Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

in his own room, ana managed to get or
somehow with that detested lecture. And
next dav he went down TO Mendover; and
next evening he made his appearance before
the Mendover Liberal Association; and
there we're the customary votes of thanks tc
| wind up the proceedings. There was
nothing in all this worthy of note: what
was OF Importance happened after
when the President o. the associa-
rion, who had occupied the chair in
the absence of Lord Musselburgh. accom-
! panied Vincent home to the Red Lion.
This Mr.. SIMMONS was a solicitor, and a
great political power in Mendover; so, when
he hinted that the Red Lion had a certain
bin of port that was famous all over the
couutrv-and, indeed, was powerful enough
to draw many a hunt dinner to this hostelry
bv Its own influence alone-be sure that
Master Vim was not loEg in having de-
canter o: the wine placed in the private par
lor he had engaged. Mr.. Simmons, who
was sharp, shrewd-looking little man,
with a pale face and intensely black hair
and short-cropped whiskers, suggested a
cigar. and took the largest he could find in
his hosts case. Then he proceeded to make
himself important and nappy-with his toes
on the fender and his shoulders softly cush-
ioned in an easy chair.
Yes" said he, comPlacently, when the
cigar was going well, 81 think / can pre-
dict sume good fortune for you, and that
without having my hand crossed with a
shilling. l hope am breaking no conf
dence; we lawyers are supposed to be as
mum as a priest after CONFESSIONAL; but of
course what is said between gentlemen will
60 no further than the four walls of this
room"
81 think you may trust me for that, Vim
cent said.
Every we'll, then" continued Mr.. Sim
mons, with an air OF bland importance, II
will say this at least-that in January you
may fairly expect to be offered a very pretty
New Years present"
''Oh, really" said Vincent, without being
mnch impressed; he tancied the Liberal As
sociatioH were perhaps going to pass a vote
0 thanks-pOssibly inscribed on vellum-
with the names of all the officials writ large.
"a very pretty present; the representation
OF Mendover."
But at this be pricked up his ears; and
Mr.. Simmons smiled.
'Mr. Richard Gosford is my client, as L
think you know" the black-a-viced little
lawyer went on, but what am telling you
does not come direct from him to me. need
notiparticularize my source of information.
Bnt from what [ can gather L am almost
OF the year-he did talk of waiting for the
next general election, as Lord Musselburgh
must have told you, but his imaginary
troubles have grown on him; and as far as 1
can see there will be nothing for you but to
slip easily and quietly into his shoes next
January. A very pretty New Years
present.
But of course there will be contest"
Vincent exclaimed.
Not bit" MIR. Simmons made answer.
regarding the blue curls of smoke lrom the
cigar. The snuggest little seat in En-
gland. Everybody knows you are Lord
MusseIburgh's nominee; and Lord Mussel-
burgh mas promised to do everything for our
public park that Mr.. Gosford ought to have
done when he presented the ground. See?
No bribery on your part. Simple as day
light. Well run You in as if you were an
infant on wheelbarrow.
ITS very kind of you, I'm sure" said
Vincent. SIS there anything you would
recommend me to do"
Yes; would recommend you to go and
call on old Gosford tomorrow, before you
leave Tor town."
"Wouidn't that look rather like undue
haste in seizing dead's mans efects?"
Vincent ventured to ask.
"a dead man?" said Mr.. Simmons, help
ing himself to another glass of port ''He
is neither dead nor dying, any more than
you or l. And that's what you've got to
remember tomorrow, when you go to see
him. For goodness sake, don't tell him
he's looking well-as you've got to say to
most invalids. Tell him he's looking
very poorly. Be seriously concerned
Then he'll be off to bed again-and de-
lighted. For what he suffers from is simply
incurabie laziness-and nervous timid-
ity; aud so long DIS he can hide himself un-
der the blankets, and read books, he's
happy"
But what excuse am to make for call
ing on him?" Vincent asked again.
'Oh," said Mr.. Simmons, carelesslv,
"one public character visiting another.
You were here delivering a lecture; and of
course you called on the sitting member
You won't want any excuse if you will tell
himself in this changeable weather"
"And should L say anything about the
seat?" Vincent asked further.
81 must leave that to your own discretion.
Rather ticklish. Perhaps better say moth
ing-unless he introduces the subject; then
you can talk about the overcrowding the
HOUSE, and the late hours, and the nervous
wear and tear OF London. But YOU needn't
suggest to him, in set terms, that as be is re-
tiring from business he might as well leave
you the good will; perhaps that would be
little too outsroken."
Aud yet it was with no undue elation that
Vincent contemplated this possibility of his
being allowed to slip so quietly and easily
into Parliament; his first thought was-how
would it affect his relations with Maisrie
Bethune? For indeed, at this time, turn
where he might, it was Maisrie, and ALWAYS
Maisrie, that he encountered.
As luck would have it, dav or two after
Wins return to town, Mr.. Ogden came to
dine at Grosvenor Place. 1t was a mans
dinner-a dinner or political extremists and
faddists; but so far from Master Vincent re-
tiring TO his own room and his books, as he
sometimes did, be Joined the party, and even
stipulated for place near the great cleo
tloneerer and wlre-pulier of the North Fur
ther than that, he made himself most agree
able to Mr.. Ogden; was most meek and hum
Bile and good humored (for to what depths
Of hypocrisy will not a Young man descend
when he is madly in love?), and seemed to
swallow wholesale the long-resoundIng list
OF reiorms-re orms administrative, reforms
electoral, reforms fiscal, re orms social and
political. For all the while he was saying
within himself: my dear sir, perhaps
what you say is quite true; and we're all 60
lug headlong TO the deyi1-with the caucus
for drag. And / could wish you to have a
few more his; still many excellent nen have
lived and died without them. The main
point is this-it one might dare to asks
your private secretaryship still open; and,
ii so. what salary would you propose to
give?" But, of course, he could not quite
ask those questions at his own fathers din
ner table; besides, be was in no hurry; he
wanted few more DAYS to look round.
The guests of the evening did not 90 up
to the drawing room; they remained in the