Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-05-15
QUITS"

year, and his wife, as in duty bound, was |
obliged to accompany hln.
The town of Manchester, with its forest |
Of tall chimneys and its perpetual gloomy
pail, may possibly represent the slnews and
of England, but it is not exactly
an ideal place in which to spend the early
DAYS of September, Elsewhere there are
blue skies, heather-clad moors and grouse
on the wing. but Manchester for some in
scrutable reason, preserves the same gray
and depressed appearance year In and year
out Sir Jrmes Loveday, however, full OF
the temporary Importance which attaches
to the eminent scientist who is president
Il e year, was Lighted " the whole
thing. and especially proud of showing off
his pretty young wife to his scientific col
leagues whose spouses, though uniting In
their persons the III unfold virtues of the
British matron, could hardly lay claim to
either epIthet He had only been married
year They had met on homeward
bound Cunarder, and though this particu-
lar ship had beaten the record, there hal
been time enough for Sir James to be
come enamored of Miss Lena Gardner
who. finding no one younger to her taste
on board. had smiled on the elderly scien-
test until he had offered her his name and
his fortune. She vas a sensible Yong
woman, with a nice appreciation OF the
good things of this life and, In six weeks
time from their landing at Liverpool, they
were quietly married III London.
Quite little murmur of admiration and
and a notable cran.ng of masculine necks
greeted Lady LOveday as she made her APP
pearance in the town hall of Mudchester
on the night of the opening address. 1t
was her first introduction to the scientific
world; and men of science, much like
other men are apt to appreciate good looks
In her white brOCade mantle, a boa OF
ostrich feathers encircling her pretty
throat, and some diamond arrows thrust
through her blond hair, she looked
radiant vision of youth and beauty In the
crowd of i'll dressed gau iy women who
made up the feminine portion Of the
audience. Devotion to the toilet forms no
part Of the programme OF the ladies who
attend meetings of the British association,
the advancement of science being more
important in their eyes than the plating
of hair and wearing OF gold. And so
Lena was able to make her little sensation.
She entered the large hall alone, for Sir
James was already in his place on the
platform, and was even giving the prellm-
mary cough which precedes the opening
address.
''8y Jove" said bronzed young man
to himsef-a young man who had sailed
in late. and Nv found himself at the very
back of the vast halI-''If that ism I Lena!
Odd that should see her the first week
| arrive in England! What is she doing
here! Wonder if she ha" forgotten? Well
its three years ago.
The opening address was An enormous
success, as it always is. During the week
the popular enthusiasm, cooled by many
scientific lectures may abate; but on the
opening night no Judge on the bench is
surer of laugh than The eminent sClen-
fist who opens the meeting. The mIldest
jokelets are received with rapture, the
feeblest smiles get a round of applause.
Lady Loveday was surrounded by admir-
ing chemists, biologists, and botanists
by the time the large audience was filling
out.
You'll come with cur expedition on
Thursday, Lady Loveday, won't your"
urged a thin young professor from a Scotch
university, whose appearance suggested
the suspicion that he had recently come
out of an eyehospitdl.
Lady Loveday smiled and made up her
Dlind to be inevitable. After all, he was
only a little worse than the rest. All the
young men at the meeting wore rundown
collars which had apparently been made
for somebody else.
II shall be delighted she said in her
most cordial tone. Where are you going,
and what are you going to do to improve
me?'
ooh it's an expedition down a salt
mine We shall have to take you down
in bucket. You won't mind, will
you?"
mot at all. if you vii! insure the rope
not breaking
But all the same, when Thursday arr,v-
ed and Lena found herself alone at the
railroad statlOn-fo Sir James had Il com
mittee meeting that incoming, and could
only Join her later in the day-she felt
somewhat depressed at the prospect Def re
her There was large AMI somewhat
eird-looking crowd on the platform. A
slight drizzle was falling. and the lad ,es
of the party had unanimou ly elected TO
appear in bag like waterproof garments
though, to tie sure, their male kInd ran
them hard in the matter of curious raj
ment Most of the travellers had invested
in paper bags full of Bath buns for an ex
petition with the British Associ tion is
generously fraught with peril in the matt
er of supplies The weak eyed young man
was in a state of excitement bordering of
delirium. Lady L)veday sighed as her
eye ran over the mass of pushing, per
spring. be maGkintoshed human beings
on the platform.
There ism sui here that | want to
speak to, SHE thought, settling into the
comfortable corner-placee which the youth
full professor had secured for her; and
then as her eye caught the sluare-shouldr-
ed back of chtcl-coated man i'll the dis
lance, she added mentally: That looks
like nice man. His hair is cut beauti-
fully short. and he's got a brown neck nj
properly iro Led collar. He reminds me
of poor Dick.
But, directly after, the train steamed
out of the station and Lldy Loveday 5 re-
miniscences came to an end. She had to
make conversation With her cicerone for
the day and whole carriageful of other
people BY the time they had arrived at
the pits mouth and were waiting
their turn to go down, Lena was not sure
that she wanted to engage In sccn peril
Gus experiment.
Only about quarter of the traiuful of
people could I've accommodated under the
shed which covered the shaft, the rest
were waiting outside. Finally, however
she was jammed with some seven or eight
other people, including her scientific ad,
mirer, in the baize-covered bucket. and
was emptied out after an uncanny de-
scent through a back void, into the brown
walled haven at the bptiou. The mine
had been decorated with thousands of
candles IN honor of the event, AMI each
person was provided with n tallow dip
stuck in to IA wooden handle. Down in
the depths of the mine. The Scotch pro-
fessor waxed confidential, not to say ten
der.
This man is getting a bore" thought
Lady Lovedsy; Il must really evade him
somehow, and with another turn of the
rock she manag ed to slip away from him.
Candle in hand she managed to follow a
group of people in front of h'r. Presently
one of the party-the young man whose
back she had seen On the platfOrm-stop-
ned. aui with an action whick she re-
cogrlzad ~ once. struck mat h an light
ed cigarette.
Why, it Is Dick" she murmered; and
Just then he turned and saw her. Il
thought you we're in Afghanistan, she
W, mt along hurriedly, as he stood gazing
at her.
80 have been, for the last two years.
That frontier business took longer than |
thought And you?"
Lady Loveday biushed and looked down.