Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-26
From London Society.


"The woman has behaved so badly,
SO shiitly; those green-eyed women are
always shiitly."
The speaker was tall, fair, ford
youth of some "a years of age; the local
ity was a smoking room in the house Of
Horace Ashton, the well-known sur
geon, and the hour, to be precise. was
5 O'Clock on dull November 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 little 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-ln short, it wasn't to be. 1t was
horrid shame, don't you think so, Hor-
ace?''
st sounds rather unfair But per-
haps Challoner doesn't really want to
marry Miss Fowler"
ooh, yes, he does. He admires her
Immensely, to begin with; and then
she'll have five thousand year. He'd
marry a witch for two more. You
know what he is; he doesn't care for
Tina; he doesn't care for anyone but
himself, whilst /"
'But [ don't quite see what l 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 I'M
sympathetic, but he was very tired, and
hQ h0x
very much, his young friend, the Hon.
Humphrey Challoner, cared for the
beautiful Miss Fowler.
"Well, l want your opinion and your
advice, which you can not give until
you have seen the family. I want You
to take particular notice of Mrs. Fowler,
and to tell me what you think of her.
She is years and years younger than
her husband, and many people admire
her immensely. She is aWfully vain, [
should add, and more accessible to flat
terry than anyone I've ever met, and I
believe you might talk her over, Hor-
ace, If you would only take the trouble.
You see, you are clever and I'm not,
and Challoner is an elder son and a Wis.,
count. and I'm a younger son with
nothing: and Tina is only Is and does not
come OF age until she is %, and she says
it'll kill her to wait so long, and-and
altogether we haven't hundred-to-one
chance of getting married unless some
body or other intervenes in our behalf.
Capt. Fowler wouldn't oppose us, I'm
sure, if he were left to himself; but his
wife IS against me, and he is a mere
lump 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 11:3O?"
"Good."
And. true to his word, at the hour
named Mr.. Ashton presented himself
at the door of Capt. Fowler's residence,
q small house on the east side of Davies
Street, Berkeley Square. He did not
look forward with much pleasure to the
evenings entertainment, Tor he dis
liked strangers and he hated supper
parties, but he was glad to oblige
Humphrey Challoner, OF whom he was
very fond. Upon entering the dining
room MIR. Ashton found himself in the
midst of very lively party that num-
bered among its members two pretty
Americans, two wealthy young guards
men-to whom the Americans were lay
ing siege-the Fowler family, and Capt.
Challoner, whose account of the family
Mr.. Ashton soon pronounced to be cor
rect.
Mrs. Fowler was a distinctly pretty
woman, but not a pleasing one. Her
expression lacked trankness, and her
manners suggested an almost morbid
vanity. She had a 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 tor
her money. Capt. Fowler was palpa-
oily under his wife's thumb-a chinless
being whose fluid character evidently
took the impress OF the strongest hand
that grasped it.
ga hopeless case" thought Horace,
after the first few minutes talk with his
hostess. This woman is an arrant snob
and the bare idea of becoming a moth
erin law to a viscount has turned her
weak brain; she won't give in. ;"
Presently the conversation. which
was some what general, turned upon de-
fective postal arrangements. One of
the American ladies had lately posted
with her own fair hands a letter to q
friend in the Regents park that had
never reached its destination Think
how many important communications
may have been lost % she exclaimed.
Letters are never lost" said Capt
Fowler, speaking with all the assertlve
temerity of the weak. eff the letter is
rightly addressed and posted, it is de-
lIveled."
'Not always" interpolated Horace
81 could tell curious story"
tOh, do" interrupted chorus of fe-
male voices.
Ashton tells story awfully well, ;"
exclaimed Humphrey Challoner.
please tell US your story. Mr.. Ash
ton," murmured Mrs. Fowler, in q pat
ronlZlng tone.
1T is an incident, an episode, rather
than story" said Horace. "A story,
we are told. demands three things-be-
ginning, middle and an ending. Ny
tale has only beginning. And now to
begin, | must make it short, for the
hour is late"
Zone November day, some five years
ago, | happened to come In earlier than
usual, about 4 PM, feeling very tired
and desperately sleepy. ] ordered tea
to be brought up at once, but before [
had finished my second cup | fell last
asleep, with newspaper and some
letters that my servant had just handed