Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-08-21
GROOM OR BRIDEGROOM a.?

''By Jove, I'll do it! There is no other
way of wooing her; so to the winds with
common sense and propriety. Recommend
me for the post at once, dear Jack, and put
me down your debtor for life"
The speaker was Tol Rainforth, a hair
Drained young journalist, and the person
addressed was Jack Fortescue, Esq, landed
proprietor and gentleman at large Tom and
he had been dining at the Savage club, and,
retiring to the smoke room, had been elabo-
rating a little plot Matched by the fertile
brain of the brilliant young journalist. The
facts of the case at issue were these:
At the hunt ball recently held in the quaint
old Lincolnshire village of Revesby, Tom
Rainforth had the misfortune Tor good for
tune, according to the readers opinion) to
meet and fall desperately in love with Edith,
the pretty daughter of Squire Everingham,
who, being an eccentric gentleman, deemed
every young man fortune hunter. and sys-
tematically closed his doors in the face of the
numerous admirers attracted by his daugh-
tiers pretty face and her ample dot.
Tom had Jared no better than the others.
but on coniidlng his sorrows to his friend and
guest they had between them matured a
scheme of romance and impudence unpar-
alleled i'll these prosaic Nineteenth century
days.
Squire Everir~ham was the right hand
man and g"Lc-.si cite manager to Lord
Braintree, an office his family had held for
several generations. He was, besides, a land
owner of no small extent, and a magistrate:
hence his popular title of Squire He re-
sided some few miles away on the Lincoln
shire coast, i'll moderately sized village
which consisted of a single long, struggling
street, church, chapel, and some venera-
bic relics of the Saxon and early Norman
eras. The squire occupied the great white
house at the corner of this road, patronized
the entire village and was of course, looked
up TO with unqueStlonng reverence by the
inhabitants. He, however, never mixed with
them socially, and his nearest neighbor.
whom he honored by admitting to a cues
tionable equality, lived some miles away. the
squire and his daughter lived somewhat Sc
cluded life, broken only at rare intervals bv
visits from lady friends to her, and by his
journeys to the market town or magisteriaI
bench.
Popular as the squire was in the village, he
had one blot on his escutcheon in the ewes of
the hunt Ito which he subscribed liberallvl
and in those of the few county families in
the neighborhOod, and that was, he had be-
come accustomed since the loss of his wife,
to drink, mot wisely but too wel,n and as
may be supposed, he incurred serious censllre
for habit not tolerated in these DAYS In
other respects the squire was still the CHEEKY,
open handed man as of yore; his kitchen
door was ever open to the hungry, and his
famous brown October ale was dispensed
freely to callers and strangers. The only
other change was in his appearance; the tall
1.-the figure became slightly bowed, the hair
tinged with gray; his riding III the field be-
came reckless and irregular, and greatest
crime of AN i'll hunting country, he COM
menced to ''crane" at his fences, and knock
his horses about for faults due to himself
He also grew quarrelsome, and newcomers
not feeling the same amount of respect, or
being under the same obligation as the old
inhabitants, several brawls had taken place,
and i'll one or two the squire was severely
handled.
With increasing excitement and irritation
of temperament he grew discontinued with
the slow rate of speed obtainable from his
horses, and invested i'll several fast trotterS,
and went whirlng from place to place, to
the danger of every one he met. This was
endurable in his sober moments, but when,
after court meeting at the neighboring
town, he insisted upon taking the ribbons"
himself, thrashing the horse into a gallOp,
going over or through everything in his
way, it became no joking matter.
On one occasion, returning home at night,
he drove over a stone heap and spilled him
self and groom into broad and deep drain
that ran by the roadside; on another he col
lided with his own gate post, smashing the
cart to matchwood and breaking his groom's
l.; Mt no N
consequence of having become entangled in
the reins, while the horse was kicking and
plunging in all direstions.
Grooms soon grew scarce; finally, no one
could be found to take the place. then, for
some time, the squire drove himself, and after
having been several times fined for furious
driving. by his brother magistrates, they de
termined to put stop to the growing scandal
nv declaring to hirR their intention of send
mo him to prison for a month if he appeared
before them again This had the desired eff
feet. and set him seeking for steady, capa-
BILE groom.
Srch was the state of affairs at the time
of the hunt ball; and the intentions OF Tom
Rainforth, as declared at the opening OF our
story was to offer himself for the pest
drive the squire, keep him, If possible, SOBER
and most important of all, do his best Ia
win the heart of the fair Edith, who was al
ready more than well disposed toward him
After some preliminary correspondence an
enhancement was contracted, Tom entereI
into his duties, and became the squlre'
shadow. If any one took otfense at Tue
souire's unreasonable remarks, ne was al
WAYS ON hand to smooth matters down, ailC
for time all went well. Gossips noticed
however. that Miss Edith took a greater
amount of horse exercise than uSual, ant
that the new groom was Invarlably IN aC
tendance. while it was said that her laueS
ssfadn was always to see her horse cledi'ee
every morning. 49, ,-o,.,
first morning, and threatened 10 oehouno
him ia her father; but Tom overcalle ne'
ccrnnles. and of their mutual mlsundersuahu
mos love makings, and its attendant PieaS
ures and pains, am no envlous chroIiclei
u,ffice to say she was pleased to keep MS
secret. but, woman like, delayed her happi-
ness. and, notwithstanding all he mad ullu 'i-
zone to win her, declared caprlclously she
1-o,Id never accept him unless he accompa-
MED her as groom to the opening meet Oh
the season -
eyirl,s mischievous fancy, and sorely against
his will he bowed to the inevitable.
Downward steps are not easily retraced,
so the conduct of the squire proved; Ior
after a brief period of good behavior ne
gradually grew worse and worse, until ne
was nearly. if not quite, as bad as ever. 10
oil that he could, Tom could not keep MN
sober Once after attending one OF the meet
ings. he drank rather more heavily Ihan