Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-12-02
TOO YOUNG TO MARRY

Johnnie Madison dwelt In Norman's
inn when he first came to London lie
was the only son Of his mother, and
she was canon's widow. 1t was at
her desire that he set up his household
goods under the time-worn gables of
Norman's inn; for there also dwelt
kinsman of the late canon's, Arkwright
by name, who was always alluded to in
the family as "a steady, plodding young
man." and was supposed to live amid a
picturesque litter of briefs and books;
and the canon's widow hoped he might
exercise mildly restraining influence
over Johnnie, being nearly twice his
age.
Now the steady, plodding young man
looked forward to his arrival without
enthusiasm. He remembered Johnnie
as very inky schoolboy of phenomenal
lung power and unprepossessing APP
pearance, and felt assured that by now
he should have developed into a rakish
young man with a taste for small dogs
and large neckties, and greatly given
to entertaining noisy company; we'll
knowing that the chastened atmos-
phere of cathedral town does not nee
essarily induce an affection for quiet
living in the youthful breast.
Johnnie, however, proved to be a
-colored, amiable youth of %,
more plentifully endowed with muscle
than with brain power, and with no ap-
parent 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
nor drank, nor gave his mind too en-
tirely to the lightly clad allurements of
light opera. On the contrary, he read
with industry as though already coyet-
Gus of the woolsack, he danced and
dined assiduously at houses of ire
proachable responsibility; and, In Ark
wrights company, 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 Johnnies
affairs of the heart became at last
alarmingly numerous. Not that he
aimed at playing the part of Don
Juan; but, being of highly inflammable
material. his heart was successfully
ignited by 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 rapturous occa-
sion to him. and Mrs. Leverson's niece
Audrey entirely dispossessed all other
idols, from that date, of the pedestal
upon which Johnnie had successfully
placed them.
OF Mrs. Leyerson herself her enemies
said that she had been pretty; elderly
gentlemen had been known to call her
q fine woman, while young ones thought
her not halfbad fun" She possessed
an abundance of obviously dyed hair.
somewhat elusive manner and 20
faultless taste in, dress;: The LATE Ia
mented Captain.Leyerson had INDUCED
Il taste for. speculation, with disastrous
results, and hence the few people who
remembered hat were surprised to find
the widow when she returned from n
long absence abroad so comfortably in
stalled as she was in her house at Chel-
sea.
johnnie she seemed to hold in high
favor. He was allowed to take her and
her niece through the polite mobs of
the picture galleries. he never failed to