The Newtown bee., 1888-10-19

,uoW. WHcIS DlCh Haul ploudUiy hCdAu md learned it, but was utterly unsuited to the present company and surround ings.
 I stared and listened aghast for a mo- truth flashed upon me; my handsome, clever, gentlemanly brother was intoxi- cated; at least, so far under the influence of liquor that he did not know what he was doing. The truth was evident even to my innocent and inexperienced eyes, No wonder those thoughtless young men were whispering and sneering, many of them enjoying his degradation and cru ely encouraging it.
 In a moment l was at my brothers side, pushing my way amongst the young men, who had grace enough to feel ashamed of their laughter and to fall back when they recognized me.
 I could barely touch Dicks arm as he stood upon the chair, but managed to attract his attention and to whisper, 'sDick, dear Dick, please get down! I want you"
 ''In moment, Nan. Don't interrupt the performance. Sing too-ral-li, too ral-li'"-
 ''Richard, stopr' I cried, frantically. 'tYou must get down; I must speak to you!''
 Something in my voice or face seemed to recall him little to himself.
 'Eh?" he said, staring at me stupidly. Then, yielding to the pull gave, he stepped or staggered down from the chair and set his foot as he did so, with considerable weight, upon the foot of a young man near.
 ''Drunken brute F muttered the man, reckoning with pain and anger.
 Dick caught the words and, having no power of self-control in his present con dition, flew into passion at once.
 ssDrunken brute yourself. Take that for your insolence!n and he caught glass of wine from the table and threw. it's contents into the others face.
 know not what further scene of dis grace might have ensued had we enot been joined at this moment by Katharine Van ness and her father, stately, distin- guished-looking gentleman, whose grave presence commanded at once the respect ful silence of the noisy throng.
 Katharine laid her hand upon the arm of the young man Dick had assaulted.
 'sOverlook this offence, MT Gordon; I ask it as a personal favor."
 ''It would be beneath the dignity of a sober man to notice it, Miss Vanness. In any case, your will is law and the gen. tleman bowed low to her and stepped back, wiping from his face the wine that still trickled down it.
 MT Vanness, meanwhile, had placed his hand upon my brothers shoulder.
 "Step this way, Mir Stanley. You will find it pleasanter in the adjoining room"
 The voice and touch were such as com pelled obedience. Dick, half-sobered by the sudden lull in the laughter that had the guidance of MT Vanness. I, sick with shame and terror, followed mutely in their footsteps. Before I had taken half-a-dozen steps, Kate Vanness's arm was around my waist and, supported by her, I followed my brother and his guide into little room used by MT Vanness as a study, which had not been thrown open to the company.
 Dick sank into q chair and gazed stu pidly around, while MT Vanness brought to him glass of some beverage which had the tendency to dissipate the fumes of the wine he had taken. I rested my head upon Katharine's shoulder and sob. bed bitterly.
 s'Don't cry, Anne, don't! Things arc not so bad as they seem to you, dear. There are plenty of young men there who took more wine than your brother did, only he was affected by it more easily; a sure proof, father says, that ht was unaccustomed to it. Don't fret such thing will never happen to hin again, I am sure"
 There were tears ill her eyes and hel voice quivered as she spoke. l would not have believed that Kate Vanness hat so much feeling. l clung to her pas sionately as I sobbed, ssHe never, nevel drank wine before! He did not know his danger. Why why did you offer i to him?''
 ssBecause I did not know it's danger .o.@ ,I,o !, offered to guest of mine again."
 Thanks to MT Vanness's judiciou treatment, Dick was by this time comin. somewhat to himself. Kate whispere, to me to leave him awhile with her father while we returned to the parlor; but would not hear of it. I was only anx ious to get my poor boy home to mother before he became fully conscious of hi shame.
 Yielding to my urgent entreaties Katharine rang for servant to brin, us our wraps and, escorted to the doc by MT Vanness himself, who wa pitifully considerate of me in my grie as my own father could have been, le' poor Dick away from the door we ha, entered so joyously a few short hour before.
 I have no mind to dwell upon tn scenes that followed: My brother penitence and self-reproach, my own an, my mothers grief and shame; all thi can easily be imagined. Would that these pitiful consequence
 were the only ones that followed Kath arine Vanness's wine party But tha
 was only the beginning. The taste fo
 stimulating drink was excited in m l brother. who had nerhans a natural fen