Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-02-06
CHAPTER V.
pAn NEWS
ooh, tidings I can tell to you,
That will Won SOra annoy"


That will you sore annoy"
The only bright part of that sum-
mer, it seemed to Phyllida, was her
growing intimacy with the squire's
wife, though they did not meet very
often after all. In July the squire was
called to London to vote at the West
minister election, where votes were
precious-the election which resulted
in the triumph of his candidate, Mr..
Mainwaring, by a majority of five
over the Radical, Sir Francis Burdett,
to Phyllida's Tory delight. He took
his bride with him to see the lions"
literal and metaphorical, at Exeter
Change and elsewhere. Mrs. Allen
remained away longer than was her
wont, in order to attend the naval
fetes at Weymouth, where the royal
family were all present, rejoicing at
the kings apparent but temporary re-
covery of health anal reason.
So Phyllida was left to her own de-
vices for occupation and amusement,
and found them less satisfactory than
she had ever done before.
1t was a cold, wet season in and
about Scarlet Town; the hay lay for
weeks on the ground, and was hardly
worth carrying, and the depression
and anxiety about the weather seem
ed to affect every ones health and
spirits indoors and out; also, to put
it plainly, their tempers.
The Iverts' visit to Belmains did
not take place. Old Mr.. Curd grew
rapidly worse until his death in the
autumn, and his wife was too much
occupied in nursing to leave him.
Johnny appeared regularly every al
ternate Tuesday, with flower in the
buttOn-hole of his drab homespun
coat, and a present of some sort in
his hand for missy, Ostensibly from
his mother; a knot of ribbon, a set
ting of eggs, or merely a bunch of
flowers.
Somewhat to her daughters sur
prise, Mrs. Ivert never resented or
made any remark upon these visits,
beyond once observing drily that she
supposed he could not be quite such
a fool as he looked. Certainly the
remark was not uncalled for, as he
sat on the kitchen table, slowly twist
ing his soft felt hat with a peacock's
feather in it round and round, gazing
into space. He generally remained
about ten minutes, and rose to go
with a sigh, whether of relief or re-
greet it was impossible to say. Dull
as he was, Phyllida began to amuse
herself with trying how much talk
she could get out of him, and to look
for his visits as some break in tn,
monotony of her life. The little
Makeys were laid up at this time with
smallpoX-it was before Rowland
Hills famous preaching and vaccina-
ton tour in Kent-so her only re-
source in her leisure hours was to be-
take herself to South Court and roam
listlessly through the deserted rooms,
or solace herself with the well-knoWn
contents of the bookcases.
Even reading had in some degree
lost it's charm since she had begun
romance of her own, and she found
it difficult to lose herself in a book as
daydream, of which Frank and she
were the hero and heroine, or letting
her thoughts wander over the water,
whence they too often returned dis
consulate. The newspaper formed the
chief interest of her day, and she
was always eager to discuss the for
eign and navals intelligence with her
grandfather, and CLEAN all the bits OF
information she could from him.
Her rejoicings over Captain Dances
noble repulse of Admiral Linois and
his squadron, with which all England
was ringing, and the gallant capture
of the Blonde by Captain Maitland,
were damped by the thought that
Frank had not been there, and how
it must chafe him to hear of such
glorious doings, in which he could
have no part.
One October morning she walked
over to South Court more out of spir-
it's than usual, for the complete fail
ure of Lord Keiths expedition for the
destruction of the Boulogne fotilla by
catamarins, or fre-ships, had destroy
ed all hope of a decisive blow being
struck at the French power; and the
alleged breaking of his parole by Sir
John Crawford had been seized upon
by the French authorities as a pre-
text for increased severity towards
the prisoners Of war.
On her arrival she was cheered by
the news of Mrs. Aliens return
home at the end of the week, and,
feeling that she had not very good
account to give of her reading, she
went to the drawing-room to choose a
book aad make un for lost time.