Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-03-16

@H SUMNIERafternoon
h drowsed lazily over
~ ! the world. A breeze
" came family up
@s from the south and
8 WA q drifted through the
TS% ,lEE,ME window and rustled
SlkfrVS VIM the papers on Bar
WIS SIX NS%NE4a clay's desk. Then it
NJWN[ Ky died away in an ex,
NME0.X.A - cess of languor.
- Barclay was deep
in the intricacies of will case. The
boys said if he had come into the
world and not found some kind OF II
law case ready for him toplunge into,
and poky one at that, he would i'm
mediately have left it in disgust
They also held, with that intolerance
of dulness that is characteristic of
brilliant youth, that it would have
been no special disadvantage if he had.
eff Unjust have been born an oyster"
said Lance, 81 should prefer to be of
the edible variety, that | might get
ria Of myself in some way, were 1t
only by being eaten"
/ Elsie Fame came in to see Mr.. Clegg,
/ He was an old friend of her father,
and she was privileged to come when
ever she liked. Now that the Mesa
land case was on she found it agree
able to come with some frequency.
Should the Mesa case be lost Will
Arden would have to begin the world
again with no more money in his
pocket and far less hope i'll his heart
than when he started out ten years
ago to make his fortune. Then Elsie
would 60 on dancing at charity balls
and seaside hops with partners she
hated until she had grown too old to
dance even at Mrs. Frump's poky "at
homes" and then she would settle
down as a spinster aunt and devote the
rest of her life to hearing her brother S
children say the multiplication table
and giving them cruel when they were
i'll. She wondered if she would ever
learn to administer cruel otherwise
than externally. The last time she
had experimental with her youngest
sister that small rebel had signitied
her preference for clear water for
bathing purposes.
Sometimes in her moments of most
concentrated woe she fancied some
thing yet worse. She might marry
Mr.. Grumple. Mr.. Grumple wore a
wig and had rheumatism when il
rained 1t rained quite often. Mr..
Grumple could not waltz even when
he had notrheumatism. How diyinely
Will waltzed! The children might
grow out of the cruel and multiplied.
tion-table stage, but Mr.. Grumple
would never grow out OF rheumatism
and wigs.
When she came in the clerks rose
and bowed with what was intended
for exceeding grace, and each was glaC
that he did not shipper as absurdly a
his neighbor.
Barclay looked up. She smiled wher
she saw him and disappeared beyond
the inner door which concealed tina
vast repository OF legal lore, CleSg
from profane view. Smiled on Bar.
clay Was there ever anything so pre-
posterous?
The summer day drowsed on until !
fell fast asleep. Barclay folded hi
papers IN his methodical way and pu
them into the fileholder. Lance sait
if the building should catch fire Bar
clay would not approach the door I'm
til the papers had been folded in theil
usual creases and put away, earliest
date on top, and fastened up. Ther
he locked the door and went away
Lance had speculated upon the posi-
bilty of Clegg's ever being opened OF
closed again if Barclay should happe,
to die. Any one watching him-onl
that no one ever did watch him wha
would have been the use, when Their
were so many more interesting people
in the world to look after?-woul'
have thought what a plodding fello,
he was. Why was he so devoid C
that electric energy which is the onl
thing that can transform existenc
into life?
He turned off the main street int
a wide avenue bordered with maple
and rang the bell of handsome ston
, house. When the door opened h
entered and passed through hal
!, which led to spacious library pan
elled in oak and filled with that mag
, netic charm which only the presenc
of books can give.
Elsie Fame came out from cui
tanned window where she had bee
roaming.
81 am glad you have come" sh
said.
: He looked at her, thinking how lib
n lily OF the valley she was. She ha
once given him cluster of the littl
white bells, fastening it to his but
tonhole, laughing at the idea of h
wearing flower.
He had worn it TO the office wher
upon, after the first moment of petr
faction consequent upon such an al
partition, Lance had rushed out an
secured the largest snnhower IL
\. market afforded and fastened it to h
5 coat, where it shono like mammot
B., gold dinner plate. Hal had adorne
himself with a cluster of hollyhocks
unexampled magnificence.
:. "But you are never glad, so l ca
:. not expect you to be glad to see IN
:. Sit here where the wind comes IN fre'
and cool. You must get awfully tir'
in that poky old Office"
- 81 am a poky fellow; don't mil
D it."
J, = "But you ought not to be pok
4 Mr.. Clegg told papa You know mo
er about law than he does"
R "But law is a poky subject"
e. Papa said it was You who won t
= Molcford forgery case. :"
A. ar only did tho nlnS1 dino