Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-02-20
(" QUITS"

pered and twenty-three years of age
and little Lady Loveday was all three
one does not regard with unmixed rap.
ture the prospect of whole week with
the British Association for the Advance
ment 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 Mudchester, with its for
est 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. Else
where there are blue skies, heather clad
moors and grouse on the wing, but Mud
chester, for some inscrutable reason, pre-
serves the same gray and depressed ap-
pearance year in and year out. Sir James
Loveday, however, full of the temporary
importance which attaches to the emi-
nent scientist who is President of the
year, was delighted with the whole
thing, and especially proud of showing
off his pretty, young wife to his scientific
colleagues, whose spouses, though unit
ing in their persons the manifold virtues
of the British matron, could hardly Law
claim to either epithet. He had only
been married ayear. They had met on
q homeward-bound Cunarder, and
though this particular ship had beaten
the record, there had been time enough
for Sir james to become enamored of
Miss Lena Gardner, who, finding no one
younger to her taste on board, had smiled
on the elderly scientist until he had Of
fered her his name and his fortune. She
wasa sensible young woman, with 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 notable craning of masculine necks
greeted Lady Loveday as she made her
appearance in the Town Hall of Mud
chester on the night of the opening ad-
dress. 1t was her first introduction to
the scientific world, and men of science,
much like other men, are apt to ap-
preciate good looks. In her white brocade
mantle, boa of ostrich feathers encir-
cling her throat, and some diamond
arrows thrust through her blonde hair,
she looked radiant vision of youth and
beauty in the crowd of ill dressed, gawky
women who made up the feminine por-
tion of the audience. Devotion to the
toilette forms no part of the programme
to 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 wear
ing 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 preliminary cough
which precedes the opening address.
'By Jove!" said bronzed young man
to himself--a young man who had
strolled in late, and now found him
self in the very back OF the vast hall
''if that isn't Lena! Odd that should
see her the first week arrive in England |!
What is she doing here2 Wonder if she
has forgottena Well, it's three years
ago."
The opening address was an enor-
nous success, as it always is. During the
week the 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 emi-
nent scientist who opens the meeting.
The mildest jolSelets are received with
rapture, the feeblest SMILES get a round
of applause. Lady Loveday was sur
rounded by admiring chemists, biolo-
gists and botanists by the time the large
audience was filing out.
"You'll come with our expedition on
Thursday, Lady Loveday, won't youa'
urged thin young professor from a
Scotch University, whose appearance
suggested the suspicion that he
had recently come out of an eye hos
pital.
Lady Loveday smiled, and made up
her mind to the inevitable. After all,
he was only little worse than the rest.