The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-11


string OF the picture in an distracted
fashion. Cor lawyer; there would be a
great path of usefulness open to you. l
hare heard of lady solicitors-andy you might
step into your uncle Matthews practice.
l dare-say there will be lady barr:sters and
lady ministers by and by. Why, my dear,
you might even become a Bishop!-In Tad
ema's pictures detail, and detail alone"
Bishop" interrupted Miss Jollibert, in
preternaturally calm tone: my convic-
tiOns interfere in no way with my desire to
do something. Ny convictions are, Of
course, the result of conversion
"Who converted you." inquired he, still
with his back to her, aud passing rapidly to
another picture. Twas it the ancient
theologians or the prophets! Well, Marion,
you have asked my advice Shall tell
you, then, what think you ought to do
with your life! l shall soon be growing an
old man, and am a very old friend. so 1
may be privileged to say what choose.
think you ought to marry"
She answered nothing for a moment;
then, moving slowly beside him, began to
converse about the pictures and their vari-
Gus merits and dement's, in an easy, con-
versational manner which was surprising
in itself, considering the suppressed emo
ton of her voice hardly a minute ago. The
Bishop turned quickly round, and, closing
his eye-glass with sharp click. stood look
ing at her. Just as she was beginning to
enlarge upon the beauties Of a certain
Holy Family she had seen at St Peters
burgh, be walked straight back to the man
tel-piece, and leaning his face on his hand
again, interrupted her without ceremony.
Marion" he said, gravely, 81 thought
you wanted me to help you"
Her eyes lit up, and she answered quickly
with all the emotion in her voice again:
Eyes, and when l ask you to do So when /
tell you seriously that have made up my
mind to go into convent and take the veil,
you reply by treating the whole thing as a
joke, and advising me-to marry! This is
not what expected from you"
He stood beside her in moment, his
posed that it was" he said. 81 never sup
posed that it was what you expected.
Nevertheless Marion, it is my advice and l
repeat 1t to you. / think you ought to
marry"
She looked at him for a minute longer,
and Impotence. "What do you meant"
she asked. ~ repeat that you are treating
the whole thing as joke; and that think
that it is very unkind of you to do so.
Marry! that is a proof in itself that you
are laughing at me- Marry whoml"
Turning swiftly away he took a rapid
turn up and down the room; then hating
beside the tea-table, began to finger nerv-
ously with the dainty tea-service.
"I'm sure don't know how to say it to
you" he hesitated almost tearfully. 81
know so well that you have never suspected
anything; and / have been so afraid of
startling you; and have been so ridiculous.
But il l might dare; that is-if you would
allow me-Marion," he cried, with a sud
den movement of his arm, which upset the
sugar-basin and sent shower of knots pat
terIng over the floor, Il would say-MG7y
me-"
As for the people Of Manchester, they de-
~ - L
of Miss Jollibert or the Bishop. Half of
them said especially of Miss Jollibert; and
the other half particularly of the Bishop.
There were no very definite rumors afloat
until one evening when the Bishop went
out to dine with friend and after dinner
told little humorous story in his own hui
morous way.
ninety distinct reports of this story, the
least wild of which was that the Bishop had
tried TO persuade Miss Jollbert to imprison
herself in convent, but that she had re-
piled: mo, she would sooner marry him
than that" and SO, from one thing to
another, they were to be married. AS to
the hitch in this version-namely, why in
the name of wonder the Bishop could want
Miss Jollibert to imprison herself in a con-
vent; lady of the Baptist persuasion soon
filled That up. She discovered thS5 the
Bishop and Miss Jollibert were in the habit
Playing edrds-Bezique, or some such game;
that was to say, of course, equivalent to
9anpblim9 So by the end of the week it was
widely current throughout Manchester that
the Bishop was encountered with heavy
gambling debts, which were about to be
iquidated by Miss Jollibert
At the very height of all this, the Bishops
fair head, and shiny black coat, appeared
for the first time in the blue barouche, Wis
avis to Miss JOlli bert 1t was sunshiny
day, and the Bishop was noticed to be
laughing. 1t very often requires only a
straw, or pin-point, TO change insanity to
sanity, unpopularity TO popularity, ferocity
to mildness. In this case the Bishops
laugh was the sym6olical pin-point. Next
morning the heavy clouds of suspicion had
rolled away, and the blue sky shone again.
Next morning all Manchester was laughing
and smiling with the Bishop.
There was one great mercy, and Miss
Jolli6ert remarked it herself. Putting the
fiction of gambling, and other ridiculous
debts aside, no one could say she was being
married for her money. The Bishops
purple brougham was fully a match for
Miss JOllibert's barouche; and his high
stepping bays would have kept pace any
day with the blue gray horses. The palace
stood in an questionable end of the town
it is true; but it was a grand old brown
building with long terraced gardens. sioping
away down to the river; aged trees, aud
them in summer into a paradise.
Sometimes Miss Jollibert would go out to
drive with the Bishop and the Bishops
sister Miss Hammers!ey, a tiny, silver
haired lady; and on. such evenings the
curious passers-by on the river would catch
a glimpse of rose-colored velvet, and
black-coat here; and a glimmer of gray
satin. and silver hair and knitting-pins up
there under the portico. On such evenings
bliss JOlllbert was very happy.
Once or twice before the wedding there
were grand entertainments. Other and
Older Bishops, grave Deans, ambitious
Canons, and many other mighty men paced
two and two amidst the singing of the
birds, and the red sunsets and the distant
sound of splashing oars on the. river. Miss
Jollibert had great waves of trouble
doubts as to her convictions and conversions
sweep over her then: and she half re-
GREETED her grand sacrifice, and her quiet
convent. And when such phrases as "The
Ancient Traditions of the Church - as 1.-THE
legitimacy of the Apostolic Success
sion," came upon her unawares round
the dropping laburnum, she was often upon
the point of declaring boldly aud outright,
that they had nothing to do with the An
Gent Traditions, or the Apostolic Success
sion. But she managed to content herself
with sighing-HIDl; and with relieving her
mind on the matter as soon as she found
herself alone with her own Bishop. He
lnvar1ably laughed very much, and SAID:
Il wish-1 wish you had told them your
thought" and then sighed long al; his
dreamy blue eyes looking steadfastly up
Into the blue darkening heavens. He
looked so well like that, with the rising
moonlight playing about his pale brow,
that poor Miss Jolibert felt her convictions
quivering and wavering, in a way which
she might have laid hold of as a possible
argument in itself against a fallible rule,
if she had only known it. But she simply
put her white hand upon the Bishops arm
and whispered:
"Of course you know best"
So time passed on. Just as early summer