Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-14

81 repeat, I'll do the Decd" said Gin
quewardeu, with decision.
"Whinf" asked the practical O'Mulli-
gan.
"Without delay. BIT what corner of
the earth is the Ancient Mariner at pres
ent rendering uninhabitable?"
"Not got notion. But Jack Ramsden
will tell you. Sweet on the daughter, you
know. And by all that's propitious here
he comes"
How now, your secret black ard midnight hags2
What is't you do?
inquired that gentleman, as he joined
his friends.
"a deed without name," replied Lord
Cinquewarden; Indeed if may say so,
without doing violence to the memory of
the bard, a deed without name or an ad
dress" Saying which his lordship took
Ramsden on one side, and the meeting
was adjourned sine die.
"They've given Grifiths peerage,"
were the first words of his wife, as he
shook the offending sheet that covered
the information.
"Indeed," said Mrs. Pippin.
"Good gracious, Maria, how you do ex
asperate one! tell you that they have
made a peer of a person who has not
done little of what have accomplished
for the party, and you say indeed as
though it were quite natural occur
renee"
81 beg your pardon, my dear. should
have said how shameful"
shameful! It's a national disgrace.
It's nothing else. Who's Grifiths, I'd
like to know?"
Mrs. Pippip recollected that she had
before now seen the same question pro-
pounded on the dead walls of the metro
polls. But she forbore to mention this,
TO him.
"Let the ministry have a care, however,
continued the redoubtable Pippin, i'm
pressively. "They may go too far.
will give them another chance. And
then"
eyes, DEAR" inquired his sympathetic
help-mate.
'Then, as they say here, it will be care
a ootrongs."
At this juucture the domestic discus
sion was cut short by the approach of
youth bearing a telegram. 1t was for
Pippin. He opened it and put up his
pince nez. For moment something
like a flush suffused his whity-brOwn
countenance. He stood transixed. Then
he dismissed the messenger, and handed
his wife the telegram. It was dated
Whitehall and read as follows:
You have been made knight. Wire
Observation-Disclosures.
Mrs. Pippin's eyes beamed with real
satisfaction. Had they not been out on
the terrace [ believe that she would have
kissed her husband. AS it was, she only
said:
'My dear am so glad. knew they
would recognize your claims"
But by this time the first glow of pride
and qualification experienced by Pippin
had subsidized. He was really pleased be-
yond measure with the unexpected honor.
It was, however, no part of his business
to appear SO. He replied, therefore, in
his usual tone:
"A knighthOod is no very areat recOgni-
ton for services like mine. And he
doesn't mention what order Pm knight
of. just like Dulacres-a pretty fellow
to be government whipw
"But 1t shows, my dear, that they are
coming to their senses, and, no doubt a
baronetcv will follow by and by.'
"Perhaps il may. Meanwhile, should
like to tell Kate. Where IS she?"
/
Pippin, with certain hesitation of man
ner not hsbitual to her.
eff she had been here, I should not
have asked the question" replied Pippin,
| sententiously.
"Let us go and find her." said Mrs Pip
pin, with a looa of extreme uueasiness in
her usually candid eye. These symptoms
did not escape the eagle eye of Pippin.
Before, however, he had time TO comment
on them, or to cross examine his wife as
| to the cause, he beheld sight which filed
him with indignation aud dismay-emo-
tions which were materially aggravated
| by nice sense of his new dignity and
i'm portance. Approaching him was his
daughter Kate, accompanied by that per
| sistent detrimental Jack Ramsden, of the
foreign Office.
| Now it may be audacious, unusual, ex-
| trayagant- what you Hke-for a govern
ment clerk, at so many hundreds per
annum, to choose to winter at Monte
| Carlo. But happily there is no law
| against it. 1t was unnecessary and I'M
reasonable, therefore that Pipp1n should
| look so W rathfal or that Ramsden should
! look SO guilty and shamefaced. Nor to
my mind, could any circumstances justi-
| fy the language made use of on this oc-
casion by the latest addition 10 the
knighthood, the only crime the object of
this violence being, it will be recollected,
that be aspired to become the son-in-law
of the gentleman who made use of it.
There was nobody within earshot, it is
true; and the young man was in love with
the old mans daughter. To these cir
cumstances may be attributed the fact
that Jack did not proceed TO inflict cor
poral punishment on old Mr.. Pippin in
the very presence of his womenfolks.
| Coward" and 'sneak" are not pleasant
words for a perfectly honest and high
| spirited young man to hear. These and
other epithets were, however, freely hurl-
ed at the head of the devoted lover by
the irate parent Mr.. Pippin euded in
this fashion:
"Let me add, sir. that my-hem-social
position has undergone a change-the
precursor. no doubt, of others. The gov
eminent have somewhat tard6lly, and, to
a certain extent, appreciated my services
am the recipient of a-hem-in fact
title. Your pretensions to the hand of
my daughter are now, therefore, more un-
seemly than ever"
Genuine amazement vas expressed in
Jack Ramsden's couutenance as he gazed
from one to another in a state of hope
| less bewilderment.
"Your affected surprise, sir, confirms
me in my view of your character. You
have heard the expression of my wishes.
If you are q gentleman, you will respect
| them. Kate, have the goodness to retire
with her ladyship. Mr.. Ramsden, wish
| you good morning"
The lovers looked tender farewell
/ And lack who had meyer onened his Inns