The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-23

did not purchase the fair saleswoman. |
could count up adozen cases in which |
he was nearly secured, and then, at the
last moment, he managed to escape the
landing net; always, must own, ~
perfectly decorous manner. And now
to think that Lady Olivia Plantagenet
had secured him, rather had conde-
scended to secure him; for you must
know that the Lady Olivia was, as IL
were, a species of ganglion, or gather
ing together. of the bluest of all blue
blood. She was the only daughter OF
the Duke of hartford, and, in all con-
science, his daughter ought to be tolera-
bly, blue blooded, especially when tell
you that her mother was Hon. Emilia
Buchanan Denzil, (the Worcester Dem
zils, IL you please; not the left-handed
Warwckshire branch.) In the fac, Of
such facts it is evident that millions of
years of natural selection. carried out
on Darwinian or any other principle
you like, could never have produced
such doubly-distilled azure as the
blood that ran in the Lady Olivia's
veiEs-I don't suppose it ran, it coursed
in stately way. Well, Lady Olivia
was very naughty and beautiful She
have even heard coarse plebe an folks
whisper that she was fool; but this
was manifestly untrue. as her conduct
throughout this ticklish matter abund-
antly proves. Still, for all that, must
own 1 never heard Lady Olivia make
any remarks except extremely stupid
and decorous ones. Talking to her was
like conversing with something between
statue and sheep. The old Duke of
Dartford was dreadfully poor for n
Duke. Their place down in Summer
setshire was half shut up. He sold his
game, (they do say he turned an hon
est penny by his grapes and pines) and
it became absolutely necessary that
Lady Olivia should marry money.
1 Mrs. Mountchester says she was des-
perately in love at seventeen with what
she called mere sailor-I believe he
was the third son of an Admiral. Any
way, it came to naught, and Lady
Olivia froze up and had remained frozen
up ever since. She was twenty-seven
and in the full prime of her stately and
rather marmoreal beauty, when she
deserted Joseph Euston on the far
horizon. His blood. of course, was
manv degrees less cerulean than hers.
He himself was starchy and stiff
and tiresome; but he had money
and was amenable on the question Of
settlements, so there was little pre-
liminary lowering, and then came an
extremely frigid proposal. Lady Olivia
bent her stately head and accepted the
substantial banker. 1t was October
now, and the marriage was fixed for the
early spring. Once or twice q week
Joseph called on his intended. They
sat in state in the hartford drawing
room in Eatonsquare. Sometimes he
kissed her hand at parting-it seemed a
matter of supreme indifference to her
whether he kissed the fan or the hand
that held it-and they conversed always
in this way. Lady Olivia is lying back
in her chair looking very beautiful and
bored; Joseph is seated on the other
side of the fireplace.
"Olivia," says her lover, 1--WE have
had bad news of unfortunate brother. +"
II imagine all news of him must be
bad" she replies in her level accents.
"He is an extremely painful subject
need we discuss itp"
~ think / must claim your co-opera.
tion," he answers, ''in preventing his
return. He is going from bad to
worse"
THAT is immaterial." says Lady
Olivia, $50 long as he does not return
home"
''His letter to-day says Joseph.
estates that no has sauandered all his
capital and that he is absolutely starv.
ing, and has taken berth as a farm
laborer. He seems to have associated
with the lowest"
"Kindly spare me any details. 1t is
extremely distressing. He is youl
brother, unfortunately. but he has long
since been social outcast, and, rs you
are aware, it is most painful feature
in our future relationship. should
prefer dropping the subject"
From which you can see that the
Lady Olivia was possessed, among hel
other high qualities, if not exactly OF
what Carlyle calls a soft invincib lity
still an invincibility of very definite
character.
But although this extremely admira
BILE couple found Jack such a distress
ing subject and declined to discuss hin
(as, in fact, society in general d.d,) tc
me he was a subject of undying inter
, est. and am never so happy rs when
am talking of him, either on the 81,
with his poor old father. (when JOSEPH
, IS safely out of the way,) or quite
openly and joyfully with his aunt, OLE
Lady Betty Pimlico, of whom more
anon. Wasn't Jack my godson? WASH
l responsible for half my dear lads
sins? He was my dear bad lad nj
through. Was there ever such scapc
! graceP Surely he was possessed by al
the devils of mischief, frolic, riot, anC
uproar His school days were one long
rebellion; he infected the whole school
, he was the ringleader in all mischief
But how the boys adored him and fol
lowed him! He could wheedle rount
the sternest of masters. At last he go
beyond all bounds. In moment o
utter recklessness he arranged III
t Internal machine composed of /,
battery of bottles of Bass, whicl
by an ingenious device was timed tt
open fire (and actually did) upon th'
head master in the dead of night rs 1t
lay peacefully sleeping in bed. Afte
, that there was nothing to do but expe
him. / went to try to make peace, bu
old Doctor Turner was inileXible. Th
lad was demoralizing the whole school
/ and he must 90. But for all that tn
! doctors eyes were full of tears, as h
: rested his hands upan my poor lad
/. shoulders and spoke his little farewell
sermon and ayvice. So he went hom
) to his fathers house he was then iif
+oa, Ha had Io,,ov, ho cobn,