The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-17
The Richmond Palladium. Wednesday, October IT. 1905

O-o-o-Ou moaned the voice. oh
my mistressw There was a autter. q
patter. and, "MercifuI heavens, you
wretches" cried Mistress Bellairs' de-
voted abigail. emerging like a gust of
wind from the blacklist shadow of
Bond street and falling upon the near
est chairman with a we'll aimed flap
of her shawl, followed up by a couple
of scratches. "Wretches. monsters
you've let my mistress be carried
away! Oh, heavens, my unhappy mis-
tressg" cried Lydia, and rent the night
with her cries.
Mistress kitty's chair had no sooner
left the precincts of the assembl.
rooms when my Lady Standishs pos,
chaise came gathering round the cor
ner.
Lord Verney, who was just about to
go in again. arrested by curiosity,
turned to wonder at visitor who ar.
rived in so unwonted a conveyance.
Recognizing Lady Standish, he was
somewhat abashed and somewhat dis
concerted, but felt he could do no less
than advance through the crowd of
foot and chair men and offer his hand.
"Oh, pray, Lord Verney," said she in
strenuous whisper, conduct me to
your aunt, for l have great need of
her help and counsel. Take me to her
at once" said the poor lady in ever
increasing agitation.
They passed through the elegant
throng, she unconscious alike of recog-
milton, comment or litter, he feeling
to his boys marrow the sensation Gre
ated by her travelling gear and dis
traught appearance.
No need of an ear trumpet for Lady
Maria now. The dowager recovered
her powers of hearing with almost mi
raculous celebrity.
ooh, Lady Maria" said Lady Stand
ish, holding out both her hands, and
incontinently she burst into tears.
ooh, Lady Maria, Sir Jasper has left
me. 1 am in sad trouble. I'm told he
has gone to Devices. / must follow
him. You are my mothers Oldest
friend. Will you give me the support
CT your company and protection?"
There was quite a buzz in the inter
ested circle. Lady Maria nodded round,
with delighted curiosity, she was more
like Mistress Kitty's cockatoo than
ever.
''Poor young thing, poor young
thing" she said, patting Lady Stand
ish's hand Your mothers Oldest
friend, quite so-quite right and proper
to come to me. And SO Sir Jasper's
left you; so Sir Jasper's gone; and with
whom, my dear?"
Lady Maria fondly believed that she
spoke these last words in gentle
aside, but never had her sepulchral
bass resounded more generously. Lady
Standish's faint cry of shocked dis
claimer was, however, completely
drowned in the fresh rumor, lacerated
by shrill feminine shrieks, which now
arose in the vestibule of the assembly
rooms and rapidly advanced.
my Lord Verney! My mistressl
Where is my Lord Verney? % walled the
distraught Lydia, who thoroughly en-
joyed her role.
A hundred voices took up the cry;
the astounding news passed from
group to group: 1.-The pretty widow has
been carried off, Mistress Bellairs has
been abducted.' And then, in counter
clamor and antiphone, And my Lady
Standish is looking for Sir Jasper"
Meanwhile, before Lord Verney,
dumb and suffocating under a variety
of emotions, Lydia, wringing her hands
and with the most thrilling notes of
tragic woe (as nearly copied from Mis-
tress Susannah Cibber as she could re-
member), narrated her tristful tale.
HE flung my unhappy mistress,
swooning and shrieking, into the chaise
And drive like the DEVIL cries he in
a voice of thunder to the coachman.
I'll fay you with your own whip and
hang you to your own shaft says he,
If you're not in Devices before mid
nightv''
"Devizes" cried Lady Standish, with
a scream. Hanging on Lydia's utter
ance, every word of which confirmed
the awful suspicion that had entered
doubt the real extent Of her misfortune. |
"Oh, Lord Verney, save my mistressw
Lydia's pipe dominated the universal
chorus with piercing iteration.
And now Lady Maria's bass struck |
In again. What did I say?" cried she |
''Nevvy, you'd better
go to bed; you're well out of her.
Julia, my dear, don't faint; we can
catch them at Devices yet. Some one
tell that wench to stop that screeching!
Julia, come. You've got the ebay,
Fortunately my house is
near. We shall just call for Burrell
and make him ride behind with his
Child, II you faint,
wash my hands of the whole affair.
Wen nip them, I tell you. il you'll only
brisk up
Il won't faint" said Lady Standish,
setting her teeth.
Lord Verney suddenly awoke to the
act that he had been grievously in
iured and that he was in a towering pas
sion. Spluttering, he demanded venge-
lnce of gods and men. Post chaise,
10, and pistols. forthwith. my swordw
,ried he, feeling for the blade which,
however, according to the regulations
by the immortal master of
Bath ceremonies, was absent from its
natural post on his noble hip in this