The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-22
HOW HE GOT OUT OF 1T.

Of IT,"
Such was thu prologue. This WAS the
piece.
He had driftssl into IT,. She was very
pretty and ~undcniably wcll-tlrs'ssssi.dansssi
to perfection. and possessed that ~ls'rfcct
ease AMI grace of movement which marks
the highest London fashion and gives IL
the stamp peculiarly its own.
So they met. might after night, dancing
valse after vals' together. They sat M
fi~owcryalcov,.s and ON twilit stairrascs.and
talked in "a manner isrtittiug the occasion;
soft uiurmurS. half sentences, whispers
very close to the shcli-likc ear. All this
was no doubt very pleasant. SO the sea-
son wet ON and this rcprchcnsiblc Young
man had got no further may. was th'gisi-
ming tai ask himself; had she ~ heart tn In
stirred All all: Had lc himself, and il so,
why did her charming company never
cause IL one single extra pulsation" Yet
he found u~ndoubtcsl pleasure i'm her so
ciety. The canoes she gave him made the
whole evening to him.
He WAS never weary al contemplating
tine sway Of her graceful figure. the poisr
Of her pretty head, with its clustering c'irls
sd artisticaliy and her voice
was so sweet, though IL was true. that her
conversation never wandered from the
veriest comnlOnplacs> of society talk. Yet
she dissoiIr~csl ON these in a manner which
was seduction itself. Beyond taking her
at the end of dances Ia her mother hc had
made no particular acquaintance with
Lady vi las her friends called hsr-a mode
wIlltn We tiS ststpIN'. Ibtb 'fte Y
ing she aid: Twill you take my mother
down tai supper fortnight: Her usual cav
alicr has deserted carly and gone home"
OF course he offered his arm dir,ctly
with the utmost courtesy. though il must
Inc said his mind rather misgavc him, and,
indeed; a, the end of bali an hours study
wiser IL rather "a s.tsldcr man.
But we must introduce her ladyShip with
due houors, AZ. indeed. she. deserves. lady
vi was in the order Of vents somewhat
older than her daughter. But IL this was
inevitably so, as we fear IL was. she was
not the one tn admit so damaging a con-
fessiou. The one invariablc compliment
she expected was: "Iwo sisters surely.
Impossible! This young lady your daugh-
ter" ] must bc allowed to contradict
YOU"
In truth she was surprisingly young
looking for a lady certainly twenty years
older. At q littl. distance yoiI might COLI
ceivably mistake On" far the other. espec-
tally against the light. The art IF dress
was emplry,-l with that perfection which
conc.ai- itself. Lady vi was NO doubt
fully a~arC of all tn" resources of modern
civilization. and she mad" ~hillful us. IF
rh,In all. Her manner was even softer
than i-- dauchter'-, h.r voice had "A
y-u.rratsou which Impressed the coolest
listener. Beneath that ~delichtful and
artistic exterior a Keen s;td ~-Iitl. intellect
~a> constantly at wors. Nor was she
wont IT, Waste IT. Refinement ou trashy
h-uk- 90 the like. F.r studies w.rc the
world IN which la" lived. IN. men. tn.
women who iuhLnit oar -pher-- supplied
her Will ttto~4 objects of scientific irSc>ti-
CATION aG1d inter- - winch pffs r .-tlls. arr.
said to- find in ia" foll:"- If the microscope
and other toys.
II il also well known that. whatever sub
jcct a keen intellect chooses for its special
study. the greatest proficiency may bc
Looked for ia even a short time. ami this
lady had no, studied for nothing: she
ought indeed To have graduated in honors.
80 lac found himself. a. II were. iIup,lel
beneath "A lens Of searching and pitile~s
strength. His writings and conturtions
and awkward attempts at cNtrication only
amused his professor ana served mo paIr-
pose whatever. To turn him inside out
was his tornIentor's evident Intention, and
the victim. driven To cStrs.nity. was forced
tn nm all his resources in >clf-d.-
fen-c and this il what he did.
he piled her ou that evening with every
attention lie could devise. After supper
was over ic never left her side or danced
again. He attended her I" her carriage.
shawlcd her with Tia. utmost soliciuIde.
paid ne heed tn Ma!cl's rcprcarhful
looks. nor found "a word tn say to her. In
short. lac transferred himself bodily To
Lady vi, and bss.amc from that evening
her dcvoted and ahjsc; slave.
Al Nottingham. at S~andown, AT Henley.
he was her constant attendant. insoInuch
that people began first Ia litter and then
to Whisper. And thos" agreeable and
good-latursl remarks wcr. freely cx-
changed which such it'll. games of skill
are apt to provoke. Lady vi accepted his
and indeed any mans attention as IA mat
ter of right and of course. She accepted.
we may say. without specially cuco,irag-
ing tiIciu. asserting that il was all on Ma
tpi = i'.ltli ttt.tt men. ana young men.
ran after her so. Mabel had So many
adorsr>. and they all paid attention Ia
mamma as "A sinpl. matter of duty. This
sounded very well. aud was said very
often. and Was not believed 10y anybo!y.
Now lady vi had IA husband.
A husband is "a fact which cannot he
wholly ignored ar entirely left out of the
calculation by the female portion of man
kind. And facts are stubborn things. and
Sir Hercules was mors. than u commonly
stubborn thing. Our hero had always be-
haved as III he wcrs. entirely nuawars, of
this particular fact. Ii il true he had
never seen sir Hercules i'm ont ward and
visible shape. for that warrior did not i'm
general ~compa hi. daughter and wife.
spending his time chiefly at his club III
more congcnial society. He might bs
seen looking ont Of the bow window in 81
James amy day " I and ., attire,
i'm a blue frock, "a very still cravat and a
buff waistcoat. Sir Hercules had served
i'm his time with distinction. but il was q
good many years ago. He succeeded, too
in maintaining "A strict military disciplin.
i'm his household. to which tii. two ladict
were faiu. however unwillingiy. tn rendc
submissive obedience.
Lad vi really wished the match for lr'.
daughter. Thcrs. was no fault to Tin,
with this misguided young man. n
would do for IA son-in-law better tliai
many. and she would la glad To have Ma
bel fairly settled ina life, and be able. "a
she said, Ia devote herself to Sir Hercules
who could do without her less and less. a
she was i'm the constant habit of affirming