The morning call., 1892-07-05
A NARROW ESCAPE.

If the pleasantest of the home counties.
From an outsiders point of view the colonel
eemed to possess most things which are
generally considered TO constitute mu ndane
happiness. His liver had survived pawn
es. curries and tropical sun intact; his
income was ample; he belonged to two or
.hree good London clubs; he had an excel
lent cellar of wine, he was respected by his
aeighbors and worshiped by his tenants,
and be rode to cover on the best OF cattle.
Yet with all this the colonel had two
eternany grnning skeletons in his cup
board.
TIE first was the possession OF a ne'er-
dO-well son, and The secOnu was lno non
possession IF q wife.
Augustus Chopleigh Jr., although ne'er-
dO-well in the eyes OF parent VINO was
more rigid and precise than most gentlemen
who have breathed the atmosphere OF bar
racks c0ntRnments during the best part OF
their lives was, after ALL but an ordinary,
EVERYDAY Young man." He betted little
il is true: he belonged to club where play
was sometimes high of an evening; he
could drink his clsret like man; he was a
eonn0isseur in cigars; he possessed two or
ihree long tailors' bills, and be was given to
staying IN town sometimes lor week aI
sin. after all, what could be expected of
ahiqh-Snirited young fellow who had re-
VrQ & tTSt-rate eGQcallOu, anu " dS AACLp-
fore untitled for any serious walk. IN ilie;
vto was good-looking, who dressed wei,
uho found life at stately Dunn Dunn Hall q
tile mOnOtonouS at times, ana who hRd
raDdsome annual allowance at his disposal.
Iut in the eyes Of the colonel all these lit
tie peeuiarities were heinOus crimes, and
he poor old gentleman, IS he pondered IN
= solitude Of what he called his study,
ssy very clearly that unless the young man
81 s settled in life with well-bIed, we'll
raanected girl, he would infallibiy follow.
at headlOng pace, that broad ROAD Whlch
ieads 10 destruction.
Often alone at DUN Dunn Hall, deprived
If the society Of his SOB, and not caring very
especially for that society when offered, X
Wes hardly TO be wondered at that the colonel
yelrned for suitable partner IN ms exile.
The memory of the departed Mrs. Chop
leigh could hardly be said TO be yet green,
for she had Succumbed to an aggravated at
tack Of jungle fever some 20 yeals before
wien Augustus junior was but a StriDllng
ia short dresses and bare legs. 1t might be
said that the remedy was easy. Why didn't
The colonel take unto himself second Mrs.
Chopleigh? There were plenty OF eligibls
spinsters who would have jumped at an
0fer from such fresh-faced. active, wealthy
gentleman. who was little beyond the prime
OF life.
There was, however, an almost invincible
obstacle 10 the cOl0nePs marrying again.
Unlike most military men be was painfully
shy. Perhaps remembTances OF the de-
parted Mrs. ChOpleigh, who was known as
the DUN Dunn Tartar. had driven out the
youthful assurance which had won her; at
any rate the tiutter Of petucoat awakened
feelings within the gallant cUlOnePS breast
which were not TO be stirred by horde OF
yelling. mutinous Sepoys or by the stiffest
bullfnch in the country. He had loved ar
distance a score of times, but he had never
placed himself within speaking reach Of the
various objects of his affections
Suddenly matters took different turn.
a young lady of strikingly prepossessing
ppearanee-MiliceDt VanjOhn, only
daughter Of the Rev. AlOysius VanjOhn, the
gicar-had been espied by the colonel
proceeding up the lane which ran parallel
Eth his grounds as he paced along his
faYorte shrubbeTy walk. Being on his own
property had inspired him with courage.
he had gazed at her and she had blushed
AID looked down. He hurried into the
house and shut himself up in his study.
Il am 55. he said TO himself. Il am
well. l am gOod-lOoking; my walstcoat is of
decent girth; have good complexion and
man is only as old as lie feels. Why
shouldn't /? / may be called an cid fool.
Well, there are plenty Of even older fools in
The world. I-well will!'
Miss Vanjohn was walking at the identi-
cal hour the next day and the next day
after that. and so on for more than a week,
and each day the same little comedy was
played-sheep' 's-eyes on the part of the
colonel, bushes and looking down on the
part Of Miss Mllicent NanjOhn.
Did Miss Vanjohn walk UP that lane so
regularly with fixed purposeP Why, of
course she did.
Punctually at o'clock every afternoon
hir. Augustus Chopleigh junior met her at
tie top Of IT, 1t was rather an odd thing to
do-the daughter of a well-kuown parson
meeting clandestinely the son of an equally
well-known colonel. The following con-
yersatiUn will explain 1t.
"Oh. Gusl l begin to feel 80 awfully
guilty, meeting you like thisl Why can't
we love each other openly? There's moth
trg to be ashamed OF IN It.
For more than one reason. my darling
IFe bad reputation down here; all fel-
lows in country places have who go up to
town, belong to club. drive down to As
cot, take medicinal b. and SIS and so on. If
ycur father were to know he'd rush off to
nine and tell him / wasn't a fit aspirant
for the hand of his daughter"
us your father such terrible old gentle
man. then? What is lie like? l have never
seen him."
"No, don't suppose you have. He fights
shy of anything with petticoat on it. I've
known him to cut good run short because
there were ladies alone with him in the
same field, and he was afraid that in case of
accident he'd have to assist them. He's a
TALL old fellow, with fresh complexion and
gray musiache, and always wears shep-
8 herds plaid trousers. summer and winter.
Why, what's the matter?"
'Oh. dear! Oh, dearl Don't ge on, Gus,
please don't, or L shall die of laughterw
why. what Is there TO laugh at. Milli-
cent? BY Jove, ii you saw him in temper
you would not laugh"
Why. my dear Gus, he's-he's in love
with mel
"The old boy-my father-in love with
you'll Nonsense, my dear, nonsense, | say !
Why, he's more afraid of a girl than of an
sarIlQuaE6 or hOa
thing. What upon earth makes you imagine
tlat he is IN love with you, Millie?"
why, every day when / come along here
~ is walking in the garden. I've always
supposed him TO be the steward or some
one And he makes such eyes at mel On.
you'd laugh If you could see him. try
moi TO, but know blush and look awfully
silly"
''By Jove. Mile, tie 90 laughing matter
iovev
That evening Mr.. Gus appeared at home
at as unusually early hoar.
=. Wei" was the gT ting of his parent
you are not here so precious early with
tnss goooy-goody face for nothing, Pm
sure, You young seampl When you turn
up punctually TO dinner / know you want
some thing out Of % : But mind, not an
other haifpenny de sou get. Eve already
advanced your quarters allowance. and il
you've been squandsrlng it on actresses and
race meetings, ana unlimited loo and din
ners at Bristol | won. help you. And not
only that. sir. but am going to put stop
TO ii. Once for all-and Augustus Chop
leigh is man of his world don't care if
Stulty or Golding or Moses or any OF them
come down and dun you at this very door.
not rupee do you get out of me-"
What deuce of hurry you're In, father.
i don't want money from you," said the
young man.
"Well. what the dickens is II then pp
asked the old gentleman, seeing that his son
looked confused.
"Why-well. Pm in love; that's ALL" re-
piled Gus. And Fun going to be married
TO the best girl in England perfect lady,
we'll bred, well connected. and"
The effect of this speech upon the old
colonel was electrical. he jumped up from