Ii
brary shelves and your mistress hidden
behind your respectable suburban
villa"
Now, Of course, these illusions to
improper books and improper ladies
were not at all nice or decorous, and
never knew whether they were chance
shots Of my Lady's or based on reliable
information, but know that | saw
Joseph grow pale and vince. He rose
white with passion. Madam" he
says, "you are an insolent old woman,
and if you we're not my fathers sister
/ should"
"Go on" cries Lady Betty, the light
of triumph glowing on her old face
ago on; abuse me as much as you
like. But not you or hundred such
shall keep my lad from coming back"
So Joseph drives down to his bank in
dudgeon, and no sooner has he gone
than poor old Lady Betty breaks down
and fairly sobs, and this absurd old
couple just run into each others arms,
and cry and laugh, and talk incessant-
ly, and prove themselves to be couple
of fools but | think the clerks and
bank officials, with Joseph in that frame
of mind, must have had an extremely
unpleasant afternoon of it.
Three months after this | was again
calling at Harley street. Poor old Sir
Peter used always to receive me in his
study, but now, esbutler told me, he
sat all day In the dining-room, which
commanded lookout down the street,
and there l found him, and, best of ell,
| found him alone.
" Joseph is at the bank" said the
old man with unconcealed delight, $50
let us have quiet talk" So l drew
to the fire, but noticed strange rest
lessness about Sir Peter. He would
break off suddenly in the middle of a
sentence and look down the street and
listen.
$50 Jack is coming back :" l said.
"Apd when?"
1--WE don't know" he answered,
"we don't know. He may come at
any time. haven't told Joseph. I'm
afraid he'll be greatly upset, but Jack
will stay for awhile at his aunt's, and
things will tide over.'
"Poor lad" | say alphabetically,
"he has learned bitter lesson. De-
pend upon it, Sir Peter, he will come
back wiser and sadder." His old eyes
CLEAN at the very thought of his return,
and q beautiful smile breaks over his
face as be takes out Of his pocket a
uninterrupted and often-read letter.
"He hopes to be back by the 18th, per-
haps q little earlier if he has q good
passage, and now it's the 18th. sent
him his passage-money, but Joseph
doesn't know that"
"Never mind Joseph" I cry she
will marry the Lady Olivia and you aud
Jack will live together and be happy