Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-05-03
BY FLORENCE WARDEN.

'tOh. Cicely, you will never guess; IT'S
that old wretch. Uncle Joseph! And to
think that I've put on my newest frOck
for him! It's too horrible!"
She was tragic in her indignation.
Cicely burst into laughter.
well, Tn sure poor Algy and Leon.
ard had seen enough of that old cream
muslin. This will renew their artior."
She touched the folds Of soft white
silk in which Minna. looked. with a
great Indian muslin scarf arranged
about her shoulders, like little fairy.
I But the girl was inc0nsolable; she was
protesting that she would go and
change her frock, that she could not af-
ford to waste it on people she didn' t
care about, when the gentlemen came
in. $
Duke came first, looking flushed, ex-
cited, and as If scarcely master of him
self. But there was no relief in his
face; he seemed strung up to high
pitch of nervous anxiety. Algy Hurst
followed. plump and placidly self-satis-
fed, a little too much like very high
Unfinished fashion plate. perhaps, with
his glossy clothes. his silk Innings and
his white flower. but withal beautiful
+, to look upon. Then came Leonard Har-
vey, gaunt figure, on whom the cas-
| iest-fitting clothes would hang loosely.
And last of all, in shutfled the quaint
est figure that ever wore Wore evening
| dress. ~ t''
| Mr.. Joseph Radstock was evidently
overwhelmed by the honor of dining
with his prosperous nephew. To do
| justice to the occasion. he had appar-
| emily borrowed the waistcoat and trous
ers of city waiter. while the coat he
wore was evidently a cast-of one Of
Dukes and was great deal too short
| in the waist and sleeves. He was q
tall. lean man, with Il STOPPING, sham
bling figure and sOdden, mean face.
His manners were those of the most
offensive type of poor relation. alter
nately servile and familiar. Duke ac-
corded him half tilerant. half-insOlent
patronage. but the rest, with the eXcep-
zion of Cicely. ignored him as far as
they could RadstOck, who had a great
| deal more astuteness than any one
present gave him credit for. observed a
discreet sobriety in his enjoyment Of
the wines, though he gazed with loving
eyes on the decanters. In servile graft
tule, or the semblance of it, he echoed
all Dke's REMARKS but directed his con-
versation chiefly to Cicely. In whose
gentle courtesy he found 4 refuge from
the coldness of the rest.
But, although she listened to tne un-
welcome guest with patience, and an
swered him with kindness, Cicely was
absorbed all the time in watching her
husband, who, under the influence of
the wine, was growing more and more
excited, more reckless in manner, loud
or in tolk The young vile fingered at
the table, unwilling to lose sight OF him
and full Of vague uneasiness Leonard
Harvey noticed the anxious look on her
face, and ne and Algy became resolute-
" slow in emptying their glasses.
Why, you drink nothing. either Of
you" cried Duke, impatient at their
moderation ''Here, Raklstock, can't
you set them an example: Or have you
all an idea that there is something bet
ter in the cellar than anything l have
offered you?"
No, indeed, Mr. Berrington; moth
ing in any gentleman's cellar could be
better than what you have put before
us, I'm sure"
''There you're wrong. Uncle Joseph.
There's some wine in my cellar COM
pdlCu-O WAkCA- W AlI VIC SSDCSAA VA AIN
ing is us tenpenny claret to Chateau
Lafitte. You know he went on, turning
to Hurst, ''that I bought this house. just
as it stood, front the son. of wine-mer
chants who had built it out Of the pill
ferings of lifetime Well, the young
fool hadn't taken the trouble to go into
the details of his inhefitance, and I
have had the benefit Of his neglect. In
the cellar. the designing Of which had
evidently been labor Of love to the old
boy,I discovered, not long ago, a row Of
secret bins where the ex-wine merchant
must have buried his heart. 1t was tho
strangest find in the world. / was try
ing to poke into a rat-hole behind one
Of the bins. and came upon padlick
ed door. Quite exciting, ell: But moth
ing romantic inside; only bin after bin
of choice wine in small ROOM"
won't you let us have peep at your
mysterious chamber, Duke?' asked
Minna, who wanted to relieve Cicely's
anxiety by getting her husband away
from the table 1--WE are a little in
ciined to be sceptical about treasure
trove''
"Come along. then, all Of you. You
shall sample my discovery, and if I've
overrated it I give you leave to smash
every bottle.
He sprang up from his chair, found
the cellar-key after momentary forget
fitness where he had put it, and led the
way downstairs. The rest all followed.
The cellars Of Dial House, had evident
ly, as Duke said, been hobby Of the
builder. They extended under the
ground for some distance.
It was grewsome after the soft lights
and the scent Of flowers they had left
in the dining room. The spiders had
spun their webs from wall to wall in
the dark corners, and these, thickly
hung with dust, yelled the dark hooks
before which they were suspended, and
gave an uncanry suggestion Of there
being unexplored vaults and passages
behind. AS they approached the fur
ther extremity Of the range of cellars,
Duke, trying to turn up the last gas-jet
with unstead,. fingers, put out the light
altogether ,.1.
Never mind" he said, with bolster
GUS laugh, II can find my way in the
dirk" fn# fG@ rtslEa ~