The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-07-25
THE RING AND THE LADY,

1t was certainly rather rough on
the Rev. Reginald Bisgood that by an
act of the purest good nature he
should have been led into so awkward
a complication. The Rev. Reginald
had recently accepted the post OF cur
ate at St. Matthew's church. Tootham,
under the Rev. Jeremy Priggleswade,
vicar of that parish, and typical spec
linen of conventional piety and SNUG
social rectitude
The vicar OF st. Matthew's expected
to get to heaven by this means. Incl
dentally, he also expected a more i'm
mediate reward The very desirable
living of st. Peters, 1cotham, the
mother parish of the town, had Just
fallen vacant by the resignation OF
the rector. The vicar OF ST. Mat
thews had, in fact, long looked upon
himself as the future rector OF Iooth-
am, and he lost no time in forwarding
to the patron an application for the
vacant living, accompanied by smear
of testimonials.
Mr.. Jenkins, the patron Of the Nv
ing, although given up to social Ire
in London, had always shown laud-
able disposition to fall in with the
wishes of the parishioners. AT the
time when his new curate, Mr.. BIS
good, arrived Mr.. Prigsleswade was
still awaiting the answer to his april
cation.
The new curate was stfolling one
morning down one of the resldehual
streets in the town when he saw
very small boy making heroic but vain
attempts to reach the big brass handie
of front door bell.
Halo, my little fellow, Can't reach
it, Ell? Well, let me ring the oell lor
you" And he gave the handle mighty
tug, which set the bell changing louu-
ly
A smile of huge qualification expand
ed the chubby face Of the graceless
urchin, Nov, we must cut and run
he lisped. And he was off, leaving 'hs
astonished cure alone upon the doo''
step.
"I-I-ahem. Does-does-Mrs'--
Mrs. Robinson live here?" he STAN
mered, mentioning the first name tha'
came into his head, as the best way
out of the embarrassing SITUATION
But. to his amazement and dismay, the
maid answered:
Eyes, sir. Will you please walk H.
sir"
The curate stammered out his name
some plausible explanation OF MS Wis
it. II the house had been in st. MAT
lthew's parish, he might have pre-
tended that he had called In the orui-
harry course of his professional minis
ftrations. But the house was III 'ne
parish of st. Peters.
The lady was youngish, and deciueu-
by pretty and attractive, though son'e-
what over-dressed.
Mrs. Robinson?" he murmureo'
.awkwardly.
She smiled and nodded.
I'm the-the-new curate,' he be-
gan" and thought that as was
passing"
Quite so. Pray be seated, inter-
posed the lady. VERY kind OF you 10
call, I'm sure. Do you know, i've peen
here three months, and you are the
first clergyman who has been to see
me?"
At this the Rev. Reginald expressed
much surprise. He felt 1t, too A
rather susceptible young man himself
he should certainly not have neglected
to call. with proper frequency, on so
fair a parishioner, and he wondered
why the other clergy had been SO
81 don't know how 1t u.s." contin-
ued Mrs. Robinson, candidly, but I'm
afraid can't be exactly persona grata
in Tootham. Everybody seems to fight
shy of me. Pm not aware OF having |
don9 anything to offend the worthy
denizens Of this highly respectable
place. But such is the fact. seem
to be regarded as a sort of Social
leper. However, we won't talk about
that. Let's talk about something
pleasanter and more interesting
And she at once led the converse
ton into impersonal channels she
was good talker and very pretty
and the Rev. Reginald found
her society so agreeable that he pro-
longed his visit for more than an hour
Now, as 1t happened, his visit to
Mrs, Robinson had not escaped the
lynxteyes of a highly respectable maid
en- lady who lived just over the way
This was Miss Letitia Partlett, veri-