Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-04-02

This has been the most successful party we
have ever given" she said to her mother.
And did you notice how charmingly pretty
Miss Westerfeld looked in her new dress?'
Its about that girl / want to speak to
YOU" Mrs. Presty answered, severely. Il
had higher opinion of her when she first
came here than l have now"
Mrs. Linley pointed to an open door com
municating with a second and smaller bed
chamber mot q:iite so loud" she answer
ed, cor you may wake Kitty. What has
Miss Westerlieid done to forfeit your good
opinion?
Discreet Mrs. Presty asked leave to return
to the subject at future opportunity.
81 will merely aIlude now" she said, ITO
a change for the worse in your goYeTness,
which you might have noticed when she left
the drawing-room this evening. She had
word or two with Herbert at the door, and
she left him looking as black as thunder"
Mrs Linley laid herself back on her pill
lows and burst out laughing. BLACK as
thunder? Poor little Sydney, what ride
ulous description of her! / beg your PARDON
mamma; don't be offended"
con the contrary, my dear, l am agrecably
surprised. Your poor father-a man OF re-
markable judgment on most subjects-never
thought much of your intelligence. lie APP
pears TO have been wrong; you have evident
~ inherited some of my sense of humor.
However that is not what | wanted to say;
am the bearer of good news. When we
find it necessary to get rid of Miss WcStcr-
field"
Mrs Linley's indignation expressed itself
by look which, for the moment at least, re-
duced her mother to silence. Always equal
to the occasion, however, Mrs. Presty's face
assumed an expression of innocent amaze
ment which would have produced a round of
applause on the stage. What have L said
to make you angry?' she inquired. Surely,
my dear, you and your husband are very cx-
| traordinary people"
do you mean TO tell me, mamma, that
| you haze said to Herbert what you said just
now TO me-"
Certainly. / mentioned it to Herbert in
| the course Of the evening. He was excessive
ly rude. lie said: Tell Mrs. MacEdwin to
| mind her own businesS-aud set her the eX-
| ample yourself"
Mrs. LinIcy returned her mothers look Of
amazemcut without her mothers eye for dra-
matte effect. "What has Mrs. MacEdwin to
do with it?' she asked.
of you will only let me speak, Catherine,
| shall be happy to explain myself. You
saw Mrs. MacEdwin talking to me at the
party. That good lady's head-a feeble
head as all her friends admit-has been com
plctely turned by Miss Westerlield. The
first duty of a goYerneso' (this foolish woman
said TO mel is TO win the affections of her
pupils. Ny gOyerness has entirely failed TO
| make the children like her. A dreadful tenn
per; have given her notice to leave my ser
vice Look at that sweet girl and your little
granddaughter! | declare | could cry when
/ sec how they understand each other and
love each other / quote our charming
friends nonsense verbatim Gas we used to
say when we were in parliament in Mr.. Or
mOnds timc), for the sake of what it led TO.
If, by any lucky chance, Miss Westcrlield
happens to be disengaged in the future Mrs.
MacEdwin's house is open TO her-at her
own time and at her own terms. promised
to speak to you on the subject and per
form my promise. Think over it; strongly
advise you to think over it,"
Even Mrs. Linley's good nature declined
to submit to this. Il shall certainly not
think over what cannot possibly happier"
she said "GOOd-night mamma"
Goodnight, Catherine Your temper
doesn't seem 10 improve as you get older.
Perhaps the excitement of the party as been
too much for your nerves. Try to get some
sleep before Herbert comes up from the
smokingroom and disturbs you"
Mrs. Linlcy refused even to let this pass
unanswered Herbert Is too considerable to
disturb me when his friends keep him up
late" she said. ION those occasions as you
may see for yourself, he has bed in his
dressing
Mrs Presty passed through the dressing
room on her way out "A very comfortable
looking bed" she remarked, in a tone in
tended to reach her daughters ears. Il won
der Herbert ever leaves it,"
The way to her own bed-chamber led her
by the door of Sydney's room. She sudden
| ly stopped; the door was not shut. This was
| in itself a suspicious circumstance. Young
or Old, ladies are not in the habit of sleeping
with their bedroom doors ajar. A strict
sense of duty led Mrs. Presty to listen out
side No sound like the breathing of per
son asleep was to be heard. A strict sense
of duty conducted Mrs. PrcSty next into the
room and even encouraged her to approach
the bed on tip-toc. The bed was empty; the
clothes had not been disturbed since ii had
been made in the momingl
The old lady stepped out into the corridor
In a state of excitement which greatly i'm
proved her personal appearance. She look
ed almost young again as she mentally re-
viewed the list of vices and crimes which n
EovcrncsS might commit who had retired be-
fore II o'clock and who was not in her bed
room at r. On further reflection it appear
ed TO be barely possible that Miss WeSter-
field might be preparing her pupils exercise
for the next day. Mrs. PreSty descended TO
the schoolroom on the first floor.
No. Here again there was nothing to see
but an empty room.
Where was Miss Wcstcrlield?
Was it within the limits of probability that
she had been bold enough to Join the party
in the smoking-room? The bare idea was
absurd.
In another minute, nevertheless, Mrs. PreSty
was at the door listening. The mems voices
were loud; they were talking politics. She
pcered through the kcy-holc; the smokers
had, beyond all doubt, been left to them
selves IL the house had not been full of
guests Mrs. PreSty would now have raised
an alarm. As things were the fear of pos
si5le scandal, which the family might have
reason to regret forced her tO act with eau
ton. Meditating in the retirement of her
own room, she arrived at wise and wary
decision. Opening her door by q few inches,
she placed chair behind the opening, in
position which commanded a view of Sgd
ney's room. Wherever the Eoverness might
be, her return to Der bed-chamber before the
servants were aStr in the morning was
chance TO be counted on. The night-lamp in
the corridor was we'll a-light; and veneer
able person, animated by a sense of duty,
was person naturally superior to the Seduc-
tons OF sleep. Before taking the final pre-
caution Of cNtinguishing her candle Mrs.
PrcSty touched up her complexion and reso-
mtoly turned her back on her nightcap.
This is r case in which must keep up my
dignity she decided, rs she took her place
in the chair.
One man in the Smoking-rOOm appeared to
be thoroughly weary of talking politics. That
was the master of the house.
Randall noticed the worn. prcoccupied look
in his brothers face, and determined to
break up the meeting. The opportunity for
which he was waiting occurred in another
minute. He was asked as 4 moderate politi-
clan TO decide between two guests, both
members of parliament who were fast drift
ing into mere contradiction of each others
secondhand opinions. In plain terms they
stated the matter in dispute: (Which of our
political parties deserves the confluence of
the English people?'' In plain terms on his
side, Randall answered: The party that
lowers the taxes Those words acted on
~ ,