Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-11-05

81 cannot say ever thought of it in
the way you see il" he answered, 'but
/ am very glad and proud that you find
so much poetry in my poor effort.
''Poetryi Oh, no. / am not at all
poetical, she said quickly and almost
shamefacedly. 81 used to be rather fond
of reading Keats and Byron, but l never
do that now. Ny husband does not like
it,
'Indeedp' murmured Fame vaguely,
wishing he could make picture Of her
as she stood before him in her little
white gown, with picturesque, broad
brimmed hat resting ON the sunny curls
Of her abundant hair.
"No," she went on ccnfdingly, che
thinks it such nonsense. You see, he is
a very clever man and very scientific.
He reads all the heavy magazines and
thinks it Is very silly to waste time on
studying verse when one can have so
much prose.
''Yes. there certainly is o good deal
of prose about" said Fame.
At that moment a shadow crossed the
sunlight in which they stood, and Mr..
Allingham suddenly made his appear
ance.
"Why, Harold" exclaimed his wife,
springing toward him, II thought you
had gone into the town"
81 have been into the town." he re-
piled frigidly, "but I returned a few
minutes ago. Perhaps you are not aware
it is nearly our lunch hour" Then,
with standoflsh yet would be patron
iZing air, addressing himself to Fame,
"You are an artist, sir?"
81 do little in that way" replied
the young man modestly. "Mrs. Alling-
ham happened to pass by while 1 was
at work, and she has been kind enough
to look at my sketch. -
"Ah, yes-er-yes Very good in
Decd" murmured Mr.. Allingham,
scarcely glancing at the picture as he
spoke. "Rose, it is time we went in.
You are staying at our hotel, are you
not, Mr.-er-Mr. -
'Fane," said that gentleman mildly
''Fane, oh, ah-yes. l think I have
heard of you in London. You have ex-
hibited, have you not?"
Frequently
''Oh, yes, er--I remember. Charmed
charmed to meet you. Are you COM
ing our way now?"
'No," said Fame, rather brusquely,
II must finish my work.
And he raised his hat courteously as
husband and wife in their turn salut-
ed him and walked away together. He
looked after them for some minutes,
noting with on artists eye the swaying
youthful grace Of the woman's dainty
figure and the stiff, uncompromising
squareness Of the mans.
iii matched in every way" he
said to himself. "She is too young,
and he is too-conceited.
That same evening he was somewhat
surprised when Mr.. Allingham came up to
him with almost an air of cordiality and
invited him to take coffee and smoke
afterward in that private part of the
Gutsch veranda which had been spe-
cially partitioned off for the sole use
and benefit of the newly welded pair.
He went, and was shyly welcomed by
Mrs. Allingham, who looked more like
a small lost angel than ever, attired in
lcose tea gown of silky white, adorned
with old lace, and sleeves of delicate
chiffon. She sat a little apart, looking
out through the creepers which festooned
the veranda at the full moon sailing
slowly through white clouds over the
heights of Sonnenberg.
Mrs. Allingham does not object to
smoker said Fame courteously before
lighting his cigar. She turned her head,
surprised. Her husband laughed.
''Well, I never asked her," he said.
"Rose, do you hear? Do you object to
smoker"
"Object? I? Oh, no." she faltered.
"Not at all. "
Her husband laughed again and passed
the liquors to his guest, who, however,
helped himself very sparingly. Alling-
ham drank off some cognac and began
to talk, and presently brought round the
conversation to the subject of his place
in Norfolk-Dunscombe Hall.
81 have been looking" he said, with
pompous air, ''for a competent person
to make sketches of the place. Now, ]
believe, if l am not mistaken, that you
are on the staff Of one of the pictorials?'
Fame admitted the fact.
'Then you would be the very man
for me. I should not at all mind giving
you the job if you would care to under
take it.
1t was On the tip of Fane's tongue to
say that he would see him - first, for
the mans tone was SO bumptious and
patronizing as to be distinctly offensive.
But, glancing at the delicate profile of
the girl who leaned out among the
clambering vines, looking at the solemn
beauty of the night, he restrained him
self by an effort.
"If my engagements will allow me
to accept any extra WORK, shall not
object" he answered stif1y, "but I
should have to communicate with my
editor first. -
"Oh, certainly, certainly" said Mr..
Allingham complacently. "Only, if you
do it at all, you must do it in October.
IF you can't arrange that, I must get
somebody else. Dunscombe Hall is a
very fine subject for an artists pencil.
1t used to be monastery, and there are
still some ruins of the old cloisters in
the grounds. And $here is snowy bit
of sketching always at hand in the
haunted mere"
SIS it haunted?"
"Well, they say so" replied Alling-
ham, lighting his cigar. "I've never
seen the ghost myself, but I am told
that whenever there is to be death in
the family lady appears in boat on
The water and beckons the departing
spirit. All nonsense, Of course. But !
rather like family ghost. -