The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-03-19
CHAPTER VIII.

h
Bottoms" South KenSington-gen-
! orally known as The BoltOns-was.
in the year of grace 1860, one of the
fashionable localities of London. The
MaClancs, DESTROYS of mixing with
fashionable society in London. had
chosen Il house in The Bottoms" for
their Eabitati0n.
Both George and David Mdclane
were suffering from what, in later
day ~4mericanism, is generally term
ed "SWelled head And, although
Trey could 70 diyest themselves of
II - traces Of their Western origin, any
- than the leopard can change his
81 u,S, both uncle aud nephew strovc
hard to ape London fashion and fash
iOnableS.
1t must be admitted that London
fashions and fashionableS put them
selves out Of tho way to give 4 great
deal of encouragement to the MaciGn"S.
LoudCn fashions and faShiouabiCS re-
CURED a yearly renewal Of the supply
OF lions to their social mcna-erin.
Now, real, big lions were scarce, ana
often very SHY: therefore. London
fashions ana fasliuuabl"S had some
tines - content themselves with a
Ni''' l'''. NAttN tlltlG St't!lDilIith o. iiP
noble least. and, rs long as q pretelSn
WIS furnished by Il lions skin ana
mare. ioudon fashion and faShioua-
be we're often compelled to igmnrr
that =" :aS'S body was covered by a
yellow hide. 1t must ~ confessed that
ICndrn fashion AMI ~fashionables over
locked tie defects IF Jhcir Oncc-caught
liCrS with ready lIaCrity. and in the
TrSt Nmiahl" way threw dust in their
CWn eyes by discovering ali SUrtS Of
Virtues to which their ur~wly-cnUght
beast could lay but little claim. ana by
accepting. upon the m"rgSt hcarSay, rs
GOSPEL truth and by hcrailing 10 the
world with trumpet blasts every bah
hlcd statement that could possibly
bring il credit.
In the ease of the N3"lancr, the Lon
don fashion and f~1Shi0nablpS showed
some portion CT reason in their mad
ness, through the fact that both the
NaClanes were mIrringcable and were
wealthy. Now. Il lion in fashion is a
desirable beast. 4 wealthy lion be-
M Il dream IT lovclinrSS. But Il
marriagcah!e wealthy lion-yc gods
and little fishes. where shall ! find
adic'tiveS and advrrbS sufficiently to
portray the estimation in which h" is
held 10y Tyburnia, Bclg"Avia ard May
fair
II wa% hut natural that, in the midSt
Of MI this. the Machines should H."
spoiled. if the comparative humanizing
OF two men creatures can u" termed
deterioration.
II any Of the traders ut the frontier
stations could have com" across the
Machines in their London gurit they
would have rolled all over the floor in
fits of laughter. Both George and
David initiated the IOndOn dandy.
David waS waging continual warfare
upon Il refractory eye-giaSs that would
not fulfill the purpose for which il
was bought, and stick in it's owners
eye. The ti%htly-ftting frOck coats Of
the Victorian period proved sad
Instruments Cf torture tO the two
WCstcrrorS, who had been accustomed
to wearing the lUuSelY-iitting garments
of the prairi"S. Both Of them spOrtcl
tassellcd canes ami both Of them had
made edvUrS-deStiEpd To be sad
failures" mix their Rocky Mountain
twang with the ''haw. haW,' which ut
that time was fashionable in Pail
Mall. London society has accepted the
MaclaneS aS lions upon the mere cNiii-
bitiOn of their bankers pass books.
and upon the publication Of their cata-
lOgEe 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. II was ~GCud-naturCd, kind
ly and strictly iaudatOry. Its purpose
was to eXtOl the virtues Of English So
ciCty. 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 blessedncSS of George and
David Maclane. High-bOrn ladies' We'd
with n another to draw the lions in
to the nets they were. spreading for
them. 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 wretches. As \ matter Of