The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-01
NETTLESHIP'S SCORE.
III-ICoNTINUEDl.

ria,c might arrive at any moment AS vet the
two girls had The drawingroom TO themselves
and were delicatey dlsarranging the room in a
Truly enlightened spirit, though there was in 1t a
newness, stiffness and peryading sense oil
Toltenham Court ROAD that only the hand OF time
could soften. The subject of Elaines inquiry
however, whencesoeyer IL had come, was not, ii
was safe 10 BET. Of that thoroughIare. And In.
deed, as Euld explained, II had come from quite
another quarter that afternoon on approval
'Approval!' said Elaine. with slight and par
donable sneer. docs That mean that II is TO be
paraded tonight and tomorrow returned as un-
suitable? IL has happened before you know. "
Perhaps 1t Is to happen again. don't know.
only Know that as We drove back from the
park mamma declare she must get som eihing
pretty tor The room; so We went TO Glndoni S,
aud this little oddly TOOK her fancy Ii Is pretty,
way. / heard her say, Mr.. McllwraiIh is a
great judge OF Eastern work-quIe his hobby, in
cannot decide until lie sees it, so IL ended In
our bringing il away with US in lie carriage"
Hobby, indeedl' SAID Elaine sc0rnfuy.
"When mad papa any hobby but one But 1t
appears to be an article In the London creed-at
least In mammals Interpretation Of it, 10 tell
stories whenever you possibly can. l must say |
congratulate her on the ease with which She
embraces the new faith. AT least she has The
courage OF her Inventions"
" Hasn't shell But let US leave the vase where
II is, for 1t Is really very pretty"
And nc doubt valuable, Which makes itmeaner
still. Yes, II can stay theIe-but, hushl"
For at that moment MIR. McIlwraIth entered
the room. As his daughter had truly observed,
he had but one nobby-and that was political,
which made him danger Gus man TO meet III
quiet corners he talked of nothing else. AL
lowances could perhaps be made for him on the
plea that lie was so very new 10 the House, but
those who knew him best found IL hard to make
them. A new bill, which affected Mr.. McIl-
wraith's sympathIes as a politician no less than
his personal Interests as an employer of labor,
was then intermlttenlly before The House, and
naturally enough, his head was full OF il. Ii
was hue head, magnificent head. bur he ran
fearful risks with II; IL was absolutely distended
n NAlA in ha l.u Af
OF his own weight, lie polIroon fell upon his de-
fenselesS daughters and assaulted Them with his
last nights speech. No; they had not read it..
They confessed they had not and hung their
heads.
"Ahi" said Mr.. McIlwraith, kindly, "no
time, l seei an exceptional day, l suppose.
The Times is still intact, dare say; you have
laid II aside Tor quiet time. perhaps. Good I
You Will md The report oil my speech full-satis-
faetorly iull, may say-thOugh not verbatim
could wish II had been verbatim. But you will
read 1t, giIls, before you go 10 bed and we Will
discuss II at breakfast, when l shall be able to
give you word for word-fOr my memory is
luckily good one-all that they saw neees sary
10 exclude"
"YOu are not going tonight. papa?p Enid ven
Iured.
TO the House? yes late-in time for the d.
vision. L must do that in Difference to my con-
stltuents. Personally, however, there is nothing
oil any interest 10 Inc going on tonight What is
the division about, you ask, Elaine Ireland, my
girl; Ireland. Now, what is far more Important
In my eyes"
Mr.. McIlwraith took his foot from the stIrrup,
III The very act OF remountlng, on The entrance at
this point OF his wife. His wIfes want OF appre-
Citation or sympathy where his nearest and dear
est projects were concerned was notorious, and
damaging TO the dignity OF Tie Senator. she had
even been known TO tap each with each
Index hnger simultaneously III pautomimIc Illus
tratlon Of the velocity Will which her husbands
best periods passed In and out of her cranium
There was 40 occasion, however, to stable the
trusty animal just yet Already there were
sounds upon The stairs, and old McIlwraitn
smell the blood OF EDglShmen to whom resist
ance and escape would be alike impossible.
Once started the influx OF guests seemed never
10 a0ate during the remainder OF The evening.
roLOWlng tne very Oldest pIccedeuts, Mrs. Nc
liwraith had laid herself out for lions, aud not
without success. There were some entirely tame
lious from Westminster, colleagues OF uer hus.
Dand-Wnom they sedulously shuuued all the
evening. There was the wife of au IlluslrIous
hon-Professor Josling-who regretted that that
eminent anilquary could not himself be present
there was fearful and wonderful lion from The
Chinese Legation, who Was 30 scandalousiy
guyed, behind his back, by Tie weli-bred Euocn
Arden (lnsllgated by the bold LaunceloD that
Thomas The page, disgraced himself with the
Coffee tray, and received notice That very night
Then there was the athletic lion captured at
Lords, literary club from Fleet street and an
artistic Whelp from Chelsea. 10 crown all a
professional lion-with d high-elass satlricaI en-
teltainment, free from yulgaIity-was due at IL
O'Clock.
AS the evening advanced Mrs. McIIwraith
might nave been seen moving about among the
nopodeS OF her party aud whispering into their
private ears Interesting personalities concerning
the someDodes. For Tie time being, III fact sine
became sort OF verbal paragraphlst OF the
evening press aud as she was, If possible rather
more inaccurate than her prototype. Tie listener
was either distracted or entertained, according
TO his-Or, moIe generally, her-Inteligence.
That, my dear Mrs. Smythe, is Mis-. JosIlng
vile OF the celebrated antiquity. He Is busy with
the proofs OF a new hook, 50 WAS prevented from
cUmng-much to his disgust lie sends me word
Proofs, you know-so like these terrible pro-
fessors-they are forever proving what nobody
wants 10 know, you knowl Aud that is
q lnl1I m I .rI
Embassy, you know. Shall L Introduce you?
No? L hen let me whisper; he came III those
lovely garments al my special requesll
You know MIR. Nettleshlp. OF course? No?
Dear me, thought everybody knew Mr.. NeItle-
ship. de IS The champion cricketer OF England;
bOwled ninety-nine OF the Cambridge wlckets al
SO near and yet so farl We had carriage gu
the ground and he lunched with Us duIing The
match, You know"
Having thus displayed her knowledge OF the
national game. Mrs. McllwraIth raised her
plnceneZ with view 10 pointing out its
doughty exponent. He was nowhere 10 be seem
Mrs. McIlwraith steared Zig-Zag course down
the room. but could find him nowhere. Elaine
was missing, too. sudden dread entered the
lady's breast.
The windows Of the room were tall, narrow
three IN number and opened each upon small
balcony oil the most useless type. They were
wide open on account OF the excessively warm
weather; for the same reason the blinds were
up; and soft Oriental curtains from Glindonrs)
alone-and but partially-exciuded the Zephyrs
OF Sussex square. Naturally enough among the
silky fabrics OF window No. 3, innocenlly con-
templating the night, Mrs. McIlwraith dlscov-
were alone presented, but Mrs. McIwraiti In.
stanIly Identified Elaine's dress, and tapped her
daughter on the shoulder with her fan-in ex-
cellent imitation OF the business between the
smart detective and the discounted villain in
the fifth act.
Elaine started OF course; nevertheless ths
radiance could not and would not at once forsake
her face when she turned and confronted her
mother. Mrs. McllwraitD spoke not a word.
Her blue eyes gllttered upon Nettleship's cool
face for one instant; the next she turned as
abruptly as was possible In a woman OF her size,
and sailed away with her plize. Tie little III
cldent was quic ly over, aud attracted no notice,
owing to forethOught In the choice Of windows
Nettleship continued In solitude his survey OF
the night He was III no way put out, hut lie cid
room. When he did, however, his step was a
thought 1aunty his smile bOrdered upon inso-
lence and his hands were In his pockets. He be.
came at once aware that something OF Interest
was taking place at the other end of the room.
A small CT ovid were surrounding somebody re-
mlndiDg Neilleship in a small way, OF the crowd
by ST. Clement Danes, when the converted can
nlbal Is swallowing the lighted fusees. with a
somewhat similar amount OF curiosity he APP
host lead of the l-starred Chinaman to political
execution in the study. a moment later he
heard the silvery tones OF his hostess proceeding
from tile center OF the little crowd.
Indeed, and indeed. you make too much OF
my modest little heirloom. dear Mrs. Josling |"
II the Professor were here lie would make
:" But you must really allow me to obtain a
simple impression. with this pencil and piece OF
paper, OF such delicate and utterly fantastic
tracery.. He shall see what that Is like, at al
events"
There was pause. Netteship raised himself
10 his full height and saw an intellectual looking
lady carefully penciling piece Of paper held
closely over spherical surface. He was mildly
Interested.
d" And this has really been In your family for
century, Mrs. McIwrath?" some one asked.
'Suce the battle Of Plassey," said Mrs Nell
wrath, glibly. my grandfather fought there"
- That's perfectly true" thought Nettleship.
81 have heard OF 1t often enough. But / never
before heard OF any heirloom. What can II be ?"
he drew himself up once more to his fun
height, which 1t was his bad habit not to make
the most OF. And then he saw what 1t was. aud
would have whistled aloud had lie not been a
thoroughly coO-headed fellow. For tile cyno-
sure OF all eyes-tbe heirloom OF the McIlwrailhs,
the spoil OF Plassey-was nothing or less
than the Indian vase OF bronze lately In Nelte-
ships own possession, and but three days ago on
sale at GlindOnPsl
"And still they Gomez cried Mrs. McIlwralth,
smlilng-under the public eye-quire sweetiy