Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-08-29
cr,,prEp WV HOME AGAIN

word. Upon my word, 1t would be worth
a flyer for each of them"
CHAPTER XIy.-HOME AGAIN.
Meantime, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen How
ard had been to Paris for a fortnight and
had then returned to London, where they
proposed staying until a few days before
Christmas They had quite decided upon
making their headquarters in town and,
as they would be away so much. thought
that it would be wsest for them to take
fat.
Julia-or as her husband now called
her. Juey-hud always had fancy for a
fat. a good fiat at "A rental of about four
hundred a year; and this was not so diff
fcult for them to find as she and her
mother had not so very long before found
the little picd-d-terre which they had
sought 50 earnestly in the streets of May
fair.
In writing to Laura StauntOn, Julia
said that she was having a lovely time.
They had got Hat situated in the best
part OF Victoria Street, and it was being
fitted up to her exact taste in every way.
Her boudOir was lined with yellow bro
Cade he color of IA buttercup, the hang
ings were OF cream silk with gold en-
broderies the furniture was entirely OF
white enamel with yellow brocade cush-
ions In one corner was cabinet of old
worries. worth 50 much that Julia did not
quite like to think or what they had cost
in another recess was a service of old red
and gold Derby. There were fine old fans
on the walls neat little nests of book
shelves filed now with all Julia's favOrite
books bound to keep in harmony with the
eoloring Of the room. There were all her
own especial photographs set here and
there and several of the cosiest settees pos
sible aud a charming cosy corner on one
side of the pretty fireplace, corner for
real luxurious case among large aud
dowuy cushions clad in the smartest and
! richest Of frocks and frills
Nor was the boudoir the only pretty
room in the fat, the mistress bedroom
and the dressing room and bathroom ad.
Joining were dressed in n mixture of white
enamel furniture and pale pink cretonne
with haugings to match and all sorts OF
neatly contrivcd hooks and corners OF con.
| venicuCe. And thiIi-." said Julia. af-
| ter describing all these delights 10 Lady
Stauuton, THAT shall not want to &c
away from my beautiful home for long,
long time"
However, two days before Christmas
| saw Stephen Howard and his wife on their
| way to Blaukhampton, where they found
| Mrs Vratford and Mrs Bob waiting at the
| station 10 receive them. And then they
| drove to Brentwood. where Mrs Tratford
| was also staying. and after that there be-
gan n round of pleasure for Julia wherein
| she was the central figure Everybody
was glad TO see her aud everybody wanted
her to go and see them; even the ancient
damsels at No. 10 smiled quite graciously
when they met her in the street and on
one occasion coudescended to utter half a
dozen toierahly friendly sentences to her
when they met her in shop in the High
| Street
By this time Mrs Bob had become quite
the most popular woman for several miles
round Blaukhampton. She was not in
clined to be staud-Off iSh towards any
body, and treated Mrs. John Doughty ex.
actly the same As she treated any one of
the Civic dignitares. She did not seem
to mind whether she was talking to the
wife OF the Lord Bishop or the spouse OF
the youngest parsou attached to til. Par.
ish. Lady Lucifer was her great friend
and Mrs. TrsffOrd perhaps her next init
mate, aud for all the rest she seemed to
make no difference, and everybody OK
cuSed her on the ground of her having
been born on the other side of the world
shes mn Australian, you know, and PEG.
pie in these new countries are all So IN
conventional"
As for Bob himself. he was so much oc-
Cupied by looking after the alterations
and repairs at the Manor Lodge that he
troubled himself very little about society
one way or the other. He was ALWAYS
ready and in his place when there was a
sestivity of any kind on at Brentwood.
and he was always dressed and ready
when the carriage came to take them to
any evening function at some one else'S
hOuse-but he very seldom showed himself
anywhere with his wife during the day
except IU was at the Parish on Sunday al
teruoon and afterwards in Ms. Tratford's
drawing room. And whenever aud wher-
ever he was seen lac was alike to all IN his
demeanor, always friendly in hearty aud
unconventional sort of way. as ready to
walk down the street with the dealer of
whom he bought his horses as he was with
the great John himself
Bob Markham delighted the good people
of Blaukhampton hugely one morning by
deliberately chatting Mrs Fairlie when he
met her for the first time in company with
the redouhtable black poodle. At first he
dill not see that the dog was with her. did
not in fact see that the dog was there at
all, but the Blaukhampton Lily was rath-
sr pretty woman aud Bob Markham
had an uncommouly keen eye for feminine
looks.
So meeting her, he stopped short aud
inquired, in his hearty. old-fashiOned way,
after her health, and Mrs. Fairlie was i'm
mediately all smiles and little airs and
grsCes. Then while he still held her
hand Bob caught sight OF the doc-his
gaze was riveteI upon it in moment
and be forgot to wait for her reply 10 his
anxious question about the state of her
health.
food Goa, mIuamr' ne burst out; --ru
You see that brute with the bracelets on
Its legs Who in the world can he belong
tos'
That is my dog, Mr.. Markham" said
Mrs. Fairlie, very sweetly
Yours he echoeu-then looked at her
sharply, at the correct Directorie costume
: In which she was dressed. at the three
eornered felt hat with its long buckle of
cut steel at Que side. at the soft white frilI
falling from her collar, at her big buttons.
ASA Ao"S SUM, tue hToau silver buckles
on her saoes, then back at the dog, after
which he suddenly realized that the wo-
man and the dog matched one another adj
mirably. With the realization came q
sense of the ridiculous side of the matter
and Bob straightway went into an elab-
crate string of questions: Did she put his
hair in papers at nights Did she have
tewei-boN for his jewelry? Wasn't she
afraid OF the gang paying her a VISIT And
great many more such questions all
asked with such perfect good humor that
the Lily had no opportunity of taking of
fence, and then at last they parted and he
watched her so sailing up the street, he
with dif1ic ulty containing himself until
she had got out Of hearing. And then
how he laughed, in fact he had to 90 into
the gunsmith's near which they had stood
while they talked, and there in safe re-
treat he sat and Ian Chad until nc ha told