Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20
A CHRISTMAS DINNER.

"Yeu have inserted Joshua Prouty in the
classification, Miss Rogersi son of Gideon
Prouty born 1902; married.
eyes, Mr. Prouty."
THANK you. And you have entered the
testimony of Leonard Prouty, of Chicago,
concerning the design of the coat-of-arms"
'Yes"
"Thanll you, Miss Rogers. If you are at
leisure l have my introduction ready for
copying: The Prouty family in America
founded by Christopher Prouty, who,
sailing from England in 1854, with his wife
Priscilla, settled at Dorchester -
sit is quite legible Mr.. Prouty."
The secretary spread the manuscript be-
fore her, unscrewed the cover of an orna-
mental inkstand, pushed a wsp of her fluffy
blonde hair out of her blue eyes, and 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 i'll which
sat his secretary. He found it pleasant
when, looking up from the letters he was
methodically reading and labelling, his glance
fell upon the mirror, to note therein the dim
almost spiritual, vision of a fair head, bent
downward, the CLINT Of u silver hairpin half
lost in soft coil, and the outline of soft
tinted cheek and 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 Il like
guileless motive he was wont, in his mental
references to her, to call his secretary by her
first name, which was Polly. He thought
Polly 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 a recrea-
ton; at 45--but, with his muscular form, in
clining to stoutncss, and his genial, fresh com
plexioned face, r. looked ten years younger;
he was retired fl ON an inherited mercantile
business with az ample bank account and
nothing to do. lie intended the acceptance
of no pecuniary remuneration; he expected to
present copy, gilt leaved and in gilt lettereI
bindings, to 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,
United States; pored over deeds and wills and
marriage records in court houses innumera-
BILE; decipheled inscriptions in scores of GENE
Jeries, aud written l,612 letters and received
1912 in return, upon all of which Mr.. Prouty
had paid the postage And as yet the history
was, 30 to speak, in 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 1920 or 1921, and when Meancthon
Prouty had married Nancy Higginson; and
whether the tail of the lion which stood ON
his rear legs in the confer Of the coat of arms
should properly curl and wave to the left as
was urged by Renwick Prouty, Of New Or
leans OF 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 beneath-Iw0nty-eigh street
caught vibration of the coming festival in
the flur of shoppers from the houses opposite,
the profuson Of messenger boys and express
men, and the rafting rush Of dry goods de-
livery wagons. AT the present moment Mr..
lIOulli SISuCIlln III tlLI4UI hlISCllOu, ulSCCN-
cred two highly dissimiiar figures approach
ing: from the west, "A tall young man in
peculiar garb of long black overcoat and
wide felt hat; from the east, a short youn.;
man in a short, pale tinted overcoat and
silk hat When the bell rang, therefore,
twice in quick succession, Mr. Prouty evinced
no surprise, The callers were his nephews,
Selkirk Prouty, the son OF his deceased broth
er, and Benjamin Todd, commonly known
as Bub Todd his departed SISTERS SON. For
some years Mr.. Prouty had contributed un-
Inurmurlngly, 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 We're shown ill.,
Selkirk Prouty sat down on a sofa with
decorous dignity; Bub Todd threw himself
into chair with haste and violence. Neither
had greeted Mr., Prouty;'it was a Formally
which they commonly omitted.
"Beastly cold weather, - said Bub, deposit
ing his hat on a table-his last call had been
for the purpose of extracting tue $40 nee
essary for its purchase-and Tipping the
shade on the chandelier with his silver head
ed stick "Where did you get thatin lie
STROBE turbulently across the room to stare
at an etching on tho wall. "Oh, come now,
you didn't think you were getting good
thing when you got thatf Its execrable.
BAH"