St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-19

made very gO0u impression. he sally
charmingIy, and with much passionate
feeling, and in short was "a great sue
cess"
The incident of the lift had made me
regularly acquainted also with MIS-.
Beauclerk: her daughter, Miss Polly,
insisting, as [ said, on asSOciatlng me
somehow with her adventure, perhaps
as a sort of ''deputy preserver." Mrs.
| Beauclerk was a curious contrast to her
child. being, as | saw, hard, almost
ascetical lady, deSpotic in her. man.
ner. Her airy daughter looked up to
| her with awe, seemed to be completely
under her influence, and was, indeed,
| treated like child. Here found regu--
| larly the captain-also rather hard
maI.to whom felt an instructive dis
| like. 1t was easy to see that tue
mother and sutton had altogether ar
ranged the business between them, as
matter quite 'for the goOd'' of the young
person, and a matter in which she was
not supposed to have any concern, IL
was droll to see how they pursued their
discussions actually in her presence,
while she was encouraged, as IL were,
to "go and play about" and., from
a sort of habit, Miss Polly seemed con-
tented to accept the SITUATION asa
must confess, [ had formed the worst
conceivable opinion. 1t seemed to me
| conspiracy between the pair for the sac
rifice of this poor, unsuspecting glrI,and
l could see her years hence utterly
changed, wasting away under that cold
eve, her spirits broken, her fortune
! spent. In justice to him, however. L
must say that this vision was wholly
| speculative. But it could not be de-
| MED that he was uncongenial-utterly
| uncongenial! Nor was he an inatten-
tive sutton, and, after his fashlon.
rather devoted. But does not instinct
tell us a good deal. and is it not often
better than actual knowledge?
1t was plain, however, that he did not
quite relish the appearance OF the com
papy of the deliverer-''the deliverer
of the lift" as he styled him, with some
humor. | noticed. however, the scorn-
full look that Miss Polly gave him When
ever he uttered this speech:
''HOW easy it is to laugh and turn INTO
ridicule," she cried, ''but 1t was noble
act. Every one says it was. Mr.. Cefer-
ring to me) yes, you were there and saw
If, and Billings was there and saw it"
"Oh. that settles it, said the captain,
"ouce Billings has spoken"
Now sneer at him." said Polly,
"that's the way to make me like you.
o pray do. Sheer at poor Billings"
"Well," said he, very seriously, -!
confess | have not that high opinion OF
Billings. mean of his wise saws. He
spends his life going up and down
lift and he can't see much of the world,
that's plain"
"Can'the?" said Miss Polly, Significant
lv .tOh then he does much more than
YOU think"
Besides. you know" went on the
captain, spontaneously. "that constant
contact with everybody, at every mo-
ment, and the being expected to be
pleased with everybody, and to say
something agreeable to everybody, must
tend TOTO"
"Well," said Miss Polly, laughing,
"vou're not afraid to finish?"
''Well," he said, Ito demoralize--and
to make him hypocrite and humbug.
There! l wouldn't trust one of 'em."
"Not-trust-B illings?" repeated Miss
Polly in horror and very slowly. She
was genuinely astonshed.
ssWell, well, Phi say that he's tn e
wisest of all men, or the wisest in the
mansion; wisdom and a lift always go
together" Miss Polly turned away
contemptuously. She would not conde-
scend to argue the matter.
AT last, one day, as was making my
usual assent or descent, noticed Bill
iDgs was full of Importance or more
important than usual.
Heard the news, sir ?'' he said.
"What news-or rather what's the
new news; there's always news in the
mansion ?''
why. about Miss Polly; day fixed-at
last. The captain won't wait no longer
so it's to be in fortnight"
"That's rather sudden, said.
sToo sudden, altogether too sudden"
he said. Now, tell you what, sir, 1t
amt ought not to be at all! It's forcin'
the child's inclinations. They amt
suited. neither on 'em. He's as hard as
that 'ere bit of teak. And then there's
| that nice young musicianer; what's tC
become of him. I'd like to lknowP"
Billings was quite excited.
"Oh, come," said. The could never
5 have thought of Miss Polly"
r "And why not, sir?" said Billings in
, dignantly. eve are told all that 'ere is
polished now? There amt finer or a
| nj Ger young Teller in the mansions
Amt he suited to her, and she suited tG
I him. And what more do you want"'
f "Well," | said, "he's only music
-"
in far higher station"
/: land what's t'other fellows station?''
asked Billings. whats he, I'd like to
| know. A bad lot. That's what he Is
tell you what, sir, they won't have it
it won't be stood in the mansions, that's
r the whole of it. and l won't stand it
v that's more. Billings won't stand it,
= This vehemence was very extraordln
r airy. But the curious part of it was
. Billings was right. 1t did seem as
e though it would not be stood in the
h mansions. Every one was deeply con
!. cerned in it and knew all abou
h the business, and took part in it, and
!. ardently favored the young lovers, ex-
e cepting a few old grumpy person
. ages. Presently, however, it came t.
: what Billings would have called 81
e right royal blow up
4 i'll.
r One day, coming down in the lift a
d usual. found Miss Polly closeted will
a her friend, and actually bathed in tears
q and learned that there had been tire
\ mendous ''scene." All communication
s with the fascinating music master hat
+ been broken off. The lessons had beef
It stopped, and he himself peremptoril
[ forbidden the house, or rather thu
: rooms. Miss Polly had been in Opel
|
# earth would now get her to marry tina
e odious man-no-not if she was to g
f. into convent on the spot.'' am afrai
Y that Billings, the confidential lift mar
n had good deal to do with this. He de
# clared to me often, ''that we'd soon Sc
E. how things would 60" And certainl
" l did soon see, rather to my az
d constituent. On my next descent
found Mr.. st. John and Miss Poll
e seated together, going up and down r.
peatedly. Here was the ingenious ide
n of Billings, who had thus converted hl
le engine into regular trysting place fe
,e the lovers. He kept careful watch an
ward to guard against discovery. Ono
le l was astonished at finding that W
lg passed by one of the landings on whic
% two or three of the "mansioners' weI
l. waiting to be taken ION board" Blu
If do what he would. he could not succee
n, in stopping it until the next landing
i when the pair hastily got out.
as Lift seems out of order" said.