Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-12
CHAPTER LXIII.
THREE STARTLING ANNOUNCE
MUyNr1-C


don journal which, for some people, has
a certain attraction-the first For my
| part l rarely read it, but when | do
am almost sure to come upon name
known to me.
The circumstance has oft struck me
as singular, for the circle of my ac-
quaintances is by no means large-cer-
tainly not so extended as to have one
of them getting married, or dying,
every day in the year.
have heard many other people make
remark of the same thing having &C.
Cured to themselves, confirming my
observation. The newly-made mother,
husband, wife, widow, or widower, may
not be either friend or acquaintance,
but someone whose name IS familiar.
Even thus the fact seems a strange one.
One morning, as | CHANGED to run my
eye down the aforesaid first column, l
read among the obituary notice that OF
"Major-General Harding, Beechwoods
Park, Buckinghamshire," followed by
a string of capital letters setting forth
the honors and titles of the deceased
officer.
The announcement did not surprise
me, having heard that the Generals efe
to use an insurance Office phrase, was
not a good one" AS my intercourse
with him and his sons had been but
slight, was in nowise interested in it
beyond the usual feeling one has on
hearing of the death Of very distant
acquaintance.
Soon after, however, another news
paper announcement relating to sec
ond member of the same family, came
unGer my eye, which did give me sur
prise, leading to conjectures. 1t ap-
peared in the agony column headed
Give Hundred Pounds Reward, this
being promised to anyone who could
furnish "the address of Mr.. Henry
Harding, son of the late General Hard
ing, of Beechwoods Park, Buckingham
shire; application to be made to
Messrs. Lawson and Son. Lincoln's Inn
fields"
The advertisement appeared from
time to time for period Of many
months, and in varied form, with the
amount of reward increased to one
thousand pounds.
1t was no affair of mine; still l could
not help indulging in speculative re-
Election as to its meaning. l had heard
of General Hardings younger son hav-
ing left home, but supposed. as others,
he was absent on a tour of travel Ev-
identity he had not returned from it,
and was detained abroad, voluntarily
or involuntarily; perhaps altogether
lost
NV curiosity in the affair mad not
quite grown cold, when still another
newspaper paragraph. referring TO the
same connection, made its appearance,
taking me back to my starting point
the first column. But now it was Nj
gels turn, his name figuring among
the MARRIAGES" Soon as | saw II l
scarce needed to read the phrase which
followed. As l expected: ''to Miss Is
abella Mainwaring."
So she, with her scheming mother.
had at length got all obstacles out Of
the way, and broken over the boundar-
les Of Beechwoods Park.
They were, in fact. now fairly INSTALL
ed in its grand mansion; though with a
haste thought rather indecent, after the
very recent decease of its late owner.
For some months l had heard moth
ing more Of this interesting trio, save
that Belle was as beautiful as ever, and
as a wife given to Irritation quite as
much as when a sweetheart-which
could well believe. Other reports,
equally credible, told her to be ten
times more caprieious and extravagant.
She had no need to dye her dress now,
nor to drive in pony phaeton, except
by way of change. Grand carriages
were at her disposal. with powdered
coachman on the box, and footman in
snow white stockings beside him;
while Beechwoods House, erst stald
orderly establishment, had become a
very lively place-dinners and garden
parties, meets of the hounds, routs and
balls, succeeding each other so rapidly
as 10 leave scarce day or night OF
tranquility between.
Of course, l was not likely to be pres
emit at any of these grand goings-on,
but the last man in the world. For all,
| had the honor of meeting my old
dancing partner on one festive oeca-
sion afterwards-at a dinner party, in
the same house where occurred that
fete champetre I had so much enjoyed.
1t was large gathering. too: and as
my seat at the table. whether for good
| or i'll, CHANGED to be well apart from
that occupied by Mrs Nigel Harding,