The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-11-27
The message Jagged a little at San Fran.

a reserved and solid looking mansion, and
pulled n bronze bell knob, that somewhere
within those chaste recesses, after an apparent
reflective pause, coldly communicated the
fact that stranger was waiting without-as
he ought. Despite the lateness OF the hour,
there was slight glow from the windows
clearly rot enough to warm the messenger
with indications Of festivity within, but
vet bespeaking, as it were, some prolonged
though subducd excitement The sober ser
want who took the dispatch, and receipted
for it Us gravely as if witnessing last VIII
and testament, respectfully paused before
the entrance OF the drawing room The
sound of measured and rhetorical speech,
through which the occasional catarrhal
cough Of the New England coast struggled,
as the only effect OF nature not wholly 70
pressed, came from its heavily-curtained re-
cesses; for the occasion Of the evening had
! been the reception and entertainment Oh
various distinguished persons, and, as hah
been epigrammatically expressed by one OF
the guests, the history OF the country was
taking It's leave in phrases more or less mem
orable and characteristic. Some OF these
vaIedictorv axioms were clever some witty,
few profound but always left as n g'ntetI
contribution to the entertainer. Some had
been already prepared, and, like card, had
served and identified the guest ut other man
sions.
The last guest departed, the last carriage
rolled away, when the servant venturcd to
indicate the existence of the dispatch to his
master, who was standing on the hearth rug
in an attitude of wcaricd self-rightcousncss.
He took it, opened it, read it, re-read it, and
said:
There must be some mistake 1t is not
for me Call the boy, Waters"
Waters who was perfectly aware that the
boy had left, nevertheless obedicntly walked
toward the hall door, but was recalled by his
master.
"No matter-at present"
"It's nothing serious, William asked Mrs.
Rightbody, with languid wifey concern.
"No nothing Is there light in my
study
Eyes. But before you go, can you give
me moment or two"
Mr.. Rightbody turned little impatiently
toward his wife, She had thrown herself
lang,Iidly on the sofa her hair was slightly
disarrangcd, and part of slippered foot
was visible. She might have been finely
formed woman; but even her careless desha-
billie left the general impression that she was
severely flanneled throughout, and that any
ostentaton of womanly charm was under
vigorous sanitary surveillance.
Mrs Marvin told me o-night that her son
made no secret of his serious attachment for
our Alice, and that, II l was satisfied, MIR.
Marvin would be glad to confer with you at
once"
The information did not seem to absorb
Mr. Rightbody's wandering attention, but
rather increased his impotence. He said
hastily that ho would speak of that to-mor-
row, and partly by way of repriSal, and partly
to dismiss the subject, added
positively James must pay some attention
to the register and the thermometer. 1t was
over 70 degs tonight, and tho ventilating
draft was closed In the drawing ROOM"
THAT was because Professor Ammon sat
near it, and the old gentleman's tonsils are so
sensitive"
He ought to know from DR.. Dyer Dot
that systematic and regular exposure to
lrauphts stimulates the mucous membrane;
while fixed air over sixty degrees invari-
ably"
II am afraid, William" interrupted Mrs.
Rightbody, with feminine adroitness, adopt
ing her husbands topic with view of there
by directing him from it; am afraid that
people do not yet appreciate the substitution
Of bouillon for punch and ices. | observed
that Mr.. Spondce declined it, and, fancied,
looked disappointed. The Gbrne and wheat
in liqueur glasses passed quito unnoticed,
too"
"And vet each half drachm contained the
half-digested substance Of n pound Of beef
I'm surprised at Spondee!" continued Mr.
Rightbody, aggrievcdly. "Exhausting his
brain and nerve force by the highest creative
efforts of the Muse, he prefers perfumcd and
diluted alcohol favored with Carbonic acid
gas. Even Mrs. Faringway admitted to me
that the sudden lowering Of the temperature
" the stomach by the introduction Of
re --n
"Yes; but she took lemon ice at the last
| Dorothca reception. and asked me if had
deserved that the lower animals refused their
| ood at temperature over sixty degrees"
Mr.. Rightbody again moved impatiently
towards the door. Mrs. Rightbody eyed him
curiously.
"You will not write, l hopel DIR. Keep
pier told mo tonight that your celebral
sym toms interdicted any prolonged mental
strain
| q" must consult few papers" responded
Mr.. Rightbody, CURLY, as he entered his
| library.
1t was richly furnished apartment, NOR
bidly severe in its decorations, which were
symptomatic of a gloomy dyspepsia of art
then quite prevalent. A few curios, very
ugly, but providentially equally rare, were
scattered about. There were various bronzes
marbles and casts, all requiring explanation
and so fulfilling their purpose of promoting
conversation and exhibiting the erudition o.
their owner. There were souvenirs Of trave
with history, old bric-a-brnc with a pedigree
but little or nothing that challenged attention