Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-12-20
A CHRISTMAS DINNER.

~ on have inserted Joshua Prouty in the
classification, Miss Rogersl son Of Gideon
Prouty, born 1902; marred"--
Eyes, Mr.. Prouty"
"Thank you. And you have entered the
testimony of Leonard Prouty, of Chicago,
concerning the design of the coat-of-arms2"
Yes
"Thanl1 you, Miss Rogers. II you are at
leisure l have my introduction ready for
copying: The Prouty family In America
was founded by Christopher Prouty, who,
sailing from England in 1884, with his wife
Priscilla, settled at Dorchester D
at is quite legible, Mr.. Prouty."
The secretary spread the manuscript be-
fore her, unscrewed the cover of an orna-
mental inkstand, pushed a wisp OF her fluffy
blonde hair out e her blue eyes, AMI went
demurely TO work.
Mr.. Prouty went back into his study,
which adjoined the room which his secretary
occupied. As he sank into his deep, soft
padded easy chair, he bent forward, half I'M
consciously, and turned the brass framed
mirror on his table in such position as to
reflect that corner of the next room in which
sat his secretary He found it pleasant,
when, looking up from the letters he was
methodically reading and labelling, his glance
almost spiritual. vision of a fair head, bent
downward, the CLINT of silver hairpin half
lost in a soft coil, and the outline OF soft
tinted cheek and a round chin pressed into a
pretty semblance of two by rim of white
collar; and Mr.. Prouty respectfully and in
nocently enjoyed that pleasure. From a like
guileless motive he was wonV, in his mental
references to her, to call his secretary by her
FIRST name, which was Polly. He Thought
Polly a very pretty name.
He had begun TO be family suspicious that
the requirement of secretary was the one
redeeming point in the compilation of a
family history.
He had undertaken it merely as q recrea-
ton; at 45-but, with his muscular form, in
clining to stoutnoss, and his genial, fresh COM
plexioned face, r. looked ten years younger;
he was retired fl o1 an inherited mercantile
business with an ample bank account and
nothing to do. He intended the acceptance
of no pecuniary remuneration; he expected to
present copy, gilt leaved and III gilt lettsred
bindings, 10 every existing Prouty.
1t had gradually dawned upon him that the
task was an onerous one. The Prouty family
was alarmingly large and widely scattered.
Mr.. Prouty, during the past seven months,
had travelled over large portion of the
marriage records in court houses innumers-
BILE; deciphered Inscriptions IL scores of GENE
teries, and written 1,6J3 letters and received
1,G12 in return, upon all of which Mr.. Prouty
had paid the postage. And as yet the history
was, SO to speak, in 4. stage of red and pulpy
infancy
The comparative feebleneSs and vanity of
the effort, also, had now and then forced it
self upon his consciousness. 1t had occurred
TO him that whether Jabez Prouty had been
born in ITO or 1871, and when Melancthon
Prouty had married Nancy Higginson; and
whether the tail of the lion which stood on
his rear legs in the center of the coat of arms
should properly curl and wave to the left, as
was urged by Renwick Prouty, OF New Or
leans, or bend to the right, uncurled, as was
insisted upon by Leonard Prouty, OF Chicago
were not, perhaps, the most profound and
pressing problems Of the day.
1t wanted three days till Christmas Mr.
Prouty, looking through his window into
the street oenesth-Twenty-eigh street
caught a vibration Of the coming festival in
the fiux Of shoppers from the houses opposite
the profusion OF messenger boys and express
men, and the rafting rush of dry goods de-
livery wagons. AT the present moment Mr.
Prouty, CHANGING in either direction, discov-
ing: from the west, s. tall young man in 8
peculiar garb of long black ovsrcoat and
wide felt hst; from the east, a short young
man in a short, pale tinted overcoat and q
silk hat. When the bell rang, therefore,
twice in quick succession, Mr.. Prouty evincea
no surprise. The callers were his nephews,
Selldrk Prouty, the son of bis deceased broth
er, and Benjamin Todd, commonly known
as Bub Todd his departed sisters son For
some years Mr.. Prouty had contributed, I'M
murmuringly, the vastly greater share Of
their support.
The light step of one of the maids Of his
well ordered bachelor household sounded
and his nephews were shown in.
Selkirk Prouty sat down on . sofs with
decorous dignity; Bub Todd threw himself
into chair with haste and violence. Neither
had greeted Mr.. Prouty; it was q formality
which they commonly omitted
'Beas,ly cold weather, u sid Bub, deposit
ing his hat on a table-his last call had been