The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-04-03

questions, her dreams OF conquest, and her
conversations with Catherine as to little
proprieties and conventionalisms. In fact,
Catherine was the only Indifferent person
in the whole house, and Imogene declared
that her indifference was founded on purely
personal reasons. She was careless about
Lord Hythe because she had found in Louis
Saltonstall her ideal of mankind, and she
was careless about her dress because, Louis
having admired her in a certain navy blue
silk, she had settled down definitely to that
color.
At any rate, when the eventful day ar
rived, Catherine arrayed herself with
neither more nor less care than was her
usual habit though the Senator dOnned his
best evening suit and Imogene was shut up
with her velvet and japonicas good hour
before the usual dressing time.
Alas our most prudently laid anticipa-
tions are sometimes doomed to 'gang-a-
gley." The Senator's carriage returned
from the depot with only one of the eX-
pected party in it. Lord Hythe had been
detained in st. Louis by visit from his
family lawyer, who had business of such
Importance with him that it had not been
thought prudent to trust it to the delays
and uncertainties of correspondence, and
Mr.. Shipleigh had therefore brought my
Lords apologies and regrets, with the as
surance that as soon as possible he would
follow his friend
The Senator's kind heart went out as
eagerly to one stranger as to another. Ny
Lords friend was Just as welcome as my
Lord, and before long he had lost every
sense of disappointment, and was chatting
gayly on canyons and gorges and bear-hunt-
ing; for this Mr. Shipleigh was handsome,
pleasant fellow, who was by no means so
devoted to his easel that he could not han
die gun and talk enthusiastically on sport
ing matters.
1t was Catherine who brought to Imogene
the disappointing tidings. She had, with
her father, met their guest at the door, and
made the young artists acquaintance in
the pleasant eDapresSeneent of Southwestern
welcome. ''And he is just as handsome
and agreeable as possible, Imogene. l was
at home with him at once"
But he is not Lord Hythe, Catharine,
and just see how becoming my dress isl 1t
is too bad. have great mind to take it
off and save it."
30 no, wouldn't. Lord Hythe's friend
is next thing to Lord Hythe You know
men talk so to one another, and he is sure
to write to st. Louis"
THAT is true; and besides, as I have had
disappointment in the dress, sha' care
lucky thingp and she looked ruefully at
the splendid toilet on whose effects she had
built SO many hopes
''Never mind, dear; you had good time
planning it, and this Mr.. Shpleigh is really
very fine fellow. Papa seems ever so
lhuCu piSdSeu Wluu HILL anu LOTu 1yIno is
to follow in a week or two. We have his
friend as hostage you know"
Very well lin the mean time shall take
care of the hostage. You don't mind if
do, Catherine''
Not a bit. This maids light fancy does
not turn to artists"
Imogene did not answer. She was taking
a final survey of her charms before putting
their power to the test. And the survey
ought to have assured her. There was CON
quest in her dark, luminous eyes, soft and
shady, in her white skin, never needing
powder, in her pink cheeks, never needing
paint, in her brilliantlook of perfect health,
in the enchantment of her graceful move
ments, and in the exquisite toilet, which
rose almost into the region of science and
art.
When she entered the parlors her father
and Mr.. Shipleigh we're standing together
at the upper end. The Senator was exhibit
ing rifle, and enthusiastically dilating on
its excellences, and Mr.. Shipleigh was
examining it with scarcely less interest.
He was tall, blonde, handsome young
Saxon, with very frank, pleasant face.
As lmogene advanced, her father perceived
her presence, and with thrill of pride adj
vanced to meet her The artist had thus
moment in which to observe her wonderful
beauty and graceful movements, and he
was so intent on this occupation that he
scarcely did himself Justice in the intro
duction, for he muttered some nonsense
about 1.-THE fair lmogene," and then, blush
ing and thoroughly ashamed of himself,
retreated to the Englishman's stronghold,
the hearth-rug.
But handsome mans confusion before
a beautiful woman is never disagreeable to
her. Imogene accepted the tribute to her
charms, and then speedily found means to
restore Mr.. Shipleigh to Mr. Shipleigh's
good opinion of himself; so that, before
dinner was over, the little party were quite
at home and well disposed to think highly
of each other.
During the evening Mr.. Louis Saltonstall
made his appearance. He had been told
that Lord Hythe was expected, and had
come prepared to assert the most radical
democratic principles He had told Cattle
rine that he considered himself the equal of
any Lord, and that he was not going to
allow himself to be put down." and the
little woman had encouraged him in his
and rank republican ideas.
But when Louis found that his antago-
mist was only an artist, the provocation to
battle was removed. He hardly thought
Mr.. Shipleigh "a foeman worthy of his
steel' Louis Saltonstall had been Attor-
ney- General, and was now looking toward
a scat in Congress; it was not likely he
should trouble himself about man whose
lot in life was to make pictures-perhaps
take ikenesses-for the lawyer had no very
clear idea as to the dividing line between
photography and art proper He watched
Shipleigh keenly as to his behavior toward
Catherine; but seeing that the Englishman
had no eyes save for Miss Imogene, he was
not inclined to quarrel with him. Nay,
before the evening was over, he had sung a
bass to Shipleighs tenor, and asked him to
look in and smoke cigar with him in his
office.n
Perhaps no man ever accepted the at
tention and service of his fellow-creatures
more as a matter of course than did Arthur
Shipleigh. Nothing except the grandeur
of the mountain gorges and the beauty of
Imogene ever excited in him any enthusi-
asm. The comforts of his lodgings, the
successes or failures of the chase, the likes
or dislikes of those with whom he came in
contact, the annoyances of bad weather,
the failure of plans-all these things he
took with perfect sang. froid as part of AN
unavoidable existence.
In the course of a week he had become
the person whom every one delighted to
honor. If he was not away with his gun
or his pencil, he could generally be found
the centre of an admiTing group in the
post-otiice or the hotel bar His opinions
on sporting matters and ON horses were
held in high esteem: and he even succeeded
in converting many of the wealthier sort
to his opinions about limited monarchy
and landed aristocracy. In fact, he was
so well liked that there was "a tacit agree
ment to avoid mentioning the fact that he
was only an artist; and when it was forced
upon them by a magnificent picture of
their own particular portion of the Rocky
mountains, and of fine painted specimen
of their own particular Indian plague, they