The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-06-14
FOULPLAY.
A Novel.
BY CHARLES I,EApE, AND DloN DoucucArLr.
CHAPTER L.

DY CHARLES nEApE, AND DIoy DoucrCAuLr.
CHATTER I.
There are placcs which appear ut first ri CHIT
inaccessible to romance and such u place was
Mr.. Wardlaw's dining.r room in Russell Square.
1t WIS very large, had sirkly green walls,
picked out with aldermen. full length; heavy
maroon curtains; mahogany chnrs; n turkey
carpet an inch thick: and WINS lighted with
wax candles only.
In the center, bristling un,l cleaning with
silver and glass, was round table, at which
fourteen could have dincd comfortably; and
Mt opposite sides of this table sut two gentle.
men, who looked as neat, grave, precise, and
unromantlc. az the place; Merchant Ward
law, and his son.
Wardlaw senior was an elderly man, tall.
thin, iron-gray, will, round head, II short,
thick neck, good. brown eye, IL square iowl
that batokened resolution, and acompcNion
no sallow az to he almost cadavcrous. Hard
rs iron: but certain still dignity md re-
spectability sat upon him. md became him.
Arthur Wardlaw rcscmhlcd his father i'll
figure, but his mother in face. He Ind. and
has, hay-colorcd hair. Il forehead sineuary
white and delicate pale blue eyes, largisll
ears, finely chiselel features, the under lip
much shorter than The upper; his chin oval
and pretty, but somewhat recedng; his com
plcxion beautiful. In short, what nineteen
people out of twenty would call IL handsome
young man, and think they had described
him.
Both the Wardlaws were in full dress, ac-
cording to the invariablccusto ON oftle house;
and sat in II deai silence that seemed natu
raj to the great, sober man.
This, however, WAS not for want ola topic;
on the contrary, they had II matter OF great
Importance to tllsruss, and in fnct this WINS
why they dinel tetpu-tete: but their tongues
were tied for the present.; in the first pl,lce,
there stood in the middle OF tho table an cp-
ergne the size OF II Putney laurel tree; neither
Warlluw could well SIZE the other. without
his tree; and then there were three live sup
pressors of confidential intercourse, two gOr-
geous fOotmen, and II sOmber, sublime, and.
i'll one word episcopal, butler; MI three went
about as softly as eats after IL robin, and
conjurel one plate away, and smoothly in.
snnatrd another, and seemed models OF
grnvediscreti0n;tut were known to he ears,
carh crumb OF dialogue to the servants hall.
for curious dissection.n and lpostcrous ridiculr.
At last. however. those three SNUG hypo-
critics retired, and, by good luck, trans erred
their suifOcatlng epcr3nn to the sidebOarl:
80 then father and ron looked Mt one another
with that conscious mir which naturally pre-.
ce,lcs topic of interest; and War,llnw. sell
Tor invited his son to try certain drrantcr
OF rnra old port, 10y way OF preliminary
While he vOuusp mn n fila his InSs lIrl We
in his anteae.lents.
At school till fifteen, and then clerk in his
fathers office till twenty-five, and showed an
aptitude so remarkable. that John WnrInw,
who was getting tired, determined, sooner or
later, to put the rcins oi government into his
hands. But he conceived IL desire that the
future head of his Office should be IL universe
ty man. So he announced his resolution,
and to Oxford went young Wardlaw. though
he Ind not looked Mt Greek or Latin for sew
Ell years. He was, however. furnished with
IL private tutor, under whom lie recovered
lost ground rapidly. The Reverend Robert
l"n!old was II trst-class man, and had the
git OF teaching. The house of Ward
the son of old Michael len:old. Wnrd:uw's
cashier; he learned from young Wardlaw the
stake he was playing for, and. instead of
merely giving him nehour' slcctnrc per day,
us he did tn his other pupils, he used 10
come to his rooms Mt all hours, and force
him to read. by rending with him. He also
stood his friend in IL serious emergency.
blessed or cursed, with Mimicry; his powers
in that way really seemed to have no limit,
for lie could initiate any sound you liked
will: his voice, and any form with his pen or
pencil. Now, We promise YOU, he was one
man under his voice, md any form with His
fathers eye, and another down ut Oxford;
80 one night this gentleman, being warm
with wine, opens his window. and seeing u
group of undergraduates chntte:ing and
peculiar grating tones Of Mr.. Champion.
vice-presdcnt OF the college, and gives Them
various rensons why they ought to ,lispprse
TO their rooms and study. hut, perhaps, =
says he, in conclusion, you nre too blind
drunk to read Bosl in crooked letters
by cnndlclight? In that case-''
And he then gave them some
ing: still in the eXact tones OF Mr. Champion
who wis II very. very stiirk lnoralst: and
this unexpected sally of wit caused shricks
of laughter. aud nightly ticklc.l all the hear.
ers except Champion irsr who WAS listening
and disappearing at another window lie
complained to the president. Then the in
eenious Wardlnw. not having come down to
L
great mistake-he denied it.
1t was brought home to him, md the pm>
dent, who had laughed in lis sleeve at the
practical joke looked very grave mt the false
hood: Illustration was talked Ofand ever
Expulsion. Then Wnrllaw came snrrow.ul
ly to PentOld, and said To him, II must hav,
been awfully cut, for don, remember al
do remember slanging the fellow hut how
rnn tell Whit ! said' say. nld fellow. il
will be u ndjob:or me i,theycxpclmr. orcvcr
rusticute me: my fntlier will never f,rgiv,
me: shall be his clerk.but nevcrhis partner
and then he will find out what II lot | uw,
down here. I'm done for! lin done for''
Penfold uttered not word. ut grnspc,
his hand, and went oil 10 The president an,
suid his pupil had wincd ut thirstrhnrrh an,
could not he expected to remember minutrly
| Mimicry was. unfortunately. Il habit will
linn. He pleaded for The millcrcnnst ructior
Sith such zeal and elogueure. that the li.ll
ninded scholar he was addressing a.lnitte,
chat construction was possible. and therefor
| must be received. So the affair ended in
written apology to MIR. Champion. which In,
all the smoothncss nnd nru'ncss OF n me,
chants letter. Arthur Wnrdlnw was lreud
Il master in tlntstylc
Six months after this. and one fortniyl
before the actual commencement of our tai,
Arthur Warllnw, well crn,nmcl by Prnfol
went up for his final examination, throbbu
with anxiety. He passed: and was so graf IL
full to his tutor That, when the advowson of
small living near Oxford came into the MAI
kct. he asked War.llaw srliior o lend Roller
Pen.Oll II sum of money, much more tia
was needed: and Wnr,llnw senior decline
without Il moments hesitation.
This slight sketch will serve us II key to II
dialogue it has post pOned, and to sulsrtIurl
incidents.
well. Arthur; md so you have really tai
en- Your degree?"
NO, sir: but l have passed my cxa,nin;
ton: the degree follows ny II matter o:romr.
that il II mere question of fees
"Oh! Then now ! have something to 81,
to you. Try one more glass of the ~ pnr
Stop; YOU II excuse me; ! am +: nan of bus
ness: | don't doubt your word: lIrav,
forbid! but. do you happen to ha,
confirmation Of what you state; namc
that you h,lve passed your final examinatG
ut the Enivcrsity?'
Certainly, sir replied young Warlln,
"What is that?'
The young gentleman put his hand in !,
pocket and produced his Trstamur. or ~
bear Witness" short printed document
Latin. which may be thus translated
1--WE bear witness that Arthur Wartila,
OF st. Lukes College, has answered our que
tions in humane letters
"GEORGE RICHARDSON,
"ARTHrR SMvTHE.
"EDxAnD MEnivALE.
Examiners
Wardlaw senior took it. laid il beside hi
on the table, inspected it with hisdoublc e,
glass, and. not knowing II word of Lali
was nightly impressed, and his respect {
his son rose 40 or i5 per cent.
Very well. sir" said he. Now listen
me. Perllnps it was an Old nuns f;lmcv: b