The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-06
MR.. TESTERS TROUSERS.
London Truth |

1t is not very long since that young
Jack Cockey went down by himself to
Woodleigh hall, hampshire, to spend a
week or so with his Uncle Tester. Jack,
who had only just left school, and was
barely Mn sn, did not look forward to
his sit with much pleasure, for his
uncle was most crotchety and cam
tankerous old gentleman, of whom he
stood in considerable dread. Indeed, he
had only accepted the invitation from
interested motives, the fact being that
his uncle, who was very rich, had
limited his intention of defraying the ex-
penses of Jacks projected career at Ok
ford, and as his parents were too poor to
give him university education them
selves it was especially needful for him
to keep in Uncle Testers ''good books"
Before he had left home on his dreaded
visit both his parents warned him what
whimsical, crotchety old fellow his
uncle was, and how exceedingly careful
he must be in his behavior while at
Woodleigh; for the old gentleman was
apt to take offense at trifes which Or
binary mortals would not even notice,
and the smallest piece of carelessness on
Jacks part might engender fatal pref
udice against him in his uncle's mind.
Fully imbued, therefore, with the ne
cessity of being on his best behavior,
Jack started off to Woodleigh. On ar
irving there he was not especially pleased
to find that the only other visitors to the
house were few old fogys, contempt
raries of his uncle and aunt, and as he
vat at dinner ON his first night, in COM
pany of these prim and rather antiquated
persons, he felt decidedly like fish out
of water. Indeed had it not been for
the presence of his cousin Lily-his un-
cle's only child-who kept him in coun-
tenance as far as youth was concerned,
he felt that he should have collapsed al
together.
Youth was not Lily Testers sole at
traction either. She was pretty, kind
hearted and companionable. And Jack
found her society so agreeable that be-
fore he had been at Woodleigh three
days he imagined himself, according to
his boyish lights, violently in love with
her. Of course he was too bashful to
showed it by the silent admiration of his
looks, by constant attendance at her side,
and by continually fetching and carry
ing for her, and, in general way, max
ing himself as useful to her as he could.
One afternoon, in her cousins hearing,
Lily happened to bewail aloud the fact
that she had no means of procuring a
oh gIa
tent to read, from the circulating library
in their neighboring town, as the horses
were otherwise occupied that day and
the servants were all too busy to be sent
upon such an errand. Jack said nothing,
but instantly determined to go for the
novel himself. And having consulted
his watch and seen that he should have
time to get there and back before dinner
he started off alone without telling any
body where he was going.
He reached the town all right and OBJ
tanned the novel which Lilly wanted.
But the walk took him longer than he
had expected, so that, instead of being
back at Woodleigh with q comfortable
half hour to spare before dinner, he
found that he had barely five minutes.
AS he hurried into the hall, hot and
breathless, he met Lily ON her way to
the drawing room, dressed ready for
dinner, and he Immediately took the
opportunity Of giving her the novel
which he had bought.
"Oh, this is good of you, jack" she
exclaimed, her face lighting up with a
grateful smile, "to go all that long walk
on MY account. Why, you look as hot
and tired as can be. / am afraid"
(glancing anxiously at the clock) chat
YOU have made yourself late, too. Oh,
Jack, do you think you can possibly
dress in four minutes? For papa is
dreadfully particular about people being
in time for dinner. And / should be
quite miserable if you got into a scrape
with him through serving me-"
"Oh, I'll manage it all right" replied
lack. "My dressing won't take long"
And he ran off quickly up stairs to per-
form his hasty toilet, determined not to
be late, for he knew that Lily had used
no exaggerated phrase in saying that her
father was ''dreadfully particular about
people being in time" Indeed, in the
eyes of this crotchety and whimsical old
gentleman to be late for dinner was
something very like deadly sin. And
Jack, as we know, had strong reasons
for keeping in his uncle's favor. He
rushed, therefore, through his toilet at a
preckneck pace, until he came to his
oress trousers, and then he received
one1A. something appeared to be wrong
WIN Ine ARTICLES in question. They were
10 Email and tight that Jack conld scarca-