The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-06-23

Il 1DIIlLr AtDl Hull GdtA ~ WIZ -
: the first cruel rock doomed in the dis
lance. and shipwreck seemed imminent
Lady Angelica Lansdell was, 80 she said,
q very old friend of Geoffrey's-
Il knew him when he was quite a boy
such a nice boy" she told Florle, the
afternoon she paid her fnt call IN Cur
ION street. She was a wonderful and
Ouida-ish parsonage Of the Cleopatra type
OF beauty. little and %serpentine, with a
a voice that could coo like a dove, or hiss
like a serpent. at will. She used a pecul-
lar kind of scent that hung about the
room long after she had left it. She was
mysteriously fascinating, and Florie de
tested her. This was Il great grievance
Of Geoffrey's, who wa blind to the pearl
powder, and impervious TO the scent.
Angelica" (he called her Angeiica)
" was a charming woman-a most valua-
bic friend" Was il not common knowl-
edge that Cabinet Ministers met a. often
in her rose-lit drawing as at Down
ing-street-that she had a finger in every
diplomatic pie-that her craftsmanship
had brought about a royal marriage and
ayerted a European war? Even Joey
admitted that she was an unavoidable
necessity. Her smile or frown could make
or mar a man. If the Fitz Johnsons ever
hoped TO be anything, he must cultivate
Angelica. y Florie had to submit, but
not even the husband she adored could
make her more than decently civil to the
enchantress with the cruel smile, who
called GeofIrey Geoff," and who was al
ways sending him mysterious little notes
about goodness only knew what. for Florie
was never told their contents.
The silly little fool is jealous" laugh
cd her ladyship To herself, as she sat in a
corner, aloof from the -maddening crowd
Of a Foreign office crowd, pretending TO
listen to Geoifrey's earnest conversation
and watching, with interested amusement
his wife trying to keep an eye on her hus-
band and, at the same time respond CO.
herentlv to the civilitics of 4 vOluable
attache.
an teach her a lesson" muttered the
siren, with an angry glitter in her dusky
eyes, a., for the twelfth time a pale, dis
tressed face, with appealing eyes. was
turned toward the oblivious husband.
Accordingly when, for the thirteenth
time, the melancholy operation was re-
peated, the distress on the pale face gay
place To horror, and the eyes were fixed
and blank as they saw lady Angelica,
with her most enhancing smile. place her
hand, for a moment, caressingly on Geof-
frev's arm only for a moment, because
il was instantly grasped by both Of his
hands.
MY dear old girl, What Is the mat
ter? Are you seedy ?' exclaimed Joey, as
he plunged through the crowd TO his sis
ter's sid0.
Come tomorrow, AZ soon a. G%coiirey
has o / want to talk to you" wills
pered Florie, brokenly, a. her brother de-
posted her safely at her own door.
Next morning brother and sister had a
long confabulation. during which Joey
tugged hard at his phantom muStache,
and Florie blew her nose very often. The
result seemed hardly satisfactory for joey
departed, remarking that it was the" very
DEUCE and Florie sat looking into the
fire until it went out in self defence.
However, al dinner that evening there
was a marked improvement in Mrs. Fitz
Johnson's spirits; indeed, 81 harmoni-
ously cheerful did she become by dessert
that Geoifrey, acclimatized to a dead level
Of depression, felt inclined to resent the
rise in the domestic barometer. The rise
war a steady one. Next morning. when
the slave ought to have been in close at
tendance on her master, cutting the end
off of his cigar, filling his match box and
meekly receiving the orders for the day,
she was playing a polka on the piano and
actually forgot TO wish the great man
goodbye. ON and off during the day &c
offrey found himself bordering on the al
teration Of his wife. 1t was, of course, a
bore 10 have her following him about
looking like a whipped dog but, after
all. that was a fault on the right side, and
showed that she appreciated her position
rs his wife. 1t was a sign of proper, if
excessive, subsection but % sit playing a
polka when the hat brush was mislaid
was IN unheard of dereliction Of duty.
Geoffrey returned home exactly half an
hour earlier 10 administer a carefully pre-
pared lecture to the culprit, only TO find
that she had gone to the Gaiety with
Joey. The solitary dinner with no one
to scold was a dismal experience, and Ge-
offrey felt distinctly aggrieved. Next
day things were no better. Florie was in
tearing spirits, received the deferred lee
ture with ribald laughter, dismissed his
theories of wifely duty a. bosh, and had
the audacity to refer him to Lady Angel
lea, who, " no doubt WAS authority on
that subject a. well ~ every other &c
offrey was very moody all that day. The
men At the club voted him slow. and
Lady Angelica called him 4 bore 10 his
face IL was very annoying. hut he was
obliged to admit 10 himself that his tri-
umph over the subsection Of his wife had
been a little premature. The process
must be continued, and one great elc-
ment in its final success was. he told
himself with secret elee, the fact that,
unless she had suddenly and unaccount-
ably altered, she loved him To distraction.
As that evening he walked up Curzon-
street, il was this thought that made him
prepared Ia be very g%raciou, and as leni-
ent a. he consistently could be toward
any little excess of youthful spirits. \
sharp struggle with the latch key was cut
short by the butler opening the door To
let Il visitor out. The occurrence - late
in the afternoon was strange, and the APP
pearance of the visitor - singular that
Geofirey stared at the aplarition in un-
feigned surprise. His for the visitor was
a man face was partially concealed by a
slouch hat. What there WAS to be seen
appeared to be of an olive hue and adorn-
ed with a sweeping black mustache.
lnky locks hung in profusion down al
most Ia his shoulders and tho r,.st ~ H..