The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-07

First Royal Gloucesters, aged twenty
pne-
Martin, the butler.
ACT. L. 4
SCENE.
Breakfast room in Lord Avenel's
country house. Butler discovered. He
arranges chairs, smooths the table
cloth, puts newspaper Mt the back OF
Lord Avenel's chair. Takes bundle of
letters from a tray on the sideDoard
and lays them before three chairs.
Butler. Here's the lot, and pretty
lot it is. Glad I'm not his lordship's
secretary. Answering all these let
ters every day would kill me in
week. Give me my pantry and the
silver and 1 ask no better lot. For
his lordship-one, two-(counts)-
twenty-four letters, with a parcel.
(Takes up small parcel tied with red
tape and sealed, looks at il, feels IL,
weighs it. presses it, Marked I'm
mediate" Looks like as il it had
paper inside of it. More reading
more writing. That pore young man,
the secretary. Some folks are great
ly to be pitied. Now my lady's LETT
ters. One. two-here's a scented one
something sweet from another lady
great ladies love each other a vast
deal more than my friends in the
servants hall. Here's a bridesmaids
bill. / take it. Her ladyship isn't in
q hurry TO pay her bills, but give
her time, give her time. What's the
use of being countess IL you can't
get time? One, two, (counts)
eleven letters, mostly invitations.
Pleasure is weary business. Give
me my pantry and my silver. Hullo!
Here's rummy startl The last let
ter for my lady is just exactly in the
same handwriting as the packet for
nv lordl Odd, amt 1t? Compares
them.) Great square hand-same
I SIS; same t's; same well, IL doesn't
matter to me. Here's the captains
Ietters--one-that's womans hand
writing. The captain has way with
him. Another letter-and another
and--dash my buttons! If this isn't
the rummiest go! Why--this let
ter Is written In the same handwrit-
ing as the other two. 1t must be
a hospital letter-or q church restor-
ing--or a permanent incapable-well
--well--Qays down letters before
heutenants chair).
enter Charlie Vernon.)
Vernon. Her ladyship down yet?
Dutler. Not yet sir. Your letters,
sir. (puts them on tray and hands
them. Lieut.. Vernon snatches the let
ter whose handwriting has aston
ished the butler. puts the rest In his
pocket and tears this one open and
/, reads hurriedly.)
Vernon. The dewitt
(Butler, with impassive face, goes on
smoothing table cloth, setting knives
Ind forks In proper places, pokcs fire.
vernon walks up and down the room
with vexhtion.)
(Butler walks round the table critic,
ally. Exit)
Nernon. (Reads the letter AGAIN.
''Eince you have given me no answer
to my first letter and none to my sec
4 ond. shall prove to you that / eau
bite as well as bark. have sent all
( the love letters that you have been
writing to Lady Avenel to his lord
ship. You will have an opportunity
of explaining things to him-I un-
derstand that you are his guest. This
will make the business all the pleas.
anter for YOU" This is pretty
= business. Why the devil didn't Isa-
bel destroy the confounded letters
when we broke IL off? This person Is
woman, clearly; an uneducated
woman where is Isabel? Why
doesn't she come down in proper time
for breakfast? Obi confound ths
thing! What am to say? There's
: NO date, know there's no date on
any of the letters. He will think
they were written yesterday
(Enter Lady Avenel.)
| Lady A. Good morning, Charlie. Have
you got any letters this morning
anything from Clarice?
Vernon. / haven't looked-yet. I've
had something else to think about
Lady A. What is the matter, my dear
boy? You look worried.
Vernon. am worried. Look here, lisa.
bel--you remember two years ago
when thought that you were in love
with me
Lady A. (coldly) Well? This is hard.
ly the place for these "reminiscences
is It?
Vernon. Yes-1- know--but-There
were letters-I wrote you-a lot OF
letters
Lady A. What about them? daresay
there were-I remember, now, that
there were.