Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-08-08

am going tomorrow, probably"
Mrs. Trafford greeted him with pleasant
familiarity and put ont her left hand.
"Julia will give you some tea" she said,
kindly. No, don't give him that-let
Cox bring some fresh
Then she went on talking to Mrs. John
Doughty, who, being the daughter of
bishop and the wife of a lawyer of what |
have heard very graphically called risen
standing" always felt that it behooyed
her to be very particular indeed about her
position in Blankhampton society. At
that moment Mrs. Doughty was very
busy laying down the law to Mrs. Traf-
ford about some people who had not long
before come to the town and who, as they
had a fairly large income very large
family of rather good-looking sons and
daughters with preponderance of the
feminine over the masculine gender to the
extent of nine TO three, were just at that
time an object OF considerable interest to
the townspeOple. In her heart Mrs.
Doughty was Of opinion that strangers
and pilgrims ought not to be encouraged
In Blaukhampton. There was then, as
there always had been, more manageable
Young women in BlaukhamptOn than
Blankhampton knew how to provide for.
Blank hampton, in fact, never had ade-
Quately provided for her virgins. else
Mrs Doughty would never have stopped
from her dignity as the daughter of an
archdeacon fwho afterwards became a
bishop TO share the name and home OF
young John Doughty, the plasterer's son.
She could not. however in Mrs. TraffOrd's
own mouse, quite say as much as this to
her. for Mrs. TraffoTd might possibly
have taken the hint as personal one and
have remembered it afterwards. But she
did 90 as far as she safely could on that
ROAD, ana SAID Unat she naQ HeaTu THESE
people were not very nice, that the girls
were dreadfUlly loud in their dress, that
the father was a morose and none too
agreeable person who lived on his wife's
money which had all come from her first
husband: and she added that she did not
think a woman could be really nice wO-
man who could persuade her husband to
leave her everything he possessed without
providing for his child, and then that she
should go and marry again, have an enOr-
nous family and bring another mans
children up on what practically belonged
to the first husbands child.
Mrs. Doughty spoke of an enormous
family as if the possession thereof was
one OF the seven cardinal sins and ought
to be put down. Mrs. TrafTord, serene in
the knowledge of her two children, smiled
as she bethought her OF a verse in a great
Book which says. Blessed is the man who
hath his culver full of them"
However Mrs. John Doughty had other
fish to fry, that is other calls to make-I
have said that the ladies of Blankhampton
were great at that kind of social observ-
ances-and she very soon went away. Cap
tain legard went away at the same time
a mere coincidence, of course.
My dear" said Mrs. Trafford to Julia
when the door had closed behind them,
sis there anything wrong with me to-day,
or are the times out of joint' Surely l
could not be mistaken in thinking that
everything went wrong with everybody
else"
"Ohl you were not mistaken, then"
Julia answered. at was really quite
painful. | wished had never been born
or that had neither eyes nor ears ldOn't
know that was ever so uncomfortable
in my life In fact, we must all have look
ed like the people in Du Maurier's pictures
IN the Things one would rather have left
unsad' series"
at was most unpleasant" said Mrs.
TrafTord, busly gathering her knitting
together and putting it into pretty satin
lined and much trimmed basket. 81 Won
der now if you would mind my going
away for few minutes, Mr.. Howard? /
promised to write IA rather important let
ter and have only just time TO do so be-
fore dinner"
Stephen Howard got mp from his chair
and said ne would not detau Mrs. Traf-
ford for the world. Would she rather that
he did not stay-that he went away?
"By no MEANS" Mrs. Tratrord answer.
ed, graciously. 1t was too kind Of him not
20 mind her telling him quite as an old
friend and without ceremony. She should
not be very long.
Thus Mrs. TraiTord went away and in
timated to the admirable Cox that no
more visitors were to be admitted. Then
she went into the mOrning-rOOm and
sCrawled letter to a friend. of no inn
portance whatever. After which she set
tied herself in comfortable chair and
buried herself in the pages of new mag
aZine in which she was greatly interested.
| have u great admiration for Mrs Yraf-
ford. What she might have proved in
the buster rush and keeuer competition of
Il London swim | cannot say think she
would have done well and have proved
herself, what she Undeuiably proved her
self in Blankhampton, a thoroughly skill
full tactCian. know that she put all the
Mrs. Doughtys and Antrobuses and all
the rest of the BlankhumptOn matrons
to utter and complete shame-to use the
language of the turf, she romped clean
away from them.
CHAP. Ave WANT TO GET MARRIED"
Left to themselves in the drawing room,
Stephen Howard and Julia drew nearer to
the fire.
~ was SO surprised to see you." said
Julia, putting her foot on the fender and
resting her arm on the edge of the low
mautel-shelf, Il did not expect to see
You for week at least. In fact. if YOU
had not turned up again for fortnight,
/ should not have been much surprised"
lie drew a Uritie nearer to her DO you
know why didn't go'" he asked.
why, how should l know2" she de
manded.
I'm tell you. II couldn't go until |
had spoken to you,' he burst out.
Julia grew coqhcttish. Spoken to me.
Mr.. Howard" she said. But about
what%'
The assumption of coquetry gave him
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