The age-herald., 1898-02-27

I always believed Mrs. Tivvers to be a most estimable lady. She is transparently honest, her simplicity is chidlike, her lib- erality to those poorer than herself has been so persistent and so large that the category has constantly diminished ih di- rect proportion to the decrease of Mrs. Tivvers' own, once considerable, wealth.
 Nevertheless, Mrs. Tivvers is not as popular as she deserves to be. Through that self-same peculiarity which once caus- ed her to be esteemed among the most precious belongings of our. somewhat nar- row social circle, she became, not long after her arrival among us. object, not of avercal, 1t is true, but of- apprehension as well as pity The most skeptical could not pretend to controvert the genuiness of the exhibition that startled us all at Mrs. Alfred Landon's memorable after noon tea. When Mrs. Tivvers. herself. humbly apologizing. pleaded that she did not possess the common sense to handle her own extraordinary gift with safety, no one was disposed to question the state- ment. The incident was generally voted too painful for discussion in our circle And all were of one mind. that after this. one could never tell what poor Mrs. Tiv-
 
 s'that dreadful afternoon as it is still called poor Mrs. Tivvers ceased to be in request for purposes of mere amusement. How it happened is my story.
 The mother of the two ~Landons was French She had married an American and born two very creditable American sons, the elder of whom, Alfred, was the husband of our hostess that afternoon. But in spite of her more than twenty hap py years of married life in this country, and of the ten following years of peace full and dignified widowhood during which she had seen her sons grow and flourish like green bay trees in the valley of the Ohio, she remained progressively French bourgeoise-as she worded tito the end of the nails." .
 It was always good form, and good poli- cy in the Landon home to say that both the boys had a decidedly foreign air, al" though there was no truth in the remark. Strangers were always cautioned In ad- vance of introduction to call Alfreds moth- CT Madame" with the emphasis upon the second syllable. It was secretly re- ported that Alfreds wife had adroitly as- sisted his efforts to make her Madame's daughter-in-law by first mastering the clements of the French language and then feverently begging Madame to teach her ''the real Parisian accent before Alfred was allowed to sound his mothers about the match.
 To this solar comfortably peaceful and united family came Miss Carroll, from Chicago. Miss Carroll was a college chum of Mrs. Alfred, so much we were told; we could see that she was a gentle, sweetiy- disposed young woman, with quiet charm that grew upon one. We-the more inti- mate friends of the family-could also see that this charm had grown with particular yigor upon Eugene Landon, Alfreds s younger brother, and furthermore we di- vined that there was a hitch, and that Mrs. Alfred could If she would, have told what the obstacle was.
 On that dreadful afternoon 1t seemed to me, coming in when the cups were rat ting, and the chatter should have been at its highest and merriest, that there was an unpleasantly surprising lack of animation about the proceedings. Madame to whom afternoon receptions wefe at best an un- congenial form of entertainment, seemed to be under the depressing influence. My dear" she said as we shook hands, Il hope you will tell them some or your amusing stories Yes? The assembly IS most sad today-I even feel it, my dear, who have so long livede in your sad coun- try." Then, as another man came up to take his leave, she said to him, "Ah, you