The Opelousas courier., 1891-03-14
QUITS

pered and e~:fenty-three years of age
and little Lady Loveday was all three
n does not regard with unmixed rap
ture the prospect of a whole week with
the British Association for the Advance
ment of Science. But Sir James had
been elected President for the year, and
his wife, as in duty bound, was obliged
to accompany him.
The town of Manchester, with its for
est of tall ehimneys and its perpetual
gloomy pail, may possibly represent the
sinews and strength of England, but it is
not exactly an ideal place in which to
spend the early days of September. Else
where there are blue skies, heather clad
moorsa and grouse on the wing, but Mud
chester, for some inscrutable reason, pre-
serves the same gray and depressed ap-
'pearance yearin and year out. Sir James
Loveday, however, full of the temporary
importance which attaches to the emf
nent scientist who is President of the
year, was delighted with the whole
thing, and especially proud of showing
of his pretty, young wife to his scientific
colleagues, whose spouses, though unit
ing In their persons the manifold virtues
of the British matron, could hardly Law
claim to either epithet. He had only
been married year. They had met on
o homeward- bound Cunarder, and
though this particular ship had beaten
the record, there had been time enough
for Sir James to become enamored of
Miss Lena Gardner, who, finding no one
younger to her taste on board had smiled
on the elderly scientist until he had Of
fered her his name and his fortune. She
was a sensible young 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 In London.
Quite q little murmur of admiration
and . notable craning Of masculine necks
greeted Lady Loveday as she made her
appearance in the Town Hall of Mud
chester on the night of the opening adj
dress. 1t was her first introduction to
the scientific world, and men of science,
much like other men, are apt to ap-
preciate good looks. In her white brocadd
mantle, q boa of ostrich feathers encir.
cling her throat, and some diamond
arrows thrust through her blonde hair,
she looked q radiant vision of youth and
beauty in the crowd of i'll dressed, gawky
women who made up the feminine por-
ton Of the audience. Devotion to the
toilette forms no part of the programme
to 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 wear
ing 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 preliminary cough
which precedes the opening address.
"By Jovei" said a bronzed young man
70 himself-a young man who had
strolled in late, and now found him
self In the very back OF the vast hall
ssif that isn't Lenai Odd that I should
see her the first week I arrive in England
What is she doing here9 Wonder If she
has forgottenf Well, it's three years
ago."
The opening address was an enor
NOUS 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 a laugh than the emf
nent scientist who opens the meeting.
The mildest jokelets are received with
rapture, the feeblest SMILES get a round
of applause. Lady Loveday was sur
rounded by admiring chemists, biolo-
gists and botanists by the time the large
audience was filing out.
you'll come with our expedition on
Thursday, Lady Lovsday, won't you7"
urged q thin young professor from a
University, whose appearance
suggested the suspicion that he
had recently come out of an eye hos
pital.
Lady Loveday smiled, and made up
mind to the inevitable. After all. ,
be was only a little worse than the rest.
AL the young men at the meeting wore
rundown collars, and coats which had
apparently been made for somebody
81 shall be delighted. she said, In
her most cordial tone. aWhere are YOU
going, and what are you going to do to
improve met"
"Oh, it's an expedition down a salt
nine. We shall have to take you down
a . bucket. You won't mind, will
'ous'' urged the weak-eyed young man
"Not at all, if you will insure the
ope not breaking
But, al the same, when THURSDAY
rived, and Lena found herself alone at
railway station-for Sir James had q
ommittee meeting that morning, and J
only join her later in the day !
felt somewhat depressed at the
before her. There was q large
% somewhat weird looking crowd on
e platform. A slight drizzle was fall
9, and the ladies OF the party had
unanimously elected to appear in bag
80 waterproof garments, though, to be !
their male kind ran them hard in
e matter Of curious raiment. Most 81
q travalnrs had ;nvaefad ~ a C