The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-06-08

clap his hand upon his sword, or upon the
place where his sword should have been, and
swear roundly that he would have reason from
the man who dared to take Ellen Tresidder' S
name lightly upon his lips.
! You see that Master Jack had fallenin love,
and very desperately, too. Now came the
time when he did sit alone in his chambers at
night, with the solitary candle by his side,
and Quill in his hand. He was easing his
poor wounded heart by writing poems in
praise of his mistress, and laments over his
hard case when banished from her presence.
They were terrible jingles, those rhymes, and
fortunately Ellen Tresidder never read them,
or she might have conceived a contempt for
Jacks intellect which would have prevented
this story from being written, and that would
! have been an irreparable loss. Jack con-
tented himself with showing his performances
to his companions in the Temple-the Toms,
( Dicks and Harrys already mentioned-who
( had mighty fun and laughter over them.
: "They are in the style of Akenside, Jack
explained, little nettled at their merriment.
T More likely to give you one" replied the
brutal Harry.
Ellen Tresidder was an heiress and an or
phan--a condition of affairs with which Jack
I Verinder was by no means likely to be dis
pleased. But she was a minor. too aud for
+ the present under the guardianship of her
uncle, Mr. Jabez Wood, alderman aud gold
smith, and that was misfortune The good
alderman had prospered in his calling, aud
was reputed man Of great wealth. He lived
in one of those fine new houses in Blooms
bury, which, at the time about which ! am
writing. formed the Arist0cratic West End OF
10 De considered as one Of the quality, Mr..
Jabez Wood gave frequent entertainments,
balls and rouls. 10 which Jack, being the son
Of a country gentleman who was also knight
Of ,he Shire, had the good fortune to be some
times invited. II was these parties that gave
Jack the opportunity Of falling in love with
the beautiful Miss Tresidier, and they also
afforded the lady The chance Of returning the
compliment, which she did very heartily; for
in those days il was not esteemed mark Of
high breeding to appear inseusblc Of the
charms Of a lover. The tao yuusE people
privily S~ore eternal devotion to one another.
Jack vas prOad Of bis conquest, and kept a
portrai, Of his fair one in the lid Of his snuff
box. Ellen ~as DOT less proud Of her bean,
aud. indeed. she well nigh, be proud Of him,
frr hs ~as a handsome yoang isllo~ eaough.
Bot when . Suspicion Of shat was going on
dAwnei upon the mind of Mr.. Alderman
Wood, he did nos end this love making II al
90 bis liking. he bad beea accustomed, all
BIS life, 20 look a. questions from rurtly
commercial point of visw, aai he bad pro-
posed to himself to deal wisa bis niece and
her fcrtane apoa = trade basis II must Be
mentioned that, although Iah~z called hsm.
self goldsmith. the passaii Of that craft sAs
aoi hy any means The moss lucrative par; Of
his lals1gs. The ealing to whieh be devoted
III. best nsteasiaa and sueFgy was that Of
asurnr, and IA The dArS little psrlor behind hss
shop ia Cheapside many = reckless he'r had
bsea SHARED 10 has audosak. Jahes Profsed
largely. ns a rals, by the missnrtsass Of bis
victims hos there was oae case in whlch the
astale cid money leader bad been qaite ous-
vis,cd. SIR Ralph ChsrbsEy, Ehen he wss
baE heir 70 The baFouesey and she pasevaAs
estates, had foani bis allowance a. eldest son
insufficient far his needs, and bad soaghi help
from Jabez Wood, The AIierman bad asade
STREET sns,airy into shr condition Of the Cher
bary property. aad. fAneyias himsef secure,
A
apoa Mr.. gAlph's post obst bonds. Hls dis
Eust may be conceived shea, on The death Of
the old barens;. be foaad thas the Land had
( been qaiss recently aosisagvi 10 Aiaosi lts
fall valae, and that S5s Ralph ChcrbuFy 5
bonds were worth tAeir exact equlvaiun; IS
waase parchment 10 make iato dram heads.
Bot Jabcz vas no, the mas to -. down
gaiesiy uRder such loss, lie was minded 20
recover his money by fair meaas or by iaal.
He resolved that his ward shaali become Lady
Cherbury. Her fortaHe woald enable Sir
Ralph 10 pay OF his debs 10 Iabvs, and also
10 discharge ths eucumbFanees apOn his estate.
Such an arrangement was clearly Cor the ben.
eh. of everybody concerned ia i. Mistress
Ellen uoali gain = tale, Sir Ralph woaid b
freed lFom his load u debt, and Jabez would
recover bis lost thousands. ], was srae that
Sir Ralph vas nearly forty, that his figure had
lost the slimness Of early youth, and that hi'
face was paiIy, and flushed With a eoloi
that vas not the ruddy giow q health
What OF thatg A sensible girl woaid nog al
low such slight drawbacks to outweigh the
solid advantage 0f title Bat il would have
created too great scandal Il be had attempt
ca 10 force his niece 70 marry Sir Ralph
Iabgz dared not face the disapproval OF ii,
society in which be aspired 10 figure By asins
any sort Of compulsion. His scheme wa.
lha, tae Baronet should WOO aud win Mistress
Trrsidder, and he did not fear that he woal'
fail. Sir Ralph was was quite as eager as hi
creditor for such desirable arrangement
but he could not feel the same certainty o
success Mistress Tresidder was young ant
romantic. Sir Ralph's looking glass told hin
that he was no longer an AdoRis. Worss
than all, there was that young rascal, Jael
Yerinder, making sleeps eyes at the heiress
and getting them returned with interest. Jael
received no more invitations 10 the Alder
mans house; bat there were plenty Of qaie
shady lanes to the north of Bloomsbury, to
wards Tottenham Court and Pancras; pleas
anter places for love making, surely, tina
, Alderman Wood formal drawing room,
But Jabez soon got some inkling Of thes
pleasant, stealthy rambles, and he determine
10 adopt strong measures in Sir Ralph's an,
his own interest So he rented furnished
5 country house in the neighborhood Of Tun
/ bridge Wells, and one fine morning in the mid
die of November he might have been seen, al
? companied by his niece and Sir Ralph, drivin
a in his great coach southwards, in very statel
t fashion, with crowd of ragged urchins rur
r ming after the splendid equipage. shoutin
a .sHurrah for the Lord Mayor" misled doub
e less by the gallant liveries of the servants.
a The season at the Wells was over, and a
Y the visitors had fled from the town. Tb
e Families we're deserted, aud the Assembl
r rooms we're closed. $50 much the better,
n mused the Alderman. ''There will be /
: nonsensieal diversions for Mistress Ellel
e In a nice lonely country house, she will |
r sure to fall in love with Sir Ralph, in She
l. desperation, for want of something better
8 do -