Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02

the briefest moment-that he might
demand the reason OF her sudden
flight Was it some overstrung sensl-
tiveness of spirit? Did she fear that no
one would understand this carelessness
of her grandfather about money matters;
and that she might be suspected of COM
plicity, of acquiescence, in certain doubtful
ways? Was that the cause of her strange
sadness, her resignation, her hopelessness?
Was that why she had spoken of her ''degra-
dation"-why she had declared she could
never be his wife-why she had begged him
piteously to go away, and leave this bygone
friendship to be a memory and nothing
more? Can you not understand, VincentF
she had said to him, in heart-breaking
accents, as though she could not bring her.
self to the brutality of palmer speech.
Well, he understood this at all events: that
in whatever circumstances Maisrie Bethune
may have been placed, no contamination
had touched her: white as the white moon
light out there was that pure soul: he had
read her eyes.
The next morning Lord Musselburgh was
out walking In the Kings Road with the fair
young widow who hoped soon to be re-trans-
formed into a wife.
"That friend of yours down at Mendover."
said she,-"what is his name?- -.Gosford?-
well, he seems an uncoDscionable time dy-
ing. 1 wish he'd hurry up with his Chill
tern Hundreds and put an end to himself at
| once. That is what is wanted for Nln-the
novelty and excitement of finding himself
| in the House OF Commons. Supposing Mr..
Gosford were to resign at once, how soon
could Win be returned? There's some pro-
cedure, isn't there?-the High Sheriff or
somebody, issues writ, or something-''
II really cannot saw" her companion
answered blandly. 81 belong to a sphere
in which such violent convulsions are un-
known"
"At all events, Parliament will meet about
the middle of February" she demanded.
'I presume So" was the careless answer.
''There's nothing else to do then-except
salmon-fshing-and that too cold"
"I wish the middle of February were here
now, and Vim and ali securely returned, !"
said she. 81 suppose that even in the case
of small borough like Mendover. ones
constituents can keep one pretty busy?
They will watch how you vote, won t they?
and demonstrate when you go wrong; and
pass resolutions; and expect you to go down
and be cross-examined. Then there are
always public meetings to be addressed; and
petitions to be presented; and people want
ing admission to the Speakers gal
lery--"
"Why, really, Madge, there's sort of
furious activity about you this morning"
said he. "You quite take ones breath
away i shouldn't be surprised to see you
on platform yourself"
Its ali for Wins sake am so anxious" 4"
she exclaimed. 81 can see how miserable
and sad the poor boy is-though he bears it
so bravelv-never a word to one of us. lest
we should ask him if he believes in those
people now. l wonder if he can. 1 wonder
if he was so blinded that even now he will
shut his eyes to their true character"
They are quite gone away, then?" her
companion asked.
"Oh, yes" she made answer. 81 hope so.
Indeed, L know they are. And on the whole
it was opportune. just as this election was
coming on; for now, if ever, Vim will have
chance of throwing off an infatuation that
seemed likely to be his ruin, and o. begin
ming that career of which we all hope such
great things"
She glanced round, cautiously, and low
| cred her voice.
"But, on, my goodness, if ever he should
find out the means we took to persuade them
| to go, there will be the very mischief to pay;
he will tear us to pieces! You know how
| impetuous and proud he is; and then those
people have appealed to him in a curious
way-their loneliness-their poverty-and
L
sonal qualities and characteristics. I don't
denv it; any more than I would deny that
| the girl was extremely pretty, and the old
man picturesque; and even well-mannered
and digni6ed in his way. All the more
! dangerous-the pair of them. Well,
now they are gone, 1 breathe more freely.
| While they were here no argument was OF
any avail. Vim looked into the girls ap-
! pealihg face-and everything was refuted.
And at all events We can say this to our own
! conscience-that we nave done them no
| harm. We are not medieval tyrants; we
| have not flung the venerable patriot and the
! innocent maiden into dungeon, to say
nothing of breaking their bones or a rack
The venerable patriot and the innocent
maiden, have no doubt, consider them
| selves remarkably we'll off. And that re-
minds me that Harland Harris, although he
is of opinion that all property should be un-
der social control"
"Not all property, my dear Madge," said
Lord Musselburgk, politely. "0r rather
| he would say that all property should be
under social control-except his property" :"
Il dare say that is the distinction. At all
| events, it seems to me that he occasionally
| finds it pretty convenient to have plenty OF
money at his own individual command.
| Whv, for him to denounce the accumulation
I
| scorn. ''when no one makes more ostentatious
use OF the power Of money! Is there single
| thing he denies himself-one single thing
that is only possible to him through his be-
| ing a man of great wealth? Every luxury
YOU can think of! 1 shouldn't wonder bit
| if, when he dies he leaves instructions to
| have the electric light turned on into his
coffin, just in case he should wake up and
| want to press the knob"
Come, come, Madge," said Musselburgh.
"Be generous. A man cannot always prac-
tice what he breaches, You must grant him
the privilege of signing or an ideal
"Halland Harris signing for an ideal, |"
said Mrs. Ellison, with something of femi-
nine spite, would make a capital subject
for an imaginative picture by Watts-if my
dear brother-in-law wern't rather stout, and
| wore a black frock-coat."
| Meanwhile, Vincent returned to London,
and renewed his solitary search; it was the
only thing he felt fit ior; all other employ
ments had no meaning for him, were impos-
sible. But. as day by day passed, he became
more and more convinced that they must
have left London; he knew their familiar
haunts so well, and their habits, that he was
certain he must have encountered them
somewhere if they were still within the
| great city. And here was the New Year
drawing nigh, when friends far separated