The Lamar register., 1903-05-20
ssee
MRS. HAROLD STAGG.
Sons
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


consistent with due hospitality. Your
uncle Will dine with us. of course If
had only known in time. however,
would have asked one or two people
likely to be more congenial to him"
Eleanor's description of the bache-
lor professors appearance was GER
tainly not exaggerated. In the early
stages of acquaintance he evidently
sought refuge in an imperturbable
taciturnity, relieved If he were
brought to bay by free use of the
word "ma'am" in addressing ladies
of every age, which prompted Emma
to keep him as quiet as possible after
making him known to the company.
He was man of fifty, with thick
brown beard and bald head His
large eyes took in the surroundings
In contemplative fashion, and he
seemed in no wise disturbed that he
had not brought evening clothes with
him, an omission which weighed con-
siderably on Emma's mind. not for the
reason that it made any real differ
ence. but because she was sure that
he. poor man, must feel so embarrass-
ed. When he re-entered the room,
Just before dinner. in his gray home
spun suit, with red bandana protrud-
ing from the breast pocket, she really
pitied him, but she could not help
congratulating herself that she had
placed his seat at table between her.
self and Eleanor.
After they sat down to dinner,
Uncle Phineas continued for some
time very silent, beaming SO ELUSIVE
ly. however, on his niece, that Emma
began to fear lest he should hold her
hand or indicate in some other
equally unconventional way the salts
faction he felt in. being with her
again. He was an excellent trencher-
man and did full justice to the good
things passed to him without seeing
to heed the small talk that. repressed
at first by his presence, soon bubbled
forth regardless of it. There was gay
chatter, some of a personal character,
and by and by several humorous anec-
dotes, one of which amused Professor
Baldwin so much as to draw from him
a guffaw of such intensity that there
was pause after it, and a lady op-
posite him surveyed him through her
lorgnette interrosatively, while the
young men winked at each other as
much as to say: who is the humor-
GUS old party?"
THAT reminds me of an incident that
happened when | was in California
some years ago." said Uncle Phineas,
slowly, in quaint, dry way that made
everybody stop eating and listen.
Emma felt on tenter-hooks, and she
glanced anxiously toward Eleanor;
but she had turned toward her uncle
with an air of delighted interest
There was nothing to do but let him
60 on; and go on he did in so graphic
and absorbing a manner that several
of the company were chuckling with
satisfaction before the end, and when
that came there was a roar of delight
That's capital story!" exclaimed
some one, and Harold Stagg. who was
laughing heartily, checked himself to
cry:
"A glass of wine with you, Profes-
sort"
THE old boy is waking up" he
whispered. after putting down his
glass, to the lady next him.
There was now a disposition to in
clude the professor in the general CON
versation, and he rewarded expecta-
tion by contributing two or three
more pertinent stories, one of which
led to his beginning to talk about his
travels. From one matter he branch
ed off to another, and soon the entire
company was hanging on his words.
His observations as well as his. ex-
periences were out of the ordinary
run, and in two or three instances he
had had narrow escapes that elected
CALCULATIONS of horror from the ladies,
and envious ''by Joves!" from the
sporting gentlemen present. When
at last Emma gave the signal to leave
the table, everybody felt the dinner
had been too short.
She was all smiles. and in passing
from the room seized the opportun-
ity to squeeze Eleanor's hand, and
whisper: Hes delightful. my dear!"
His very want of toilet seemed to her
now to add to his effectiveness, and
she almost hoped that when he re-
turned to the parlor he would talk
about the Stone Age, or deliver an
informal address on shells, SO ex-
uulSlte WIS neT SeHSe Oh TelleI. W0en
he did return, however, he relapsed
into oracular silence, which he was
not cajoled into breaking beyond
the needs of bare civility before the
company separated. On the con-
trary, he himself presently slipped
away with Eleanor across the lawn
for a saunter along the shore. AS
they did not return in time, Emma
explained his absence on the ground
that he had probably found some
bowlder or crustacean specimen
which had lured him into oblivion of
everything else. sally which evoked
general laugh as they said good
night. There was much to be par
doned to a man of his evident peculi-
arities, who had seen so little of So
ciety, and, really he had made him
self remarkably agreeable, and quite
borne off the honors of the occasion.
This was doubtless the general ver-
dict, but underneath it in the minds
of nearly every one was / sentiment
of pity for Mrs. Stagg, that she should
have on her hands such a white ele-
phant. And in truth while her fears