Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-08-10


entering the dining-room Mr. Ashton
found himself in the midst Of a very
| lively party, that numbered among its
members two pretty Americans, two
wealthy young guardsmen-to whom
the Americans were laying siege-the
Fowler family and Captain Challoner,
whose account of the family Mr.. Ash
ton soon pronounced to be correct.
Mrs. Fowler was distinctly pretty
woman, but not a pleasing one. Her
expression 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. Captain Fow-
Ter was palpably under his wife's
thumb-a chinless being whose fluid
character evide..tly took the impress
of the strongest hand that grasped it.
"a hopeless case,n thought Horace,
after the first few minutes talk with
his hostess. This woman is an arrant
snob, and the bare idea of becoming
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 posted,
with her own fair hands, letter to a
friend in Regents park that had never
reached its destinations. Think how
many an important Communication
may have been lost" said Captain
Fowler, speaking with allthe assertive
temerity of the weak. 'If letter is
rightly addressed and posted it is de-
livered.n
mot always" interpolated Horace.
II could tell curious story"
"Oh, do" interrupted chorus OF
female voices.
Ashton tells a story awfully we'll"
exclaimed Humphrey Challoner
please tell us your story, Mr.
Ashton" murmured Mrs. Fowler in a
patrohizing tone.
1T is an incident, an episode, rather
than story" said Horace. IA story,
we are told, demands three things-a
beginning, a middle and an ending.
My tale has only a beginning. And
now to begin, and 1 must make it
short. for the hour is late.
Zone November day, some five
years ago, / happened to come in
earlier than usual, at about fourp. m. 4,
feeling very tired and desperately
sleepy. l ordered tea to be brought
up at once, but before | had finished
my second cup l fell fast asleep, with
a newspaper and some letters that my
servant had just handed me lying in
my lap unopened, and my fox-terrier,
Nell, doing at my feet / must have,
slept, l suppose, for nearly an hour,
when | suddenly woke with violent
start that sent both newspaper and
letters flying on 10 the hearth rug, the
former bursting its cover in the fall.
"When l had sufficiently recovered
from the shock of this rude awaken.
ing to make any move l stopped down
and picked up the letter that was near
est to me, and which happened to be
lying seal uppermost, and without
even glancing at the address tore open
the envelope and proceeded to read its
contents. They were startling, must
admit
"Was the letter from lady or a gem
tleman, Mr.. Ashton?" asked one of the
Americans.
From the former, and it stated that
being weary of life and unable to sub
nit any longer to paternal tyranny,
she intended to avail herself of her
darling's oft-repeated request that she
should fly with him, and that she,
therefore, requested him to meet her
AT the terminus here (where here
might be, know not, for there was
neither date nor address affixed) on
Tuesday next at 4:15. had scarcely
time to finish the letter, or to wonder
who could have written it to me, when
my servant entered with telegram
demanding an immediate answer.
While was framing my reply Cuth-
bert busted himself with making up
the fire, and in so doing came
into active collision with Nell, whom
he never could manage-and who
at once began to bark in way that
drove me nearly wild. AS soon as my
telegram was dispatched | looked
round for the cover of the mysterious
epistle, which had decided by this
time ought never to have fallen into
my hands; but it was nowhere to be
seen. / asked Cuthbert if he had no
ticed it-a long white envelope.
81 suppose, sir, he answered in an
aggrieved tone, for he and were oft
en- at issue where Nell was concerned,
that that was what the dog had got
hold of just now. l did try to take it
from her, but 1 know you don't like
to hear her bark. She dropped it at
last, and threw it into the fire, but it
was just mere pulp then. You
couldn't have read what was written
on it.
$50 the envelope was destroyed, and
with it had gone every chance of my
ever being able to restore its contents
to their destined recipient. Cuthbert
then proceeded to inform me that he
had only brought me in two letters
blue ones-with the newspaper, and
there they both were on the table,
still unopened. So this third epistle,
which was, unquestionably, never in