Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-21
"QUITS.''


pered and % years of aGe-and little Lady
Loveday was all three-one does not regard
with unmiAed rapture the prospect of a
whole week with the British Association
for the Advancement 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 forest
of tall chimneys 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, Elsewhere there are
blue skies, heather-clad moors and grouse
on the wing, but Manchester for some in
scrutable reason, preserves the same gray
and depressed appearance year in and year
out. Sir Jrmes Loveday, however, full of
the temporary importance which attaches
to the eminent scientist who is president
for the year, was delighted with the whole
thing, and especially proud of showing off
his pretty young wife to his scientific col
leagues, whose spouses, though uniting in
their persons the manifold virtues of the
British matron, could hardly lay claim to
either eplthet. He had only been married
year. They had met on homeward
bound Cunarder, and though this particu-
lar snip had beaten the record, there hal
been time enough for Sir James to be-
come enamored of Miss Lena Gardner
who, finding no one younger to her taste
on board, had smiled on the elderly scien-
test until he had offered 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 little murmur of admiration and
and a notable craning of masculine necks
greeted Lady Loveday as she made her ap-
pearance in the town hall of Manchester
was her first Introduction to the scientific
world; and men of science, much like
other men are apt to appreciate good looks
In her white brocade mantle, boa of
ostrich feathers encircling her pretty
through her blond hair, she looked a
radiant vision of youth and beauty in the
crowd of i'll dressed, gaudy women who
made up the feminine portion Of the
audience. Devotion to the toilet forms no
part Of the programme Of 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 wearing 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 prelim-
mary cough which precedes the opening
address.
by Jove!" said q bronzed young man
to himself-a young man who had sailed
in late, and now found himself at the very
back of the vast hall-''If that ism t Lena!
Odd that | should see her the first week
| arrive in England What is she doing
here! Wonder If she has forgotten? Well
its three years ago.
Ghe opening address was an enormous
success, as it always is. During the week
tie 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 eminent scien-
fist who opens the meeting. The mildest
jokelets are received with rapture, the
feeblest smiles get round of applause.
Lady L0yeday was surrounded by admir-
ing chemists, biologists, and botanists
by the time the large audience was filing
out.
You'll come with our expedition or
Thursday, Lady Loveday, won't you?''
urged thin young professor from Scotch
university, whose appearance suggested
the suspicion that he had recently come
out of an eye-hospital
Lady Loveday smiled and made up her
mind to be inevitable. After all, he was
only a little worse than the rest. All the
young men at the meeting wore turn-down
collars which had apparently been made
for somebody else.
Il shall be delighted" she said in her
most cordial tone. Where are you going,
and what are you going to do to improve
me?"
"Oh, it's an expedition down a salt
mine. We shall have to take you down
in a bucket. You won't mind, will
you?"
Not at all, if you will insure the rope
not breaking "
But all the same, when Thursday arriv-
ed and Lena found herself alone at the
railroad station-for Sir James had COM
mittee meeting that morning, and could
only join her later in the day-she felt
somewhat depressed at the prospect before
her. There was large and somewhat
weird-Iooking crowd on the platform. A
slight drizzle was falling, and the ladies
of the party had unanimously elected to
appear in bag like waterproof garments
though, to be sure, their male kind ran
them hard in the matter of curious raj
ment. Most of the travellers had invested
In paper bags full of Bath buns for an ex-
petition with the British s0ciution is
generously fraught with peril in the matt
er Of supplies. The weak-eyed young man
was in state of excitement bordering of
delirium. Lady Loveday sighed as her
eye ran over the mass of pushing. per-
spring. be-mackintoshed human beings
on the platform.
There ism a soul here that I want to
speak to, she thought, settling into the
comfortable corner-placee which the youth
full professor had secured for her; and
then as her eye caught the sqpare-shouldr-
ed back Of a check-coated man in the dis
lance, she added mentally: That looks
like nice man. His hair is cut beauti-
fully short and he's got a brown neck nj
a proper iroIed collar. He reminds me
of poor Dick.
But, directly after, the train steamed
out of the station and Lady Loveday' re-
minisceMces came to an end. She had to
make conversation With her cicerone for
the day and a whole carriageful of other
people. By the time they had arrived at
the pits mouth and were waiting
their turn to 60 down, Lena was not sure
that she wanted to engage in such a peril
Gus experiment.
Only about quarter Of the traiuful of
people could he accommodated under the
she'd which covered the shaft, the rest
were waiting outside. Finally, however,
she was damned with some seven or eight
other people, including her scientific ad-
mirer, in the baize-covered bucket. and
Was emntied ont after IN 11ncannu de-