The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-08-23
RICHARD PARDON'S
PERIL.
CHAPTER NVI.-Continued.
Startled, l gazed at him, and half rose.

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"Pshaw!" he said. "Sit down again. do
not ask you to tell mo your story, unless in a
moment of confidence you choose to unbend.
Now am In the humor to be more frank and
open. Let me give you piece OF advice,
though, properly, you should be the better
able to give it to me, being the elder of the
two. Don't take life too seriously; 1t Is not
worth while. Those enjoy the most who ac-
copt it as a comedy. Tragedy or comedy, 1t
is before you to take your choice. The same
thing that will make you cry will make you
laugh. 1t oil depends upon the view you
take. Some people are annoyed at being
tickled; enjoy it. Ii man gives me slap
in the faco laugh and give him one in re-
| turn. The laugh is an enjoyable eondiment
In the dish tho frown imparts an objection
able favor TO the meat"
Icould have argued with him that 1t was o
matter of temperament. but it was not my
cue to say anything that might enlarge the
field OF conversation; and therefore held
my tongue.
"All right" continued Stanmore, and /
understood him TO allude to my silence; "it
suits me. / was ever valuable, and
I my tongue bids fair to grow rusty with the
company have kept these last two or three
weeks. The worst of your English clodhop-
per is that he is dull. 1 don't complain of
him for being coarse; !; it Is his dullness that
notifies me. He never makes q remark worth
the listening to, and to hold forth to such
scum is enoughsto give one the megrims. On
the Continent-I have travelled, Gaskell-it Is
! different, You gotta flash Of wit occasionally; !;
you meet with Il farceur who entertains you /;
but here God save US there is nothing but
coarseness and drunkenness. No, there is no
talking to such dregs of the cutters. Now you,
| Gaskell, are a man of education-no disguis-
ing it, old man-and must let off the steam,
gatified that have the opportunity of doing
SO in good company. l come back TO what
was saying-you lean towards tragedy in your
views, towards comedy. Ah, that's right |
look through my portfolio; you'll find some
fairish sketches thero-half Of them taken in
foreign lands. Yes, as Beatrice says, when
| Twas born, my mother cried but then there
was star danced, and under that was
born am grateful; it might have boen
otherwise; blessed heritage. was flogged
III SCHOOL, L IuuSllco Wu5 C6pclleu,
laughed. made some money;I laughed. I
was robbed of it; l laughed. fell in love; 1
laughed. married; 1 laughed. Ny wife
deceived me, and ran away from me;
laughed. shall In all probability, in this
very town meet her and the man she pre-
ferred to me; I shall laugh. Men prate Of
different PHILOSOPHERS, but will stake mine
against the lot There Is something in my
portfolio that interests you; what Is itr"
He came and leaned oyer my shoulder. I
was looking at two sketches which seemed
strangely familiar to me; ono was duel
scene, the other tipsy brawi. Where had 1
seen those pictures or their like, bofore2
could not recall, and yet they haunted me.
mot bad" said Stanmore. 81 have sold
plenty of copies ofthose and of other pictures
in the portfolio. Continental subjects most
ofthcm; they are the most popular. Gaskell,
for the last half-hour that glass OF vino has
stood at your elbow, and you have not put
your lips to it." ....
81 do not drink" said, constrained to
answer him.
Tragedy again. mistake. I give you
my word, if l could serve you, would.
However, don't suppose you will give me
the opportunity. Now, if you hud a wife as I
had and II she deceived you as mine has de-
ccivod mo, you would sit down in sackcloth
and ashes and tear your hair You wouldn't
be any the botter off for II, nor would it the
more incline her towards you by the meas
ure of hairs breadth. Take my case. My
wife runs away from me. whistle her off.
The world Is wide and 1t is filled with fair
women. My wife Is fair. make no attempt
to discover her. give her to understand
that sho is free to go her way. What Is the
consequence? After an interval of three
| years she finds out whero am and suspects
that 1 have money in my purse. She writes
to me oh, in such tender strains May she
come and SEQ me2 or course she may. Aud,
Gaskell, she will come, and not alone She
will bring tho other fellow with her-or,
rather, he will insist upon coming with her,
telling her that he will keep out of my way.
Little does she dream that this will exactly
suit me. The fact is feel rather humpered,
tied to my wife who is not my wife. With
out knowing ii. she will supply me with evil
denee against herself l shall put her In the
divorce court, from which shall issue with
clean bill, to marry again II please. And
may please, for havea q susceptible heart"
| In this way did Stanmore rattle on till II
was time for bed. 1t was while wo were In
bed and in the dark that he called:
| "Gaskellln
| "Yes7" answered.
II have got my wifo In tho tolls" he said,
laughing heartily. "a detective is following
her unawares."
| He continued to laugh for some time.
1t struck me on the following morning that
he cast strange, compassionate glances ut me.
Ihave received two letters" he said; ;"one
from my charming wife, the other from my
detective. My wife will be here this evening.
and, as suspected, her lovor is with her.
Both the letters arc addressed to me at the
postoffice; she does not know whore / am
stopping. She herself will put up at a little
inn, the name of which she gives me in her
letter. 1t is called the Bull and Mouth. l
am going to reconnoiter It,"
We walked together to the street in which
1t was situated, fingered a moment or two
outside. and then returned to our own hotel.
We should have remained in the open, had a
storm of rain not come on, which rendered 1t
advisable that we should take shelter under
a roof. Then said Stanmore, with another of
those compassionate glances which had al
ready observed
"Gaskell, old man, am going to show you
something: but you must first give mo q
promise"