Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-10-10
DoCKRELL's DEPARTURE.

I
Whatever else DockrelI intended to do,
/ it was evident that he did not mean TO go.
/ Mrs. Rasheigh began to be alarmed, She
/ had asked him down, to be sure, without
specifying the exact day he was to leave,
| but now the last guest had made the last
pretty speech, and the dogcart containing
/ sportsman and his belongings was, disap.
! pearing down the drive. and vet, by a
! blazing fire in the coy study she knew
that at that moment Wllloughby Dockrell
was unfolding the morning papers and
| lighting a cigar, with that complacent
| smile which irritated her so much when
| she was not in the mood for it. And she
was by no means ia the mood for 1t to-day.
! 1t was not only fresh sec of people We're
| to arrive tomorrow, most of whom would
| by no melns share her enthusiasm fer the
poet was now stretched at his ease in her
| favorite arm chair, but that the party in
vited for the next few days was to include
a faithful and sope@hat stolid admirer,
Major Champion.
| Now, Mrs Rashleigh was not one of
the order of women who are unhappy if
| they have not second lover 10 play off
on the first Under such circumstances
she opine9, both were apt to be fretful
and unamusiug. Mrs. Rashleigh, to be
sure had been widow for exactly five
years, so that it may be inferred that she
/ knew something of the other sex. Young,
| cheerful and well off, without being pretty,
she was distinctly attractive, aud, having
the social instinct, her place in Blankshire
was nearly always full. In London she
was inclined to effect the "smart intel
lectual set, and she liked to be credited
with ideas and opinions Ideas and
| opinions, were, perhaps, rather scarce in
the circles in which Mrs. Rashleigh usual
ly moved twas probably this which had
made her seek the society OF DOckrel, for
the man, at any rate, had brains. But
there were questions which she could not
help asking herself in her present I'M
steady frame of mind.
Apart from a volume of poems which
had made a certain stir, who and what
was he? Nobody seemed quite TO know,
least OF all in the rather fashionable set
into which he had effected an entrance.
He had a clean-cut face, plausible manners
and pretty talent for giving the talk a
neat epigramatic tone, while it was cel-
tain that he had lived in Paris, in Rome
and in New York, aud that he knew every.
body little and nobody we'll
If men, too, instinCuvely disliked him,
il was notorious that for most women he
had and irresistible attraction, SO that one
was apt to meet WllOughby D0ckreil
more frequently in inner drawing rooms
than in the more breezy mental atmOs-
phere OF the clubs. But though Mrs.
Rasheigh was fond of having long dis
cussioDs with her literary admirer, it 10y
no means followed that she intended to
continue those discussions for life, and
during the last day or two Dockrell had
assumed an all-conqu air which was
distasteful 10 her. Ii is always awkward
for hostess to have to tell a guest to q
and Mrs. Rasnlelgh racked her brains for
an expedient as the hall door closed to on
the last member of the party and she
thOughtfully crossed the hall.
"Wel ! shall have to tell Jack all about
it when he COMES tomorrow, she said to
herself at last. with shat little sigh of re-
lief which a woman gives when she has
determined to transfer her troubles to
shoulders broader than her own.
And meanwhile Willoughby Dockrell,
having finished second cigar, was med
itating on his plan of campaign. For
nearly thirty hours ne would hay his
charming hostess to himself, for the young
sister who was there 10 play prOpricty
hardly counted and he would be able to
get her to drive or to ride alone
with him that very afternoon. Thirty
hours, he told himself, alone in a country
house with a woman who obviously
! likes you is worth thirty months of after.
noon calls and dinner conversations in
London.
he glanced around the room. How de-
lightiul IL all was, so crazy, so old-tash-
Toned, With the air Of having been always
| Just like that. The leather bindings Of
+ the books were worn aad melowed; the
ait Of the picture trmes was little
/. dim With age a Eomney and Cams
/ borough portraits Of departed RASH
. leighs-gazed down on him from either
side of the Fireplace granduncle with
dilcttante tastes. who had made the
grand tour. had brought back that
! Canovat from Rome Generation, of gen
! tlef0Iks had lived and read and chatts in
that room At his age, and with ~,
| tastes, it was all ju,t what had appea
F, TO blm most-thr sense of security. Of
rest, of long unghauRlng years. WillOugh-
/ by DJckTel bad been Of late a frequent
! guest in English country houses, but no
nome that he had entered had appealed to
! him quite so intimately az this. A man
Of forty five, Who has lived in most Of the
capitals Of civilization, generally turns at
last 70 some such heaven. A ~ toe
/ bouevlrdg Of Paris. tb" uns o. Lmd m
and the balls Of New York may J-gin te
pail.
Az that uncertain age, when he is
neither old nor young, he bal b-Run to
4 think that man wanted a home, a posi-
+ ton and a wife Now all these things,
+ be thought. we're well within bis reach.
/ There were no children; the place was hers
i for her lie time, after which 1t would 90
+ to a distant cousin As 10 that Bnpleas
ant affair in America-weIl it alI happen.
ed fifteen years ago. and New Yors Is a
/ long way from London even il London j.
/ toeraby near New York Only one man
/ in England knew anything about tire story
OF those bonds, ard that man be is ceri ain
rot to meet in email corptrY house. And
/ then Mrs Rashleigh hsC sai' ,Jthing in
+ her note Of invitation a. 10 tue length u
! H. ]