The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-02-11

ssYas, and when I ask you to do 50, when I
tell you seriously that ave made mp my
mind to go into a convent and lake the veil,
Joke, and advising me-to daryl This Is
not what I expected from you."
He stood beside her in q moment, his
whole manner changing: ~ never sup
posed. that it was what you expected.
Nevertheless, Marion, it is my advice and I
repeat it to you. I think you ought to
marry"
:. shs looked at him for E minute Longer,
and impatience. "What do you meant"
she asked. az repeat that you are treating
the whole thing as a joke; and that I think
that it is very unkind of you to do so.
are laughing at me. Marry whomm
Turning swiftly away he took a rapid
turn up and down the room; then halting
beside the tea-table, began to finger nerv-
ously with the dainty tea-service.
"I'm sure I don know how to say it to
you," he hesitated almost tearfully. II
know so well that you have never suspected
anything; and I have been so afraid of
startling you; midi have been so ridiculous.
But if 1 might dare; that is-if yon would
allow me-Marion," he cried, with a sud-
den movement of his arm, which upset the
sugar-basin and sent a showero of knot pat
tering over the floor, 81 would say-Adrry
me-"
As for the people of Manchester, they de-
clared they couldn't have believed it, either
Of Miss Jollibert or the Bishop: Half OF
them said especially Of Miss Jolibert; and
the other half particularly Of the Bishop.
There were no very definite rumors afoat
until one evening when the Bishop went
out to dine with a friend, and after dinner
told a little humorous story in his own hui
morous way.
Two days later there were upwards of
ninety distinct reports of this story, the
least wild of which was that the Bishop had
tried to persuade Miss Jollibert to imprison
piled: "No, she would sooner marry him
than that;n:and so, from one thing to
another, they were to be married. As to
the hitch id this version-namely, why In
the name of wonder the Bishop could a
Miss Jollibsrt to imprison herself in a con-
vent; a lady of the Baptist persuasion soon
filed that; up. She discovered that the
Bishop and. Miss Jollibert were in the habit
Of playing cards together Of an evening
playing cards-Bezique, or some such game;
that was to say, Of course, equivalent to
gambling. so by the end of the week it was
widely CURRENT throughout Manchester that
the Bishop: was encountered with heavy
gambling debts, which were about to be
l~iquidated by Miss Jollibert.
At the very height of all this, the Bishops
fair head, and shiny black coat, appeared
for the first time in the blue barouche, Wis
avis to Miss Jollibert. It was a sunshiny
day, and the Bishop was noticed to be
laughing. 1t very often requires only q
straw, or a p%in-point, to change insanity to
sanity, unpopularity to popularity, ferocity
to mildness. In this case the Bishops
laugh was the, ~symbolfcal pin-point. Next
morning the heavy clouds of suspicion had
rolled away, and the blue sky shone again.
Next morning all Manchester was laughing
and smiling with the Bishop.
Jollibert remarked 1t herself. Putting the
fiction of gambling, and other ridiculous
debts aside, no one could say she was being
married for her money. The Bishops
Miss Jollibert's barouche; and his high
stepping bays would nave kept pace any
day with the blue-gray horses. The palace
stood in an questionable end of the town
building with long terraced gardens, sloping
away down to the river; aged trees, and
huge clusters of scarlet geranium, turning
them in summer into a paradise.
Sometimes Miss Jollibert would go out to
drive with the Bishop and the Bishops
sister, Miss Hammersley, a tiny, silver.
haired lady; and on such evenings the
curious passers-by on the river would catch
glimpse of ~rose-colored velvet, and a
satin, and silver hair, and knitting-pins up
there under the portico. On such evenings
Miss Jollibert was very happy
Once or twice before the wedding there
were grand entertainments. Other and
older Bishops, grave Deans, ambitious
Canons, and many other mighty men paced
two and two amidst the singing OF the
birds. and the red sunsets, and the distant
sound of splashing oars on the river. Miss
Jolllbert had great waves of trouble
doubts as to her convictions and conversions
sweep over her then; and she half re-
GREETED her grand sacrifice, and her quiet
convent. And when such phrases as aThe
Ancient Traditions of the Church - as 1.-THE
legitimacy of the Apostolic Success
sion,"' came upon her round
the dropping laburnum, she was often upon
the point of declaring boldly and outright
that they had nothing to do with the An
Gent Traditions, or the Apostolic Success
with sighing-Hnns; n with relieving hel
mind on the matter as soon as she found
herself alone with her own Bishop. HI
invariably laughed very much, and said
thought" and then sighed a long a-h; his
dreamy blue eyes looking steadfastly uI
into the blue darkening heavens. He
looked so we'll like that, with the rising
that poor Miss Jolilbert felt her Conviction,
quivering and wavering, in a way which
she might rave laid hold of as a possible
argument in itself against q fallible. rule
put her white hand upon the Bishops arm
and whispered:
"Of course you know best"
So time passed on. Just as early summer
was changing into late summer, a great
illness broke out over the country. 1t was
exactly at this time that the Bishop and
Miss Jollibert had intended to be Joined
but they put off the ceremony for q time
and clasping hands ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS duty
forbade them to do so in reality-they Sc,
boldly to work. So all through the long
hot days, and very often far into the sti
fling nights, the blue barouche and the pur
pie b~roughman rolled about Manchester.
Sometimes it would happen hat the two
crossed each other at the turn of a street
at the corner of a square, and the Bishop
would lift his hat, calling out laughingly
"How do you do, Marion7 Ninety degree!
in the shade, today And she would noe
you. Bishop wonder what it is in thu
sunshine?"
After the illness was in a great measure
abated; just as the hazy cornfields were
beginning to turn to gold; just then, Mis-
Jollibert awoke one morning to find {
great peace at her heart, and that her con
victions a foreverfallen asleep. Strangely
enough 1t was the morning of her wedding
day.
one being who had the heart, OF tn
audacity, to say she was anything but
very handsome woman; and that tn
Bishop and she were a very lucky pair
Most of them added particularly the Bishop
but if some of them did say instead special!
Miss Jollibert, it was not to be supposed
that a slight was intended upon Miss Jolli
bert in any way. The very first flakes O
snow that came down that winter, fell fai
upon the Lord Bishop of Manchester an
Mrs. Hammersley.-The Argosy.
FOR THE LADIES'.