The times., 1898-05-15
THE BROPHY INCIDENT.

As most people will remember, Sena-
tor Stuart's political death occurred
in 81. After that bitter fight with Me-
Greedy, the broken old man, half-stun-
ned and half -frenzfed, retired TO his
country house at River Manor. There
for nearly two years he Gid nothing:
then in 90 lie conceived the idea of
writing his "reminiscences. Htaa
The work progressed with surprising
rapidfty. His memory, which covered
| three-quarters of century, rarely fail
ed him, and in four months he had fin
ished his "reminiscences up 60 the Me-
Greedy episode. There he halted. The
record OF his long life was one of series
| of triumphs, or Of defeats that were
more honorable than successes. The
McCreedy episode, however. was so
humiliating in its every aspect that it
seemed that the old senator could not
bring himself to tell the story. Yet it
was necessary, as there was no one
but himself who could vindcate his
honor. If there was TO be an explana-
ton, he must make it. Still the bare
mention of 80 and 81 made him vince,
and every time he spoke of the name of
McCreedy he would sink into a state of
profound melancholy.
It's warm today, Wainwright" he
would say TO his secretary; IN work
tonight"
Then at night he would say: 4 can't
work tonight; tomorrow morning l
shall feel more like it,"
This went on for fortnight, and
| the "reminiscences consequently re-
/ mained stationary at this point.
In 1881 l became the candidate of
my party against McCreedy. fhis
spelled monotony for the young secre-
tary and melancholy for the o.d man,
but there the matter stood
One hot Summer day young VAIN
wright sat in the library at River Man
or reading Treasure Island" Sena-
tor Stuart, sitting in Il deep leather
chair, was turning over q file OF news
papers which had lied about MIN in 81
with skill and pertinacity. His express
! sion was that of man on the rack.
The butler came in with a card.
It's Mr. Nichols" said the sena-
tor, glancing at the card; hes prob
ably come TO ask for something for
those boys. l can't imagine what's left
TO ask for; he's run the gamut from
blankets to ice cream. l wish you
/ would see him, Wainwright.
The Rev. Peter Nichols was the rec
| tor of the Manor Dale Church. Fate
had intended him for a Ronan-nosed
martyr, and then, changing her plans,
had playfuIIy tossed him into the we'll
| fed Well-groomed community that
spread itself up hill and down dale
around Manor Dale for six months of
the year The community built and
supported q bejewelled little church,
and il built and furnished a graystone
rectory, in which was installed the
Rev. Peter among down pillows, We
netan glass, F1orentine frames, and
Persian rugs. He endured it nCbly,
with only an occasional sigh for the
deal table and straight backed chairs
which he had once looked for in a par
ish where the children were hungry
and the men and women in need of re-
form and periodically out of work
The Rev. Peter was not man, how
ever, TO submit long to easy cOndi-
tons; having no poor" of his own, he
conceived the idea of importing some.
Accordingly, that Summer twenty rag
ged boys We're cheerfuIly furnished
him by q Fresh-Air Society in New
York These boys the rector placed
triumphantIy into small farmhouse
in charge of two young athletes whom
he snatched red-handed from the Man
or Dale golf links. The guests were
not allowed 10 languish without COM
forts that might be had for the ask
ing, and the rectOr's parish calls that
Summer had some object, other than
a mere aimless conformity TO social
conventions
The favor which he asked of Senator
Stuart that afternoon was his psrmis-
sion to allow the boys to spend the fol-
lowing day at the little lake in the
River Manor grounds. When this per-
mission was granted, through Vain
wright, the rector asked about the
health of the old statesman. VAIN
wright told him of the hopelessly de-
pressed condition into which the old
man had sunk.
He ought to have change of inter-
ests,'' said the rector promptly. Per
suade him to drive over 10 the lake
tomorrow TO see the boys enjoying his
hospitality"
Senator Stuart shook his head gloom
lily when Wainwright later suggested
this TO him. No, no, tomorrow l shall
be too busy" said he. L have planned
to get up early, and work steadily un-
; til midnight. 1 shall have no time to
go driving about the country"
The next afternoon, though, he
changed his mind. He had spent an
unusually trying day, and was still at
i that fatal sentence:
In 1881. | became the candlQate OF
my party, against Me Greedy" His
| bored secretary was vastly relieved to
hear him say, shortly after 4 o'clock:
, Wainwright, I think I'll go for a
, little drive. Won't you go with me?
: shall collect my ideas cut of DOORS
and this evening 1 may be able to dc
some work
Accordingly, the started. The sena-
tors taste in horses was faultless, but
| little can be said for his taste in equip
ages. He had, to be sure, in his coach
house a smart trap and a decent little
: road wagon, but these We're only fol
| the use Cf his guests. He himself al
| ways drove out in an ancient wheeled
: contrivance, the single seat of which
rose a sheer ten feet from the ground
| | The effect of this ancient phenomenon
e drawn by a dashing, highs stepping
I thoroughbred, was generally paralyz.
| had been seen to shy and cavort like
: young colts if it presented itself un.
1 | eXpectedly. The mere sight Of it roll
e ing along the road was once known tC
: transfiX with motionless anna cement
afar to show their skill on the Manor
| Dale links.
AS the old senator drove along ovel
I the hard, shady road that afternoon
ne talked for the first time frankly t.
his secretary about his mental de
preston.
: Il haven't slept for three nights run.
| ming Wainwright" said he Il seen
! to be going through that whole cam
: paign again. Strange how every ont
| tIfrDpd against then wasn't it2 JJ