Evening journal., 1891-11-30

spirit. lie has never Silu hn4iu4uH butl |
was not kind OF you, Rupert, and don't
know why you should attack him SO. II
~ cruel, unbrotherlyn With a sweep ami /
a whisk she was 1T the door, her checks 1
flushed, her eyes sparkling, her bosom /
heaving with this little squirt Of indigna /
tion. while close at her heels walked hel /
mother with soothing words, and an angry |
glance thrown back over her shoulder |
Rupert Esdaile stood with his hands bur |
rowing deeper and deeper into his pockets |
and his shoulders rising higher and higher
to his ears, feeling intensely guilty, and
yet not certain whether he should blame
himself for having said too much or foI
not having said enough.
just in front Of him stood the table on
which the phonograph, with wires, bat
teries and all complete, stood ready for the
guests whom II was to amuse. Slowly his
his hands emerged from his pockets rs his
eye fell upon the apparatus, and with iau-
guild curiosity he completed the connection
and started the machine A pompous,
husky sound, as OF man clearing his
throat, proceeded from the instrument,
and then in high, piping tones, thin but
distinct, the commencement Of the cele'
brated scientists lecture "Of all the in.
teresting Problems" remarked the box,
(which are offered to us by recent re-
searches in the lower orders of marine life
there is none to exceed the retrograde met
amorphosis which characterizes the com
mon barnacle The differentiation Of an
amorphous protoplasmic massn- Hers
Rupert Esdaile broke the connection again,
and the funny little tinkling voice ceased
as suddenly as it began.
The young man stood smiling, looking
down at this garrulous piece OF wood and
metal when suddenly the smile broadened
and light OF mischief danced up into his
eyes He slapped his thigh, and danced
round i'm the ecstasy Of one who has STUN
bled on a brand new brilliant idea Very
carefully he drew forth the slips of metal
which recorded the learned professors re,
marks, and laid them aside for future use.
Into the slots he thrust virgin plates, all
ready to receive an impression, and then,
bearing the phonograph under his arm, he
vanished into his own sanctum. Five
minutes before the first guests had arrived
the machine was back upon the table, and
all ready for use.
There could be no question Of the sue
cess Of Mrs. Esdaile's Conversations. From
first to last everything went admirably.
People stared through microscopes, and
linked hands for electric shocks, and mar
veled at the Galapagos turtle, the os
frontis Of the Bos months and all the Other
curiosities which Mrs. Esdaile had taken
such pains to collect. Groups formed and
chatted round the various cases. The
dean Of Birchespool listened with a pro
testing lip while Professor Maunders held
forth upon a square Of triassic rock, with
side tnrusts occasionally at the six days OF
orthodox creation; knot Of specialists
disputed over a stuffed ornithorhynchus in
a corner; while Mrs Esdaile swept from
group to group, introducing, congratulate
ing. laughing with the ready, graceful
tact Of a clever woman of the world. By
the window sat the heavily mustached
Captain Beesly, with the daughter of the
house, and they discussed a problem OF
their own, as old as the triassic rock and
perhaps as little understood.
But must really 60 and help my moth
er to entertain, Captain Beesly," said Rose,
at last, with a movement as if to rise.
Don't 70, Rose And don't call me
Captain Beesly; call me Charles"
well, then, Charles
"How prettily it sounds from your lipsl
4 No, now, don't go. cnnfe eeiAr - es ~ ~
from Won. had heard OF love- Rose; bnt
how strange il seems that |, after spend
| ing my life amid all that is sparkling and
CAV, should only find out now, in this little
provincial town, what love really isW
"You say 90, but it is only passing
fancy"
mo. indeed. shall never leave you
Rose never, unless you drive me away
from your side. And you would not be 81
cruel-you would not break my heartt"
He had very plaintive blue eyes, an'
there was such a depth Of sorrow in then
as he spoke that Rose could have wept 70
sympathy.
II should be very sorry to cause yoi
, grief in any way" she said, in falterin
5 tone.
e "Then promise"--
4 mo, no; we cannot speak Of it just nov
+ and they are collecting around the phone
graph DO come and listen to it. It is S
r funny. Have you ever heard one?"
d Never
Is 1T will amuse you immensely, and
k am sure you would never guess what it
going to talk about"
p what them"
II "Oh, ! won't tell you. You shall hea
3" Let us have these chairs by the open doc
Il it is so nice and cool"
S The company had formed an expecta
r. circle round the instrument. There was
lg subdued hush as Rupert Esdaile made {
connection while his mother waved h
!" white hand slowly from left TO right
re mark the cadence Of the sonorous addre
od which was to break upon their ears.
.te "How about Lucy Araminta Penn
featherg" cried a squeaky little vol
as There was q rustic and litter among
OF audience. Rupert glanced across at g
n, tain Beesly. He saw dropping jaw, Z
protruding eyes and face the color
ell cheese.
in "How about little Martha Hovedean,
lat the Kensal Choir uniong cried the pip
cry voice.
Louder still rose the filters. Mrs.
in dale stared about her in bewilderme
rs. Rose burst out laughing, and the capital
er- Jaw dropped lower still, with q ting'
en- green upon the cheeselike face.
'os- "Who was it who hid the ace In the
tillery cardroom at Peshawur9 Who
gn 1t who was broke in consequence y
our was it,
iate Good gracious" cried Mrs. Esd'
'ere what nonsense is thisW The machin
ont Of order. Stop it, Rupert These
7 he not the professors remarks. But,
me, where is our friend Captain BE
Lit goney"
the II am afraid that he is not very '
ma" said Rose. "He rushed out Of
ID il room"
Md "There can't be much the matt
a,,i+ I uuoth Rupert There he goes, cut
a. - down the avenue as fast as his legs
, I'm carry him. do not think, somehow,
mere we shall see the captain again. But 7
had really apologize / have put in the vi
slips These, ] fancy, are those which
here long TO Professor Standerton's lecture
~ Ilnea Iasdaile has hpcOmp Rose ~