Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-15
rlrs. Leverson's Niece.

under the time-WOrn gables OF Nor
mans inn; for there also dwelt a kins-
man of the late canon's, Arkwright by
name, who was always alluded to in
the family as "a steady, Flooding young
man," and was supposed to live amid
picturesque litter of briefs and books !;
and the canon's widow hoped he might
exercise a mildly restraining influence
over Johnnie, being nearly twice his
age
Now the steady, Flooding young man
looked forward to his arrival without
enthusiasm. He remembered Johnnie
as very inky schoolboy of phenomenal
lung power an unprepossessing appear
ance, and felt assured that by now he
should have developed into a raftish
young man with taste for small dogs
and large neckties, and greatly given
to entertaining noisy company; we'll
knowing that the chastened atmosphere
of a cathedral town does not necessarily
induce an affection for quiet living in
the youthful breast
Johnnie, however, proved to be a
fresh-colored, amiable youth of %, more
plentifully endowed with muscle than
with brain power, and with no apparent
tendency to come Immediately to grief
amid what ArkWright would have
called-he sometimes wrote for the
papers-the shoals and quicksands of
London life. He neither gambled or
drank, nor gave his mind too entirely
to the lightly clad allurements of light
opera. On the contrary, he read with
industry as though already cOvetous of
the woolsack, he danced and dined
assiduously at houses of irreprOachable
responsibility; and, in ArkWrights con-
pany, when he did not talk cricket he
talked shop.
Then by degrees, when returned from
nocturnal adventures, he began to favor
Arkwright with many condolences re-
garding his attitude toward various
members of the other sex; for Johnnie's
affairs of the heart became at last
alarmingly numerous. Not that he
aimed at playing the part of Don Juan
but, being of highly inf1ammable ma
terial, his heart was successfully
ignited by a pleasing variety of dam
sells
Fate brought him face to face with
the one and inevitable damsel at last,
however. Audrey st. Clair was dark
eyed girl of 20; Johnnie thought her
charmingly fresh and natural. Mrs.
LeversOn's ball was a rapturous occa-
sion to him, and Mrs Leverson's niece
Audrey entirely dispossessed all other
dol hot dot If no fol
upon which Johnnie had successfully
placed them.
Of Mrs. Leverson herself her enemies
said that she had been pretty; elderly
gentlemen had been known to call her
fine woman, while young ones thought
her mot half bad fun" She possessed
an abundance of obviously dyed hair, a
somewhat effusive manner and a fault
less taste in dress. The late lamented
Captain LevUrson had indulged taste
for speculation, with disastrous results
and hence the few people who remem-
bered her were surprised to find the
widow when she returned from a long
absence abroad so comfortably installed
as she was in her house at Chelsea.
Johnnie she seemed to hold in high
favor. He was a''owed to take her and
her niece through the polite mobs of the
picture galleries; he never failed to ap-
pear at her "at homes and he fire.
quently made one at her theater
parties. But although he thought Mrs.
Leverson 'aw'fly kind, and all that sort
of thing" she would have preferred to
see her niece subject to less worldly
influences than those brought to bear
upon her.
In accordance with the fitness of
things, he vaguely imagined she should
always be dressed in white, wandering
through sheltered rose gardens and in
dulging an amiable Solicitude for birds
and dogs and poor old cottagers-a viii
lage Lady Bountiful in short. And to
tell the truth the unconscious maiden
would infinitely have preferred a more
natural way of life, and her happiest
moments were spent ON her mare in
the park, where Johnnie, leaning
against the ratings watched her visit
fully. He could not afford horse.
He never told Arkwright anything
about this particular flame of his. 1t
was Tommy Blake who posted up the
plodding young man in his youthful
kinsman's affairs one afternoon at the
club. And both women seem dead
nuts ON your friend" he said incidental
ly. Pretty well off, l suppose?"
He's worth precisely twopence half
penny year." replied Arkwright, with
more figure of speech than he usually
permitted to himself
Tommy raised his eyebrows as high
as nature permitted and said it was un
common queer.
And there was a sort of Indian
prince-no end of nabob, I'm told
wanted to marry the girl, and Mrs
Leverson sent him to the right about
in double quick time. And she is moi
the sort to feel shy about bowling down
to the golden calf, either. Can't make
her out"
Perhaps she thinks her niece toe
young to marry yet" said the ploddine
young man. She may be acting mere
ly from proper regard for her happi
ness
"A proper regard for fiddlesticks,
said cynical Mr.. Blake
Arkwright was sitting up late one
night to finish an erudite paper upor
THE Ethics of Modern Drama" wher
Johnnie stole noiselessly into the room