Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-11-12

site her Fame watched her in compass
sionate silence.
If she had looked child before, she
seemed moro than ever one now. She
had grown so thin and pale and fragile
that it seemed as if the merest puff Of
wind would blow her out of existence
altogether Her little hands, waxen
white and delicate, were scarcely equal
to the task of lifting the teapot to pour
out the tea, but as she busted herself
with her hospitablc duties a faint color
came into her checks and her eyes
sparkled more brightly.
"Isn't this q huge room?" she said
as she passed Fame his cup. "It's meant
for hundreds Of people, you know-peo-
pie i'll powdered wigs and court suits. I
don't think it accommodates itself to
modern life at all. "
at is indeed enormous, " and Fame
glanced up and down and round about
him. "Tho ceiling appears to be fres-
coed"
"Oh, yes, il is wonderful. Quite hor.
rid, in rly opinion, but Mr.. Allingham
says it is marvellous Any number Of
fat goddessos and Cupids. You will see
it much better by daylight We have no
gas in this room, because it would spoil
the fresco. That is why it is always so
dark.
"To lightit up we should have to put
candles in all those four big Venetian
chandeliers, and each one of them holds
200 lights"
"No economy in candles there" said
Fame, laughing.
"No, indeed. But, of course, we nev-
er have occasion to light it up. Wenev-
er give parties. There are not enough
people in tho neighborhood to come to
them if we did. "
"How far are you from Sandring-
ham?' he inquired.
"Oh, long way. We ere just conven-
iently out Of the reach of everybody
worth knowing and everything that is
going on. :"
And she laughed trifle bitterly.
cit must be rather dull at times" he
said, studying her changed face atten-
lively. "You should get some friends to
come and stay with you. A jolly house
party"
"Oh, Mr.. Allingham would never
hear of such thing" she said quickly.
HE cannot bear to have number of
people about him. My mother came
down for u short time in September,
l,,L 1n tI,p
and gave her rheumatism. She went
back to London after about week, and
then fell ill"
"What was the matter with you"
he asked sympathetically.
She shrugged her shoulders
CAN sorts of things-fainting fits,
weakness, neutrality-suspicious. gen.
orally. Here is Harold" "
She broke off her conversation with
Fame directly her husband entered the
room and seemed to shrink into herself
like o sensitive plant too roughly ham
died Allingham himself was the same
as ever---irreproachab in dress, de-
meanor and what is understood by a
portion Of society as "gentlemanliness. !"
He greeted Fame with exactly the cor
rectly measured air of cordiality-name-
ly, that of the wealthy host and encour-
aging patron--and it was an air that
CALLED the young artists pride consider
ably, though he was careful for Mrs.
Allingham's peace and comfort to show
no offense. He certainly could not COM
plain of his entertainment. He had a
suit of rooms to himself and perfect
liberty of action; he breakfasted, lunch
ed and dined at table appointed with
the costliest luxuries; carriage was at
his disposal whenever he needed it, and
Mr.. Allingham had Furthermore given
him the choice of any horse in his sta
bles should he care for riding. He had
engaged to make two dozen sketches Of
Dunscombe Hall from all the different
points Of view, and when once he began
his work he became almost entirely en-
crossed in it.
The place was undoubtedly fine OBJ
ject for any artists study. Its archi-
lecture was well nigh perfect, and all
the surroundings were eminently pictur-
esque. though indubitably Of solitary
and melancholy character. He did not
see as much Of Mrs Allingham as he
could have wished. She was often all
ing, and though she invariably exerted
herself to appear at dinner there were
times when she was not equal even tc
the effort, and her husband, seated in
solitary state at his glittering board,
would make formal excuses for her ab
sence.
"My wife is very young" he would
explain ponderously, land is therefore
inclined to give way to any trifiing all
ment. The doctor assures me she is suf
fering merely from little want Of tone
and the autumnal air depresses her
There is nothing at all serious the mat
ter"
"She looks extremely ill. !" said FAM
impulsively.
6You think so?" And Mr.. Allinghan
smiled indulgently. II expect you ar
not accustomed to the ways Of women
They put their looks ON and off as easi
ly as their gowns. In her present nerv
ous condition Of health it quite depend
on Mrs Allingham's own humor as +
whether she looks we'll or i'll 1t ha
nothing whatever to do with any actu
ally real organic mischief.
Il Fame swallowed glass Of wine has
tily to keep down the angry remark tina
: rose to his lips, for the cold callousnes
J Of his host was almost more than b
{ could bear. Rejecting quickly. how
: ever, that 1t was not his business to In
: terfere and that the less he said the bel
| ter for Mrs. Allingham, he was silent.