The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-03-20

Bottoms" South Kensington-gen-
orally known as 1.-THE Boltons-was,
in the year of grace 1860, one Of the
fashionable localities of London. The
Maclanes, DESTROYS of mixing with
fashionable society in London, had
chosen a house in 1.-THE Bottoms" for
their habitation.
Both George and David Maclane
were suffering from what, in later
day Americanism, Is generally term
cd ''swelled head. And, although
they could not divest themselves of
the traces Of their Western origin, any
more than the leopard can change his
spots, both uncle and nephew strove
hard to ape London fashion and fash
ionables.
1t must be admitted that London
fashions and fashionables put them
selves out of the way to give great
deal OF encouragement to the Machines.
London fashions and fashionables re-
Iuired yearly renewal of the supply
of lions to their social menagerie.
Now, real, big lions were scarce, and
often very shy: therefore. London
fashions and fashionables had some
times to content themselves with
wretched, starveling semlSance of the
noble beast, and. as long ana pretense
was furnished by lions skin and
name. London fashion and fashiona-
bles were often compelled to ignore
that an ASS body was covered by
yellow hide. 1t must be confessed that
London fashion and fashionables over
looked the defects Of their once-caught
lions with ready alacrity, and in the
most amiable way threw dust in their
own eyes by discovering all sorts of
virtues to which their newly-caught
beast could lay but little claim, and by
accepting. upon the merest hearsay. MS
gospel truth and by heralding to the
world with trumpet blasts every bab-
bled statement that could possibly
bring it credit.
In the case Of the Maclanes, the Lon
don fashion and fashionables showed
some portion of reason in their mad
ness. through the fact that both the
AIaclanes were marriageable and were
wealthy. Now. lion in fashion is a
desirable beast. A wealthy lion be-
comes dream Of loveliness. But a
manageable wealthy lion-ye gods
and little fishes. where shall I find
adjcctives and adverbs sufficiently to
portray the estimation in which he is
held by Tyburnia, Belg"avia and May
fair?
1t was but natural that, in the midst
of all this. the Maclanes should be
spoiled, IL the comparative humanizing
of two men creatures can be termed
deterioration.
If any of the traders Mt the frontier
stations could have come across the
Nfaclanes in their London garb they
would have rolled all over the floor in
fits of laughter. Both George and
David initiated the London dandy.
David was wagfng continual warfare
upon refractory eye-glass that would
not fulfill the purpose for which it
was bought. and stick in its owners
eye. The tightly-fittin frock coats Of
the mid-Victorian period proved sad
instruments of torture to the two
Westerpcrs. who had been accustomed
to wearing the loosely-fitting garments
of the pr:liries. Both Of them sportcd
tasselletl canes. and both of them had
made Observation-Disclosures to be sad
failures-to mix their Rocky Mountain
twang with the "haw. haw,' which Mt
that time was fashionable in Pail
Mall. London society has accepted the
Machines as lions upon the mere exhi-
bition of their bankers pass books.
and upon the publication Of their cata-
lOsue Of virtues by society papers, like
"Albert Gate" Society journalism in
those days had none of the stings of
Its more modern and more vigorous
namesake. 1t was gO0d-na tured. kind
ly and strictly laudatory. It's purpose
was to extol the virtues of English 60
ciety. and to make English society
feel happy all round. Society journal
ism discovered all sorts of virtues for
the Maclanes, and, as no harm was
done thereby to anybody, the result
appeared eminently satisfactory to all.
Many and various had been the as
saults by maidens and matrOns upon
the single blessedness of George and
David Maclane. High-born ladies We'd
with one another to draw the lions in
to the nets they were spreading for
item. AS We have seen, no less a
person than the only daughter of the
Marquis Of Glendale consented to link
her name to that of the young Ameri-
can, and all went swimmingly for
poor Dick Ashland's assassins until
they were frightened nearly out of
their senses by their sudden meeting
with Lord Cleve.
a guilty conscience had dealt lightly
by the two wrctches. AS matter of
fact, they had both used the pistol and
the knife so frequently that the killing
of one man more or less made but lit
tie difference to them. No ghosts of
murdered Banquos troubled their
feasts. No CHASTITY apparition of
Dick Ashland with the bloody streak
of cut throat disturbed their slum-
bers. Beast-like, they were amenable
only to fear, and the only fear to
which they were amenable was the
fear Of detection.
Even that dread had long ago van
ished. They were perfectly cognizant
of the fact that Herbert had lost all
traces Of memory, and that the first
shock of the meeting with their victim
being past, they became quickly reas-
surcd, and, in the privacy Of their own
home. laughed at themselves for thus
allowing themselves to be frightened
by harmless DOGGY.
Shortly after that they learned, not
I without trenidatiOn that Tncv yvaa in