Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-26
BLENDA.

The speaker was tall, fair, forid
youth of some "a years of age; the To-
cality was smoking-room in the
house of Mr. Horace Ashton, the WELL
known surgeon, and the hour, to be
precise, was o'clock on a dull No
vember evening.
you see, she first of all encouraged
it, and led me to believe that she and
her husband would be very glad to see
Tina married to me (she is only Tina's
step-mother, you know, and then,
when my big brother came on the
scene and began making up to my lit
tie girl-as he does to every heiress-
why, then Mrs. Fowler cooled off, like
the snob that she is, and told Tina that
she wasn't to dance SO much with me,
and that-in short, it wasn't to be. 1t
was horrid shame; don't you think
so, Horace?"
at sounds rather unfair. But per-
haps Challoner doesn't really want to
marry Miss Fowler"
.'Oh, yes, he does. He admires her
immensely to begin with, and then
she'll have $4,000 year. He'd marry
a witch for $4,000 more. You know
what he is; he doesn't care for Tina; he
doesn't care for anyone but himself,
whilst L"
''But don't quite see what | am to
do, what part am to play, or how ]
can serve you by coming to this supper
party tonight" interrupted Horace,
sharply. He did not mean TO be un-
sympathetic, but he was very tired,
and he had heard so often how much,
how very much, his young friend, Hon.
Humphrey Challoner, cared for the
beautiful Miss Fowler.
"Well, / want your opinion and youl
advice, which you cannot give until
you have seen the family. l want you
to take particular notice of Mrs. Fow.
Ter, and to tell me what you think OF
her. She is years and years younger
than her husband, and some people
admire her immensely. She is awfully
vain, / should add. and more accessi
BILE to fiattery than any one I've ever
met, and | believe that you might talk
her over, Horace, if you would only
take the trouble. You see. you are
clever and I'm not, and Challoner is
an elder son and a viscount, and I'm 6
younger son with nothing; and Tina is
only Is, and does not come Of age un
til she is 25, and she says it'll kill heI
to wait so long, and-and altogether
we haven't hundred-to-one chance o
getting married unless somebody oil
other intervenes in our behalf. Capt
Fowler wouldn't oppose us, Pm sure
if he were left to himself; but his wife
is against me, and he is a more lumI
of clay in her hands"
"All right; I'll come to the supper
then, as you are SO anxious about it,
And you'll be there by 11:30?"
Good"
And, true to his word, at the hou
named Mr.. Ashton presented himself
at the door of Capt. Fowler's residence,
a small house on the east side of Davies
street, Berkeley square. He did not
look forward with much pleasure to
the evenings entertainment, for he
disliked strangers, and he hated sup
per parties, but he was glad to oblige
Humphrey Challoner. of whom he was
very fond. Upon entering the dining
room Mr.. Ashton found himself in the
midst of very lively party, that num-
bered among its members two pretty
two wealthy young guards
men-to whom the Americans were
laying siege--the Fowler, family, and
Capt. Challoner, whose account of the
family Mr.. Ashton soon pronounced
to be correct.
Mrs. Fowler was distinctly pretty
woman, but not pleasing one. Her
lacked frankness, and her
manner suggested an almost morbid
vanity. She had little air of making
a speech every time she opened her
thin lips. Miss Fowler was simply
lovely, and far too charming to be
married for her money. Capt. Fowler
was palpably under his wife's thumb
"a chinless being whose fluid charac-
ter evidently took the i'm press of the
strongest hand that grasped it.
"a hopeless case" thought Horace,
after the first few minutes talk with
his hostess. This woman is an ar
rant snob, and the bare idea of becom-
ing mother-in-law to a viscount has
turned her weak brain; she won't give
in."
Presently the conversation, which
was somewhat general, turned upon
defective postal arrangements. One
of the American ladies had lately post
ed, with her own fair hands, a letter
to friend in the Regents park that
had never reached its destination.
Think how many an important COM
may have been lost" said
Capt. Fowler, speaking with all the
assertive temerity of the weak. eff a
letter is rightly addressed and posted,
it is delivered"
"Not always" interpolated Horace.
II could tell curious story"
'Oh, do, interrupted a chorus of
female voices.
ashton tells story awfully WE'LL"
exclaimed Humphrey Challoner.
please tell us your story, Mr.. Ash
5on," murmured Mrs. Fowler, in a pat
tone.
at is an incident, an episode, rather
han a story said Horace. "a story,
we are told, demands three things-a
beginning, middle, and an ending. /
Ny tale has only a beginning. And I
now to begin. and must make it short,
Tor the hour is late.
Zone November day. some five years |
ago, | happened to come in earlier
han usual, at about p. M, feeling
very tired and desperately sleepy.
ordered tea to be brought up at once,
but before / had finished my second /
,up / fell fast asleep, with newspaper
md some letters that my servant had /
ust handed me lying in my lap un-
opened. and my fox-terrier, Nell, doz-
ng at my feet. | must have slept, |
suppose, for nearly an hour, when / /
woke with a violent start that |
sent both newspaper and letters flying