Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-11-20
CHAPTER v.

Mr. Lewo thy went back to Kibble &
Um"lebv's and. asked if Mr.: Umpleby was
on the premises. No, Mr.. U,np.eby had
left half an hour ago, to return to the bosom
of his family in Tolkington Park.
Happily for the eager vicar, Tolkington
Park was an adjoining suburb, where those
we l-to.do citiz ms of Grandchester who did
no, like the labor OF daily railroad journeys
contented themselves with a semi-urban re-
tlrement in villas of their own building,
amidst strawberries of their own planting,
overlooking the towniest anl most formal
of public parks. It had long been a grief to
the female Umplebys that, where other
merchants families of wealth and standing
had gothic mansions or Italian palaces set
In richly wooded landscapes, remote from
the smoke of the city, they had only the
stereotyned surround lngs of a thickly-popu-
lated suburb, and were in nowise better off
than their next-door neighbors.
A cab with a horse Of his own choosing
drove Mr.. Leworthy to tho utmost limit Of
Toikington Park in less than half an hour.
H found the Umpl'by mansion, which was
called Mount Lebanon. although the ground
IN which it stood was rs fiat as q pancake,
md there was not u cedar within a mile. 1t
was n substantial. square house, with bay
windows. a broad flight of steps, grandiose
ron r%ailings, painted dark blue and sur.
mounted with gilded %rincapples, and an all
oervading glare Of patio glass windows.
The hall was tessellatel; thedrawing room
was brilliant in color, and painfully new.
Here Mr.. Ieworthy sat waiting for the mas
ter of the house. while a young lady in all
adjacent chamber favored him with a SOL
feg'io exercise. which strained to the utter
most a somewhat acrid voice.
81 wonder whether that is the bride sing
ngs' specialized the vicar, land l wonder if
she i <. very much attached to my gentleman?
R'ther hard lines for her if she is fond Of
i'm, p or chilli"
At last Mr.: Umpleby appeared, ~plethoric,
rubicund, pompous.
"Happy to have the honor of making your
acqu ,%in,ance, vicar, he said. IT have long
''novn o by repute."
"Every one in Grandchester does that. +" an
'we,et Lev orthy. pleasantly. ~ have been
90 often in hot water not to be pretty we'll
known"
Impossible to please everybody" MUIR
INJURED Mr.. Umpleby.
Precisely, and the man who tries it ends
by Pleasing no one. l have taken my own
,our e, and though I've made a good many
enemies, thank God I've made twice as many
friends. Now, Mr.. Umpleby, I must ask
YOU to receive me with all good nature, and
to believe that ! mean we'll by you and
yours, although I lave come on q most un-
l"asant business"
The merchant looked uneasy. Another
great firm gone wrong, perhaps; a question
Of a big bad debt.
"ls it q business matter7" he faltered.
"No it is a family matter"
"Oh!" he said, with an air of relief, as ii
this were of minor importance.
"You are going to marry your daughter
tomorrow" said the vicar.
lam"
"To your clerk, Mr.. Foyp
eyes, sir. 1t is not tho first time that a
merchants daughter has married her
fathers clerk, I believe. though it is out of
the common course of things"
II am here to beg you to postpone the
marriage"
"On what grounds?'
Before I tell you that, you must give me
your promise to communicate nothing l tell
you to Mr.. Toy."
Mr.. Umpleby hesitated.
"Alind, it is vital to you, as q father. to
know what 7 have to tell"
Mr.: Ump'eby gave the required promise.
The vicar told his story, beginning with
the scene at the railway station, ending
with the story he had heard at Parminter.
"Were you aware that Foy had q ~sister7n
II never heard him speak Of one"
"Curious that, in your future son-in-law."
Mr.. Umpleby sat and stared into space
like a man bewlldered. He wiped his large,
bald forehead with the biggest and most OK.
pensive thing in bandannas.
"This is a most frightful suspicion" he
said; "a young woman poisoned, for you
seem to think this young woman wa poi.
soned- 1t is an awful position. Every ar.
rangement has been made for the wedding,
as you may s~uppose-guests invi.ed-some
of the best peopls i'll Grandchildren. Ny
wife and daughter have the highest opinion
of young Foy. may say they are infatu'
ated about him. His conduct in bushes.
has been irreproachable. There must be
some mistake-some ridiculous misunder
standing"
II got Foy's address at your own office,
and Mt that addres I heard of a siatar ri