Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-10-23

80 = otfp III 'sssa Better have staye,1 as Ia
"''a--as you are, Middleton
V1'ts 80 said old Godfrey, primly. Ard
ne ieiapsed into his ledger again.
pnlir 70; and next month everybody win
20 saying that I'm as big fool, and propbe-
syihg on my account, " he mutteres: irrele-
vanity, whe1, with a farewell word about n
s ~ % wool from Melbourne, the visit
aconfound the boy he went on n n.
pl.ser soiiioqny; what did he want to BE- 70
~. tuf. about coming in for my money fcr4
Astor tne -i,7s0-it was a heavy fieure--I
,oila nave forgiven him that. And now he's
Ne. me IN Tor worse scrapc.r
ns'norse was working. Bat Whist could it
asau man who had drawn up document
as compromising as half the inane comnos;-
oions mat figure In reports OF breach of
promise suits, and had watched Il with !
mahcious smile committed to the charge Of
her raajesty's postmaster general WITH Z
eroan ms conscience supplied the response--
none. He was bound by every consideration
OF honor and probity to 20 through M entar-
prise. And this meant q call that ever;n,
at Gartmore. His exact expression IN III
Old fashioned and somewhat cunbersrrne
phraseology had been:
In 80 important matter, nv dear Miss
Venn, l would earnestly desire that vo,,
should eschew hasty decision, and I there
Tore VIII ask to be permitted to wait in per-
son at your home for your reply during thu
early hours of tomorrow evening"
And he went.
Not altogether to his surprise Mr.. venn re-
ceived him. 1t was quite in keeping with his
notions OF prcpriety that the preiiminaries
OF the momentous contract should be settled
with his future brides father; and, in truth.
be was very considerably relieved to have to
enter las he supposed upon purely business
discussion and to postpone the ordeal of max
ing love- What he should find to say when
the latter labor had to be undertaken IL
\ passed his power Of conjecture to imagine.
HE could only hope that the crisis-and he
dreaded it worse than an interview with his
dentlst-would by its very severity kindle
| within his mind illumination for the road he
had so fatuously elected TO travel.
| Mr.. Venn was a rotund little man. with
busting manner, twinkling dark eyes-the
twinkling was intensified at this juncture-
and the good gift Of sound digestion, which
renders i'll temper on any but the most inso-
lent provocation base ingratitude to kindly
| Providence.
Delighted to see you at Gartmore, Mid
dleton, and-ahemi believe I have some
idea of your errand, " said he
The shipbroker bowed II fully expected
that you would understand he answered.
And then somehow he paused, for it was
borne in upon him that he was on tie eve Of
listening to some disturbing revelation.
Nothing could be wrong with the bank sure
ly! 1t was dreadful thought that mad.,
him quake in his boots Certainly Venn's
face wore an aspect of funereal gravity, re-
lieved only by the oddly contrasted bright
ness of his eyes, where couple of imprisoned
sunbeams seemed to be basking
SFirst let me express my sense-our sense
of the honor done to my daughter, and
through Dusa to her parents, by your offer
of this morning, Mr.. Middleton"
Old Godfrey breathed trifie more freely.
1t was the question he had come about, then,
that accounted for Vennis solemnity. The
stability of the famous old banking house
was unimpaired. 1t was ridiculously alb
surd terror that had seized him
but, Middleton, am sorry"
II am afraid l don't quite take your
And indeed the inference seemed to be toe
good to be true. Never surely, did pretender
await with more eagerness the verdict of dis.
missal
II repeat that am sorry My daughter
affections are bestowed NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
my dear Middleton And there has been
an odd mistake, the oldest mistake, think
1 ever knew or heard of. If had seen your
letter should have known, of course But
you see Dusa is quite unfamiliar with youi
hand; and then you write as vigorously as
as your nephew might do. And was busy:
didn't ask to see the note Dusa told me
hat IN, ael1, -
come from, and so, as say, we Numbered al
round
Light was slowly breaking on old Geof
frey's mind. Perhaps the reaction from the
dread that he might be taken at his wort
and married out of hand $50 to speak by
Eighty young miss quiekened his faculties
of apprehension. 1t was queer how strong
was his temptation to re-enact the schoolbo,
of five-and-forty years ago and throw up hi
hat at the joyful news of regained liberty
But there was more to learn.
do gather correctly that you mistool
the sender"
"Dusa did; pardon me, not unnaturally."
Then Miss Venn could only read that not
as coming FROM
''Your nephew"
''Possibly may still be within my right
May ask was its petition then deniedF'
mo, it was granted. And it was ct Dusa'
request that | am here to tell you this. Wi
: you see herr
Not now, not now, thanks"
The banker, whose love for his daughte
had made him more compliant than perhaT
his cautious professional instincts justified
: and who had not withdrawn his consent t
the young surgeons suit-a consent given a
it TRANSFERRED in errUr-even when the quarrt
, at Elgin House stood disclosed, made clea
with few more pithy words what had hal
pened. And his shrewd insight into hi
, patrons character was vindicated in til
sequel
a ''Have no fears, Godfrey; your uncle wi
! come round, he had SAID Il am only gla
: that it was through Dusa that he propose
to punish you"
Old Godfrey went home, humiliation swa
lowed up of relief. He found his nephe'
standing in the library, hunting up certai
9 cartoons in an old volume Of Punch. Wit
> a quick nervous tread he stepped TO his sid'
e I'VE are quits, Geoff, now he said. .
II saved you from one dilemma, and you've d.
d livered me from another. I'll not forget til
is service
= And it was the last reference he made
= his two days wooing-
d In the autumn he settled an income Of &
e a year. as marriage gift, on Godfrey Mi'
IS dleton's nephew.-W. j. Lacey in Hon
Il Journal
% Historian Bancroft's Longevity.
Mr.. George Bancroft accounted for h
u own longevity the other day with thrt
-, reasons: First, that he was the midd
~ .t:Il -, he fathar'S far,ilv aoualIy al