Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-24

Pracucai man Ia not permit himself 10 III
dulge in, yet always with a certain conscious
ness that be was allowing his feelings to run
away with him-a fact that did not tend to
make him better humored, and rather in
clined him to place the responsibility of the
elopement on somebody else. II Miss De
Haro had been home, etc, ETC., and not going
into ecStacies over speeches, etc, ETC., and
had attended to her bushes, I e., being ex-
actly What he had supposed her to be-all
this would not have happened.
am aware that this win not heighten the
readers respect for my hero. But l fancy
tnat the im~perCeptible progress of q sincere
passion IN the matured strong man is apt to
be marked with even more than the usual
haste and abSurdity Of eallous youth. The
fever that runs riot in the veins Of the robust
is apt to pass your ailing weakling by. Posi-
bly, there may be some immunity in inocula-
ton. 1t is Lothario who is always self-pos-
sesd and does and says the right thing,
while poor honest CPlebs becomes ridiculous
with genuine emotion.
He rejoined his lawyer in no very gracious
mood. The chambers occupied by Mr.. Har-
lowe wero inthe basement Of a private dwell
ing once occupied and made historic by an
Honorable Somebody, who, however, was
remembered only by the landlord and the
last tenant There were various shelves in
the walls divided into compartments, sarcaSti
cally know as pigeon holes" in which the
dove Of peace had never rested, but which
still perPetuated in their legends the feuds
and animoSities of SuitOrS now but common
dust together. There was q portrait, appar-
emily Of a cherub, which ON nearer inSpec.
ton turned out to be a famous English lord
chancellor in his flowing wig. There were
books with dTeary, u~nenlivening titleS-ego-
tiStic always, as recording Smiths opinions
on this and Jones commentaries on that.
There was a handbia tackled on the wall,
which at lrst offered hilarious suggestions of
a circus or a steamboat excursion, but which
turned out only to be q sherif's sale. There
were several oddly shaped packages in news,
paper wrapPings, mysterious and awful III
dark corners, that might have contained for
gotten law papers or the previous weeks
washing Of the eminent counsel. There were
ono or two newspapers, which at first offered
entertaining prospects to the waiting client,
but always proved to be a law record or q
supreme court decision. There was the bust
Of a late distinguished juriSt, which appar-
entity had never been busted since he himself
became dust, and had already grown q per
ceptibly dusty muStache on his severely judi
cial upper lip. 1t was q cherries place in the
sunshine of day; at night, when it ought by
every suggestion OF its dusty past to have
been left to tho vengeful ghosts, the greater
part Of whose hopes and passions were re
corded and gathered there; when in the dark
tho dead hands Of forgotten men were
stretched from their dusty graves to tumble
once moro for their old title deeds; at night,
when it was lit up by laring gaslight, the
hollow mockery of this dissipation was so ap-
parent that people in the streets, looking
through the illuminated windows, felt as if
the privacy Of q family vault had been in
sruded upon by body-snatchers.
Royal Thatcher glanced around the room,
took in all its dreary suggestions in a hnlf
weary, half indifferent sort of way, and
dropped into the lawyers own revolving
chair as that gentleman entered from the ad
jacent room.
We'll, you got back soon, 1 see" said Har-
lowe briskly
Yes" said his client, without looking up,
and with this notable distinction between
himself and all other previous clients, that he
seemed absolutely less interested than the
lawyer. YES, I'm here; and, upon my soul,
/ don't exactly know why"
you told me Of certain papers you had
discovered" said the lawyer suggestiyely.
@Oh, yes" returned Thatcher with u slight
yawn. 1--we got here some papers some
where"-he began to feel in his coat pocket
languidly-~but, by the way, this is a rather
dreary and GCd-forSaken sort Of place! Let's
20 up to Welcker's, and you can look at them
over O bottle Of champagne
After I've looked ct them, I've something
to show you, myself" said Harlowe; and as
for the champagne, We'll have that in the
other room, by and by. At present l want
to nave my head clear, and yours too-if
You'll oblige mo by becoming sufficiently in
terested in your own affairs to .alk to me
about them"
Thatcher was gazing abstractedly at the
fire. He started. Il dare say" no began,
I'm not very interesting; yet it's possible
that my affairs kayo taken up n little too
rluch Of my time. However," he ST! ped,
took from his pocket an envelope, and threw
it on the desk-~therc are some papers. l
don't know what value they may be; that is
for YOU TO determine. / don't know that I've
any legal right to their posSeSSion-that Is
for YOU TO say, too. They came to me in n
queer way. On tho overland journey here l
lost my bag, containing my few traps and
some letters and papers of no value, Us the
advertisements say, to any but the owner.
Well, the bag was lost, but the stage driver
declares that it was stolen by a fellow pas
sengcr-a man by tho name of Giles, or Stiles,
or BleS-"
sWiIes,p said HaTlowe earnestly.
ayes" continued Thatcher, suppreSsing q
yawn; GYes, l guess you're riSht-WleS
Well, the stage driver, finally believing this,
goes to work and quietly and unOstentatiouSly
steGs-I say, have you got a cigarF
am get you one"
Harlowo disappeared inthe adjoining room.
Thatcher dragged Harlowe's heavy, revolving
desk chair, which never before had been re-
moved from its sacred position, to the fire,
and began to poke the Goals a5stractedly.
Harlowe ~rcappeared with cigars and
matches. Thatcher lit one mechanically, and
said, between the puffs:
aDo you-ever-talk-to yourselff
"No!-whyF
II thought l heard your voice just now IN
the other room. Anyhow, this is an AWFUL
spooky place. If l stayed here alone half
an hour, I'd fancy that the lord chancellor
ND there would step down in his robes, out OF
his frame, to keep me company"
Nonsense, When I'm busy l often SIT here
and write until after midnight. It's 50 quiet"
"D-mnably So!'