Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-05-19
"JADIS."

aged man stood by the lock gates,
watching an approaching boat. He was
dressed in country clothes, but he had
not the air of acountryman; he was pale,
and had look of experience. Save for
the regular sound of the sculls every
thing was quite still. Save for the man
at the lock gates and the solitary occu-
pant of the boat there was no one in
sight. 1t was a wide, fat, desolate
scene.
The boat was rather a heavy tub, and
the man who was sculling was tired and
out of temper. AS a rule, he was thought
to be a distinctly brilliant and genial
young man; but he wanted to get on to
Nunnisham, which was five miles be-
yond the lock, that night, and he had
been delayed by the weeds. The gods
had given him extraordinarily good
looks and many other good things;
enough to keep him genial, unless. as
on the present occasion, circumstances
tried him severely. At the lock he
drew into the bank and hailed the mid
die aged man who still stood watching
him.
"Hi! what are the weeds like above
the lock?"
every bad, sir" The answer was
given in serious, respectful voice.
The young man swore gently to HIM
self. sis there any place near here
where could put up for the night?"
'There is only public house. sir. |
am the landlord of tiny name is Hill.
! could give you a bedroom, little
rough perhaps, butt
"Good-a bed and some supper-cap-
ital! That is the only bit of luck I've
had today" AS he was speaking the
young man picked up a small knapsack
which was lying in the stern of the boat
and jumped out. He made the boat
fast and joined the landlord on the tow
path.
"It is this way. You will let me carry
that for you, sir"
AS they walked along the brilliant
young man-his name was Philip Vince
--chatted freely. He was taking holi-
day up the river and was to have joined
friend at Nunnisham that night and
then gone on with him the day after.
He told the landlord all this and also
surmised that Hill was not q native of
the fen country.
"No, sir" was the answer, II was
valet to Sir Charles Sulmont. You have
perhaps heard of him."
Philip had never heard of him, but
said that he had.
"When Sir Charles died he left me a
little money and married a maid who
was then in Lady Sulmont's service.
bought this house with little assistance
from her ladyship and settled here.
was very young then and have been
here eighteen years.
Philip gathered from further talk as
they went along that Mrs. Hill was
dead, and that she had left one child,
Jeanne, girl of seventeen. who lived
with her father. When they reached
the inn, Hill showed Philip bedroom
large. comfortable room, and began te
make some apology about supper. They
very rarely sad any one staying in the
house, and thess yas nothing left but
here Philip interrupted:
'You would be doing me kindness
if you would let me have supper witt
you and your daughter. Ihate solitude
mean, if your-if Miss Hill wouldnt
object"
"If you really wish it, sir, l should bt
very pleased; SO also, am sure, woult
Jeanne" Hill was born valet; he hat
the manner; if he had lived out O.
service for hundred years he woult
have been valet still. When Hill lef
him, Philip looked around the room
and congratulated himself. Everything
was very neat and clean. The Landlord
was capital fellow-a little solemn
perhaps, but still capital fellow. Thi
was far above the accommodation whicl
he had expected.
Just then light football came up tn
stairs, and Philip caught snatch Of
French song. The song stopped shor
just before the football passed his door
Philip conjectured that this must be th
daughter, and that it had been Frencl
maid that Hill had married-hence tn
name Jeanne and that snatch Of song
also that the daughter had been warne
of his arrival, and had gone to put o.
her prettiest dress. All Of these con
lectures were quite correct. And ye
when Jeanne entered the sitting room,
few minutes afterward, and saw Phil
for the first time, she was so startle
that she showed it slightly. Philip wa
also little surprised, for differen
reason, and did not show it at all. II
had thought of the possibility tina
Jeanne might be pretty, and she was
beauty--a brunette, childlike in man
ways, but with woman's eyes. He
voice was good, and her first word
showed that she had some education.
1T took her about ten minutes to &c
from decided shyness to complete conf
dence. Philip was feeling far too good
tempered to let any one be shy with hin
he made Hill and his daughter talk, an
he talked freely himself. He liked th
simplicity of everything about him; h
had grown tired of formalities in Lor
don. He liked cold beef and salad, fe
he was very hungry, and-yes, above al
he liked Jeanne. What on earth wer
that face and that manner doing in
riverside inn? She was perfects she di
not apologize too much, did not g
fiurried, did not have red hands, spoh
correctly, laughed charmingly-in
word, was bewitching. Really, he wa
glad that he had been prevented fror
going on to Nunnisham. Toward th
A Mute Receivers Spe ech.
Alphone Hemphling. of Summit tow
ship, Butler Co.,, Penn. made an affday
that his twelve-year-old son, who had b,
st. Vitus Dance for twelve years, lost b
speech, was completely cured after usir
lII.. N. NH;Iae5 d asfnrofsva No