St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-25

BrOWn, Ill Itlc OluOA
named, and this disposition OF charac-
tiers resulted in the famous vatican
duel. which occasiOned the loss 10 ilii-
adelphia and his friends OF MaXllnus
Brown, ESQ.,, late of the Rlttenhouse
club.
Mrs. Adair's ball was given last May,
it will be remembered, at Pearse nan,
the old Pearse mansion on the 1o!h
road, and at that time MaXimus. well ID
with the fashion. was running alteI
Mrs. Luttrell, Miss Jenny CareW !nat
was. She was the rising, was the risen
only carte blanche, but, as Cackie
Capon said, cheque blanche as well ;
and with beauty and wit added
she easily stepped from conventional
precedence as a bride into actual power
and fame as leader of the world south
of Market street. AS a girl. she iad
taught school. the SureSt way to Fnlla-
delphian hearts, which dearly love a
bit of charming, Well-descended pow
erty; and it is known fact that the
seven heiresses had provided the dresses
for the seven pauperS who completed
the fourteen bridesmaids that smlled
behind her up the aisle of st. James
But her popularity could not prevent
the world from talking about her now.
Peacock LuttreIl'S complaisance was
the theme of every tongue. Dinners,
lunches and theater parties Mrs. Lut-
trell gave innumerable; as many times
did Kingdom Bevan, Willing Richie
and Hartman Pearse appear to do her
honor and as many smiles of supreme
satisfaction were spread on the good
humored. red-bearded face OF Pea
cock Luttrell, who had waited five
years for his wife to take him i'll spite
of his money. The smiles only increased
the scandal, and that grew until one
day there appeared in a certain New
York chronicle OF wide circulation a
paragraph SO Infamous that even the
club was Mortified. Whereupon what
Mr.. and Mrs. Luttrell did was this:
They went quietly to New York, and
there, after dining with an old friend
of Luttrell's, journalist, were taken
by him to the house of the editor of the
chronicle referred to. The editor and
his wife were at home. LuttrellS
friend named the Philadelphians. Then
Mrs. Luttrell, young, beautiful, and as
simply dressed as princess, spoke.
MADAM" she said, addressing the
editors wife, II have come to ask you
to read that paragraph And she
handed her slip of paper. "My hus-
band and L." she went on, ''desire that
you should see the woman of whom
your husband speaks in it,
81 want you to look at my wife. mad
am" said Luttrell, land say if you
think the truth has been told of her."
THAT is ALL" said Mrs. Luttrell. She
looked the other woman in the eye for a
moment; then she made grave, digni-
fed bow. and the visitors took. their
leave. Nobody mad spoken to the ed
itor.
The next week the Chronicle printed
retraction and an apology, and Mrs.
Luttrell, who had returned home and
given three dinners, told one or two in
innate friends of the interview: and
gossip stopped for time. But society
never really retracts or Apologies; it
merely changes its adjective. BY April
Mrs. Luttrell's epithet was fixed. Peo-
pie gave over saying she was fast; they
called her injudicious, and added an in
lection. This hackneyed euphemism
had its effect upon MaXimus Browns
Imagination, and he redoubled his at
tentionS. He was one of those idle men
who manumit their talents and appe-
tites and turn them into pampered ia
yorites; he lived much in the light of
what other people thought of him, and
whenever he could be overheard
without compromising his COM
panion, slightly raised his voice, which
was rich and masculine, though apt to
become pompOus if he spoke too loud.
Mrs. Luttrell's wit did not brighten his
vanity; that was at once too settled and
too experienced. Travel and cultiva-
ton had confirmed him in himself, and
his handsome features and erect car
rage prevented him, as well as other
people, from discovering that in few
years he would become only a vain,
tiresome fool. He held vague reruta-
ton for gallantry, both carpet and mil
itary; it had in truth originated with
MaXimus, who was an adept in the ART
of conveying mute and seemingly un-
qualities. He chose himself for Mrs.
Adairs minuet. That great lady had a
perfectly just appreciation of him,
which she concealed for the sake of her
old friend. his mother.
1t was only ten days before the ball
that Mrs. Luttrell asked him to consent
to change of costume. He was to
have danced as the Marquis. Would he
ldhlllS tiC lllStCdls Liz
showed that he was provoked.
"Surely, Mr.. Brown" said the lady
smiling, ''ln the days of King Vatican
the shepherd was quite the equal of the
noble! And your dairy maid is beauty
and an h eiress. Dear me, how difficult
men are!" ''In the days of King Cole,';
the gentleman replied, bowling, ''the
fiddler was better than anybody.
looked forward to dancing with YOU"
''NIiss Luttrell studied his features
amusedly. sDon't you see that I have
MY reasons?" she presently said.
''It is to your wishes, not your rea-
sons, that 1 YIELD" MI. Brown lie.
turned. but the reasons are-"'
II want to prevent gossip" she an
swered, rising.
But her face wore mischieyous eX-
preston, which set MaXimus on his
guard. If she wished to prevent gossip
why did she dance with Kingdom
Bevan? Mr.. Browns vanity was not SO
great as to blind him to the fact that
people had gossiped more about Bevan
with her than with himself. Had Cos
siped; for lately Bevan'S pursuit OF
Miss Almes had become marked, and
was to be disapproved by her family
NilSs lIultlClis JCulOltO VI 1llliCo
perhaps? MaXimus took fire. The
suggestion was one of those which have
for men of the world an immediate and
convincing probability. Her object
was to recall Bevan.
From Mrs. Luttrell's house Brown
went direct to the club, and when he
arrived there he was all aflame. In the
reading-room Bevan was standing be
fore new picture which the club had
just bought. 1t was called "a r0u
trance;;" it represented tall man, with
sinister. theatrical expression, clloos
ing a rapier. and it was said to be g
portrait of famous Belgian duelist.
s'Hella.. Brownie Bevan said, "what
a. ass duelist is, eh?D And he
nodded at the painting. "That fellow
won't kill anybody: all he is thinking
of is the figure he will cut in an EN-
r>,o;doraI cl, irt on1 y,oir af lnxyopIo,