Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-16
"Quite, on my honor.

DICK.
That was only yesterday; il seems
twenty years ago. Poor Robetlon-
he knew little. | DO not think / was
to blame. / acted Loyalty enough 10y
him. 1t was like this. you see. Ro-
bethon and l We're pretty close friends.
l spent much of my time at my clubs,
and at one OF other of them | was
always coming across Rohcthou. The
taste for chess was mutual, and was
the grouni for cur first acquaintance,
We were about the same age, heading
fast for fifty; he was short and stout,
l was long and lean. / had been all
over the world, while he had never
been outside OF England; sometimes 1
fancied be had never been outside OF
LCUdon. If he had he was careful to
conceal the fact. We were both bache-
lorS; his chambers were close TO St.
James street, mine TO Piccadilly; we
never visited each other, though. lie
was partner Ia a well-known firm of
bankers, but had not entered their
place of business for twenty years.
He had read q world beyond me and
was a gentle, sympathetic, cleau-souled
gentleman.
| wish could say as much t%ruthfully
of myself: no false modcSty should
keep me from writing it down. Stin
Robethon cared for me and I am deuced
sure 1 cared for him. His reticencc
was characteristic of the man, il was
like a suit of steel armor covering
him from head to foot. Sometimes I
think it was, Fundamentally, shyness-
not Of the ordinary kind, of which there
was not a trace about him, but deep
spiritual shyneSS. On the other hand,
1t might have been due to an austere
selectness of spirit, a sensitive, deli
cate pride Of soul. The clubmen held
him in great esteem, in a manner were
proud of him, considered him an au-
thority on disputed points of honor and
the like and accepted his Judgment
with d%ocility and reverence.
One day | met a lady on Pail Mall,
tail, straight as a lart and with a face
that fell on me like a vision. / turned
and watched her and while so doing
she suddenly halted, turned around
and came toward me. l stood still.
In passing she gave me a m~omentarily
glance. Ala, she was very lovely!
A month or six weeks later there
was a reception at a certain foreign
embassy and | happened to be present.
1t was not my kind Of thing at all,
but l CHANGED to be an old acquaintance
Of the ambassador in question. There
was a big crowd and dancing was in
fun swing. Passing by the ballroom,
/ stood for a moment TO watch the
dancers. The first thing / saw was
the lady of Pan Nan, g%loriously array
ed, waltzing with u German.
Who is shef' ] asked of a man |
knew.
(Which one? Oh, that divine sym
phony Of color there, eh: That is Mrs.
Trenchard."
And who is Mrs. T|renchard?'
lie shook Ills head. shes a widow;
that's all l know. She is in the swim;
wonder you haven't met her before.
/ have, half a dozen times; but / live
up to my principles, of which the first
is-rhou shalt not do-anything in this
widOw-line.''
| left him grinning; l could have
kicked him without any reEorse. From
another man | CLEANED that Trenehard
had been in the Indian political service
and had died suddenly, In certain
lines men are dolts and women are
creatures Of genius. A woman there,
n dear old i@oWager, told me in five
people were all dead, she was a lady
by birth ana breeding, She had none
too much money, she was very popular
ana very correct, and-would ] like
an Introduction? Five minutes later
! made my first bow 20 the divine
symphony. She was ]gloriously gener-
Gus. gave herself TO me for ten whole
minutes, and when / withdrew She
murmured, with "a graciousness that
seemed regal, perhaps we shall meet
We did meet, again and again. Our
acquaintance ripcncd into friendship :
and finally into very close intimacy. /
saw her at least once every week.
This went on for three or four years.
Between me ard Robeth0n She was a
forbidden subject. / knew it would
only pain him. For the same reason
I never once mentioned Robethon's
name to her.