Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-30
CHAPTER XXI.
MARRIAGE NOT A LA MODE.

ing OF Parliament had summoned fathers OF
families from distant climes and cities-trom
Algiers and Athens, from Constsntinople
and Cairo; the light blazed at the summit of
the clock tower; cabs and carriages ratified
into Palace yard. And here, at 4 table In
the ladies' dining room of tine House of
Commons, SIT Mrs. Ellison and her friend
Louie Drexel, along with LORD Musselburgh
ana Vincent Harris, the last named playing
the part of host. This Miss DreXel was
rather an attractive-looking little person,
brisk aud trim and neat, with healthy conf
plexiou, pert nose, and the most astonish-
ingly clear blue eyes. Very frank those
eyes were; almost ruthless in a way; about
rs ruthless as the young lady tongue, when
she was heayinE contempt ana ridicule on
some conveu!ionality or social superstition.
''Seeva the Destroyer" Vincent used gloom
ily to call her. when he got little bit tired
Of having her flung at his head by the inde-
fatigable Young widow. Nevertheless she
was merry and vIvacioEs companion; with
plenty Of independence, TOO; If she was being
flung at anvbody's head il was with no con-
sent of her own.
You don't say.' she was observing to
her companion. Fancy anyone being in
Canada in the winter and not going TO see
the night tobogGaning at Rideau Hall!'
I never was near Ottawa, - said Vincent,
in answer TO her; "and, besides, 1 don't
know the Viceroy."
a member OF the British Parliament
travelling in Canada; I don't think you
would have to wait long for an invitation, p"
said she. 'Whv, YOU missed the loveliest
thing in the world-iust the loveliest thing
in The whole world!-tEe toboggan slide all
lit up with Chinese lanterns-the black pine
woods all around-the clear stars over
head. Then they have great bolfres down
in the hollow-to keep the chaperons from
freezing-p0or things, it isn't much Iun tor
them; l dare say they find out what a good
thing hot coffee is on a cold night. And
YOU were al Toronto?" she added.
Yes, 1 was at Toronto" he answered
absently; indeed, at this time be was think
ing much oitener of Toronto than this Young
lady could have magined-wondering
when, or II ever, message was coming to
him from the friendly Scotch banker there
Mrs. Ellison was now up in town making
preparations for her approaching marriage;
but SO anxious was she that Louie Drexel
ana Vincent should get thrown together,
that she crushed the natural desire of a
woman's heart for fashionable wedding,
and proposed that the ceremony should he
quite quiet little affair, to take place at
Brighton. with Miss Drexel as her chief at
tendant and Vincent as best man, And of
course there were many consultations; and
Mrs. Ellison and her young friend were
much together; and they seemed to think it
much pleasanter, in their comings and
goiugs, 10 have mans escort so that the
Parliamentary duties of the new member lor
Mendover were very considerably interfered
with.
Look here. aunt" said he, at this little
dinner, "dO YOU think / went into the
House Of Commons simply to get you places
in the ladies' gallery and entertain you in
the ladies dining room?"
~ consider that a very important part of
your duties" said the young widow,
promptly. And l tell you this, when we
come back from the Riviera, for the London
season, hope to be kept informed OF every
thing that is going on-surely, with a
husband in one House and a nephew in the
other"
But what want to know is, said Lord
Nus>elburgh on this same occasion, ''ynat
Vim IS going 10 do about the taxation OF
ground rents. l think that is about the
hardest luck l ever heard OF. Here is a
Young man, who DO sooner gets into Paria-
nent than he Is challenged to say whether
he will support the taxation of ground
rents; and 10 and behold every penny OF
his own fortune is invested in ground rents !
Isn't that hard? Other things don't couch
him. Welsh disestablishmeut will neither
pat penny in his pocket nor take one
out; whles he can make promises
bv the dozen about the abolition
OF the tea duty, extension of factory acts,
triennial Parli2ments, and all the rest of it.
Besides, it IS only a question OF money. He
knows he has no more right TO tax ground
rents than to pillage bakers shop; he
knows he oughn't to give the name OF a
patriot to people who merely want
to steal what doesn't belong to them,
and l suppose he has his own ideas about
contracts guaranteed by law, and the dam
ger OF introducing the legislation of plunder.
But what is going to DO? What are YOU
going to do, Marcus Curtus? Jump in and
sacrifice yourself, money and principles and
all"''
You are not one Ct my constituents, -
said Vincent, land / decline to answer"
Day after day went by, and week after
week, but no tidings came of the two fugi-
tlyes. In such moments Of interval as he
could snatch from his various pursuits (for
he was writing Tor an evening paper now,
and that occupied a good deal of his morn
ing time) his Imagination would 20 wander
ing away over the surface of the globe, en-
deavoring TO picture them here and there
Then the momentous wedding dav drew
near; and it was with curious feelings that
Vincent found himself on the wav to
Brighton again. But he was not alone
The two Drexel girls and Lord Musselburph
were with HIM, in this afternoon Pullman;
20 magpies. ALWAYS, too, in an oddly
personal way. NOu-the person she was ad-
dressinE-you were responsible for every
thing that had happened 10 her, or might
happen to her, in this country; you were re-
sponslble Tor the vagaries of the weather
for the condition of the cab that brought
her, tor the delay in getting tickets.
Nor dld Mrs. Eilison's plans for throwing
those two young people continuously and
obviously together work any better in
Brighton; Tor Vincent had no soUner got
down than he went away by himself, seek
ing out the haunts be had known when
Maisrie and her grandfather had been there
Wretchedness, Loneliness, was destroying
the nerve of this young man. He had
black moods OF despair; and not only OF
despair, but of remOrse; he tortured himself
with vain regrets, IS one does when think
ing OF Jhe dead. Il only he could have all
those opportunities over again, he would
not misunderstood or mistrust!
He ought to have been attending to his
croomsman's duties, and acting as escort ia
the Young ladies who had gone down; but
instead of that he paid visit to German
place, to look at the house in which the two
Bethunes had lodged; and he slowly passed
UP and down the Kemp-Town breakwater,
striving to picture to himself the look in
Maisrie's eyes when her soul made con-