The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-31
A ROMANCE SPOILED.
The Dire Imposition Upon Rev.
Septimus Haslingdean.

Rev. Septimus Haslingdean, having been
escorted to a most comfortable seat by an
attentive guard, having arranged his va
rious belongings and finally unfolded his
afternoon paper, reclined against the
cushioned back of the compartment for
moment, sighed gently as a relief conse-
quent on the fatigue and bother of his drive.
the trouble of buying ticket, and seeing
that he was properly taken care Of Then
he leaned his head out of the window to
survey contemplatively the busy crowd
hurrying and busting about. A crowd is
always more OF less amusing to a spectator
of its movements, and the reverend gentle
man, being of gregarious disposition,
rather liked looking on at other people
working or playing, especially WELDON
Quoted respectable kind of people, who did
not render themselves disagreeable Rev.
Septimus hoped he might be fortunate
enough to have his compartment com
Pletely to himself, and had intimated his
desire to the friendly guard The carriages
We're rapidly filling, and the train would
start in another five minutes, so he blandly
surveyed the figures fitting and flying to
and fro gazing on their busy actions
with languid complacency. He seldom
own Arcadia and objected strongly
to encountering any discomfort on his
journeys At his age-he was nearly sixty
but his dressing glass, in common with his
numerous friends and few enemies told
him that he appeared certainly twelve or
fifteen years less-when nigh six decades
have begun to whisper unpleasantly of
aches and pains, bothers and worries, it is
most needful to be gently punctilious as to
personal comfort. Fate had been boun-
teous to the Rev Septimus; she had given
him all the welcome offerings she could
scatter at his feet-good looks, ample for
tune, a host of admirers, if not adorers and
worShlpers, sunfighed path to tread on
through life. He had married a we'll
lowered wife, who had been moderately
KIND to him, but after ten or twelve years
OF calm domestic partnership had departed,
leaving him not utterly destitute, incon
solable or prey to despair His only
daughter had married well in her teens:
his only son had received an enviable ap-
polntment in India.
Nearly everybody was seated: thUfnal
siammlng of doors ratified like musketry
tire all along the line of carriages. Rev.
Septlmus gently shook his newspaper the
odor of the printing ink being slightly Of
tensive to him. At home, in the rectory,
the daily journal was always solicitousIy
aired before being touched by the dimpled
white hands of the perhaps too fastidious
rector With reluctance he had not vet
overcome even when alone, he took his
spectacles from their case, wiped the
glasses with a handkerchief fine and soft
as snow, such as a duchess might use,
perched the gold frame across his hand
some nose, and meditatively resigned him
self to scan the latest news Fate had. in
one OF her teasing moods, inflicted upon
her favorite the modification of wearing
spectacles, in malicious sport, as frolicsome
girls Will sometimes scratch their lovers
a 1nt.1n Of I. 1
rector think it was too bad, when he hap
pened to see some wretched old farm-la-
borer about seventy or eighty years old
reading without glasses" and with mani
fest ease.
A soft, melodious voice said, so suddenly
as to startle him.
May come in hereof
he looked up, whipped his spectacles
under the paper and stared at the speaker
not only answering quickly, Certainly
but rising and actually opening the door
himself to admit most beautiful girl, who
sprang lightly in and seated herself oppo-
site to him. The rector liked beautiful,
fashionably -attired girls, though he seldom
enjoyed the good fortune of meeting them
he ranked them among the agreeable,
Solacing things of this dull life-like roses
peaches, pineapples, Rimmel's choicest
perfumes, and so on. In a mild paternal
way he disapproved of young female per-
sons trying to be clever, or intellectual or
straying outside the calm, sheltering pre-
clncts of domestic duties, as he deemed it
necessary to rebuke them for yielding to
the temptations and frivolity on the other
hand. This young lady was perhaps eigh-
teen or twenty years old, with charming,
frank, girlish face, bewitchingly pretty
and no doubt was as amiable as her looks
declared her to be. Her attire, a master
piece OF richness in material combined
with chaste simplicity of design, set off
her beauty to the highest advantage.
~, thank you so very much" she said,
with an upward glance from the shadow
of her long dark eyelashes-the glance of a
trustful child, with a dangerous CLEAN of
an admiriug young woman. The reverend
gentleman was accustomed to be regarded
with gances implying admiration; but
even the gods never tire of slipping nectar,
and critical little bird might have be-
trayed the secret that he now priced these
chances more highly as the remorseless
years sneaked by.
81 am so unaccustomed to travelling"
she continued, smiling. "Of course | am
never allowed to travel by myself-papa
would be Mortified. And mamma says
there are so many rude, disagreeable peo-
pie about.n
"Then how" began Rev Septimus,
pleasantly amused and gratified by tho de-
lightful confidence thus displayed.
oh, pardon me-just one moment"
said the young lady; an eminentlY re-
spectacle elderly woman appeared at the
door. "You are very tiresomen the young
lady continued, poutingly, to this indi-
vidual
Eyes, Miss Ada, but l can change my
ticket at the next station"
My maid was so stupid, or the man was
so stupid or she did not understand, or he
did not understands don't know" ex-
planned Miss Ada innocently. "She ought
to have come in the same carriage, you