The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-09-27

famed herself as she, greeted Nj. Josiah
Washington Potts.
Il hear you have bought the Remins-
hall estatesn
Yes, guess 1 am boss of RelninshaIl
Abbey and park. I've fixed it up and
it's all comfortable now. There's q tow
er at one end, supposed to date from
Stephen; well, I've had an elevator fitted
there; electric light, electric indicators
complete telephone communication. In
fact you wouldn't know the old hole
again: and now / want your ladyship
to come down and stay few weeks, or
as long as you like, and to ask a party
I've asked all the people that you brought
to my dinner; bat they won't half fill
the place; and | want to have relays of
company, one batch after another, as
one reads about your regular swells III
the society papers. They are a sort of
catcchism for US. self made men and
show US the way we should go If we
want TO be fashionable"
Just SO. But surely, my dear Mr..
Potts, you have friends Of your owns
A man of your wealth must have made
lots Of friends2p answered Lady Char
lotte languidly. not taking the trouble
to appear interested.
*Oh. of course I've made friends among
spectators and that, bit they aren't
what want to know. want the All
brand, as we used to say in the west, and
know you can bring them. I've bought
a launch, and the coach that have or
dered will be down in a week; there shall
be Nominations, water parties, ball,
anything you like. You just give xhe
word of command, and I'll see that rs
DONE"
1T is very flattering of you to ask me,
of course, but you must allow ms to con-
slider the matter. Tam feeling rather ex-
hausted now, SO I regret that / cannot
ask you to luncheon, but call again in a
few days time and / will let you know.
Good by, dear Mr Potts.
Lady Charlotte did not at first intend
to accede to the Americans request that
she should invite her friends to his house,
but certain unanimity among her trades
| people in sending in their bills with urgent
reminders during these last few days Of
the season, together with the threatening
tones of some who declined to take any
further orders until they received set
Element in full, made her decide to go to
Reminsllall.
Anything would be BETTER" she
thought, ethan staying here to be pes
tered with their letters. l can't pay
them and they must know that I can't!
What do they want' They can't put
me in prison, I suppose, or half the
nobility would be in prison. Directly
l get my dividends I shall give these
harpies something on account. / am
sure they can't expect me to do more. /
would 20 to the continent. only one
can't travel on credit / suppose I had
better oblige Dir. Potts Lady Char
lotte pronounced the honorable name of
Potts as she might have swallowed a
tonic.
So Lady Charlotte invited large par
ty of friends and acquaintance to meet
her at Reminshall, first explaining the
strange circumstances of a wealthy man.
owner of a beautiful country seat and
eager to fill his house with people, and
yet not possessing friends enough to oc-
1 CQl}f 4lalA1 t4iE< 10 Otell OQilIss
Lady Charlotte's set jeered at Mr..
Washington Potts, spoke of the absurd
ity of the thing, and with few excep-
| tions accepted his invitations. There
were rumors of pastoral play to be
| performed in the open air, and as re-
| spect for the salt is an eastern fad and
not European fact the guests arrived
bent upon amusing themselves and on
being entertained, and determined to
| ignore all obligation to their entertainer
Given the disposition to make merry
and the wherewithal to do SO, and the
results are likely to be satisfactory.
There were excursions by water organ
lied with the greatest skill and precision
by Mr.. Potts. He was once overheard
to say in disclaiming q compliment upon
the subject that man who had person.
ally superintendent the shipping of 10,-
900 hogs ought to be equal to shipping a
few dozen swells. There were garden
parties and tennis parties, dances and
charades, and all Mr.. Washington Potts
guests declared that Reminshall Abbey
was a delightful place to stay at But
they We're apt in quiet moments. when
the master of the house was absent, to
gather into little groups and discuss his
peculiarities.
The creature is SO candidly vulgar"
said one.
Il wonder why Lady Charlotte touts
for him; she seems quite to have taken
him up. He isn't in her set, know-in
fact. don't think he is in any set at all
Do you think she means to marry him for
his money!
II should hardly think So They say
he was pork butcher in America. Then
there was Lady Charlotte's affair in In
dia, don't you know"
s'Do you think that means anything?
There always are affairs in India, don't
you know, when young women 60 out
with their husbands So much scandal
and backbiting and SO little else to do,
they are obliged to take refuge in flirta-
tion." And the conversation drifted
away from Lady Charlotte and her in
tentions.
At Mr.. Washington Potts request Lady
Charlotte had undertaken the entire ar
rangement of the outdoor play, which
was to be as near perfection as it was
possible for play upon whose produc-
4