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|6w WEEK
VOL. 46.
PRISCILLA,
Or a Sympathetic Temperament.
By L. B. WALFORD,
Copyrighted, 18W. by L. B. Walford.
PART I.
Priscilla Davenant had what Is termed
*a sympathetic temperament.” That Is
to say in whatsoever place, or among
whatsoever people my heroine found her
self for /he time being, she caught the
spirit of the hour.
Supposing for example that her tempor
ary abode chanced to be in some remote,
old-fashioned spot, far from the madding
crowd—and supposing that her sober-mind
ed hosts devoted their leisure hours to cul
tivating scientific pursuits—to astronomy,
botany, or archaeology—who so profound
ly Interested as Scilla in the revelations of
the telescope or microscope? Who so
keenly alive to the value of a new "find,”
pr so ardent and untiring in exploring new
fields to conquer? Not a flower—not an
insect—not a crumbling wall or tottering
ruin within reach, but she would pursue
or investigate, with what>was for the mo
ment an almost sacred enthusiasm.
Or, again, did she find a passing perch
in the temple of art, and did music or
painting, or the drama fill the measure
of the thoughts of'those about her, such
a flame would be kindled in our little
Seilla’s bosom as deceived even herself
into the belief that she had found for all
time her true vocation.
She would perchance be accorded a
small part in some forthcoming perform
ance. How she would study that part!
How unflinchingly would she rise betimes
day after day, in order to secure an hour
at the piano before breakfast! How un
weary ingly would she attend rehearsals!
With what unabated sest would she enter
Into details and discussions, and with
what genuine, unaffected sympathy
hearken to the doubts and fears, hopes
and apprehensions of all!
It was the same with Sellla everywhere
—and perhaps this was the reason why
Scilla was wanted everywhere. People
might say to each other that it was a
charity to invite Priscilla Davenant—who
bad but a poor home, a widowed mother,
and few opportunities for displaying her
charms—but the plain truth was that ths
bright, responsive young creature, just op
ening her eyes upon the world, full of good
will towards it, and ready to meet it half
way at every point, was a pleasant, use
ful inmate of any house.
Sellla could be reckoned upon to take a
willing part in whatever was going for
ward, end to assimilate with any sort of
party gathered 'together. That was the
right kind of young lady vlstor to have,
according to Lady A. and Mrs, 8., and
when these amiable hostesses ran over
their list of names tor future house-parties
. in the ears of their respective spouses,
| and when the list concluded wl'h Scllia
(as the rooms ended in Seilla’s, sure to
be a tiny cupboard up a back stair), the
rejoinder would be quick and ready—
"Sellla Davenant? Ah, to be sure. A
cheery little puss; and a kindness to ask
her."
Sellla was just eighteen; and for two
years had been going about in this de
tached fashion—having indeed been taken
from school in order to accept an eligi
ble invitation for the summer months.
The visit over. Mrs. Davenant thought
her daughter could do without any fur
ther education. Perhaps this single fact
win place Mrs. Davenant before our read
e, Wlth half a do’xen younger girls to think
of, to say nothing of school boys who In
that house seemed to be ever coming
home for the holidays, she could only see
In any demand for the presence of th®
eldest a source of congratulation. Sellla
was her beauty, and—with a sigh—lt was
hard she could be able to do so little for
her; but Hcflla was such a favorite—with
a smile—that no girl was ever in such luck
with Invitations.
That the storm and stress of daily life
fell upon her own hard-worked shoulders
was nothin# to the fond parent, so long as
she could despatch her eldest daughter off
creditably, and talk of her gaieties, of
the admiration she excited, and the kind
ness she met with; therefore, can it be
wondered at that the open, susceptible
nature thus trained, should have at any
rate begun to reflect, back its training?
It had seemed an even more than usual
ly line oponiing in Mrs. Davenant’# eyes
when a note had come summoning her
pretty Beil)a to spend the Waster week at
a country house in the west of Englund,
where she was promised a gay time, and
in particular her fill of riding and driving
—delights beyond th® reach of a girl
whose hbnw was In *t dusty suburb, where
a station fiy was the only alternative to
the use of her feet.
Every friend and neighbor encountered
upon her homely beat that day was told
the news—tobi with Mrs. Davenant’# ad
ditions and extensions—and laughed a lit
tle behind the faded mantilla’s broad back
afterwards; but indulgently, because the
poor woman was, they said, u, "good soul,”
and because, of course, it was a great
matter to her to have one of her numer
ous brood tak.Mi off her hands, especially
during the holidays of th® rest; and only
one oi two of the more thoughtful won
dered whether Mrs. Davenant altogether
rsnllsed what she was doing when thus
cheerfully handing oyer the charge of a
young, ainlabl®, and impressionable girl
to anyone who chose to ask for it?
But then it was nobody’s place to speak,
and we may just add that no speaking
would have been of any avail; Scilla. and
her mother would conjointly have laughed
the idea to scorn. There was a great
mending, and atltching, and gathering to
gether of small effects, and the youthful
traveler was packed off to her destina
tion on the appointed day, to sink or swim,
as Fate chose.
Towards 5 o’clock the train stopped at
a small country station, and a few min
utes afterwards Sellla, all joyful excite
ment. found herself driving off in a high
dogcart, through lanes and valleys, over
hill am! down dale, on her way to Ab
bott’s Hall.
Os Abbot's Hall and It# owners she knew
about as much or as little as could be
gathered during a two days’ intimacy at
another country house, where Mr. and i
Mrs. Everslelgh had chanced to find, on i
easy terms, a nondescript young la iy,
whom they agreed would be an ornament
al addition to their Easter party. They
had divined that Scilla was to be had
cheap—that no inconvenient appendages
in the shape of parent, or guardian, or
even maid, would have to be tacked on—
and accordingly had been as eager to se
cure her as she to be secured,
"There, now. didn’t I tell you? Charm
ing girl, and as good a figure-head tor the
box-seat of the coach as Bny one nev«l
want," cried the good-humored, jollv host,
isl a perfectly audible aside, directly the
new arrival had passed within, having
Wen handed down from her high seat by
three or four loungers hanging about <h*
door. "Somehow we couldn't lay our
hands on any more young ladies. ' They
are scarce, it appears. just now.
but little Belli* Davenant is n
host in herself. She'll keep us
old fogies going! Pity we have no
youngster for her."
"Your nephew is nut coming, then?"
"Well, no; Bam * a foul. He will corn®
tor Monday, of course, but won't prom-
( THE MORNING NEWS, )
•{ Established 1880. - - Incorporated 1888. >
I J. H. ESTILL. President. I
■ IHI
<S EOR OI
ise anything else. Says it’s too soon to
come to-day. Like the impudence of these
young fellows—nothing is good enough for
them. We’ll see, however, presently. He
may turn up sooner than he says.”
Meantime, Scilla was making friends all
round. There was the old dowager in
black, the two middle-aged matrons In
gray and brown, and the tall spinster in
heliotrope; but there was none like her
self, in serge jacket and skirt, with pret
ty pink blouse and sailor hat. She was,
in short, the only really young member
of the party, •
But everyone was very youthful and vi
vacious, nevertheless. No one looked cold
ly or reserverdly at the newcomer, who
was soon "au fond” with all that was go
ing on; so that when it appeared that the
hunt steeplechases, which were to take
place on the following Monday at no great
distance from Abbot hall, formed the sta
ple topic of conversation, it needed but a
few hours’ familiarity with it as a theme*
to convince our little “impressionist” that
nothing in the world was of so much im
portance as that Mr. Eversleigji’s horse,
Blue Moon, Should win the principal race,
and that she should be there to see.
Early and late she discussed the forth
coming event with anyone who would dis
cuss It with her, and before two days had
elapsed knew, or thought she knew, as.
much about th® horse and its rider as
though the former were her own proper
ty, and the latter—by the way, why did
not the latter appear on the scene?
“Sudh a nuisance Bam Is!” ejaculated
Mr. Everslelgh, fuming over his share of
the postbag. "Such a broken reed to de
pend upon! Says he can’t be down until
Saturday night, and ‘knows the horse,’
and has no fears, all will be right. Now,
isn’t that my nephew Ambrose all the
world over?" appealing So an elderly com
panion. “Os course he knows the horse.
Would I have asked him to ride Blue Moon
if he didn’t? And it is just like his coolness
to tell me it will be ‘all right.’ To tell me*
forsooth! Me who have bred the horse,
and have had him under my own eye from
first to last! As If I didn’t know my own
horse! But that’s Bam to the life! Just be
cause of his work—work! what is it? Ad
jutantlng a pack of Volunteers! Because
these rascals can’t adjutant themselves,
but need him to keep them from falling
to pieces—he must needs''throw me and my
poor old Blue Moon over.”
"He throws you over, does he? Why not
get someone else, then? You are not bound
to Captain Eversleigh.”
The other gave him a queer look.
"I am not bound to any one, but I am
bound to win if I can,” he replied, drily.
"My nephew can ride; and it is a man
who can ride that is wanted at West
Merton Steeplechases next Monday.”
“Oh," his friend understood.
But Scilla was bitterly indigna/H.
“I do think it is too bad of him!” she
exclaimed, impetuously. "He must know
how anxious you are—we all are. He
might have got away from his Volun
teers-/’ with fine contempt. (The previ
ous year Scilla had been staying on the
southern coast for the Easter maneuvers,
and the Volunteers had received a differ
ent accentuation then, we may be sure.*)
Mr. Everslelgh, however, was pleased.
"Ay, to be sure, he might, my dear. And,
perhaps, if he had known there was a
pretty girl like you in the midst of us,
he would have taken more trouble. But
to own the honest truth, Bam is like the
rest of the young fellows nowadays; a
pretty face attracts him no more than an
ugly one. Get away from the petticoats,
is the cry. Don’t you set your heart on
Ambrose Everslelgh, Scilla, my dear, for
he is air, fire and waterproof—and an
ugly little fellow into the bargain. But
he can ride; oh, Lord, he can ride," con
cluded the speaker, with a chuckle,
During the ensuing days Scilla could
hear other comments of a like nature. She
heard Blue Moon’s jockey termed stiff, si
lent, reserved, unapproachable, cool as a
cucumber, hard as nails, stubborn «s Ola
Nick—on® and all, it seemed, had some
choice epithet which fitted; and although
there might be an occasional faint dis
claimer or amendment, there was one
Obvious universal sentiment, the new
comer was not popular, but—he could
ride. At length, and that not till late on
Saturday night, a dogcart drove to the
door.
“There he is! That is he! That is Capt.
Eversleigh! Did you think he would not
come? Oh, he generally comes in the long
run."
. Such and such-like exclamations rang
through the drawing-room and ante-cham
ber, w’htlo host and hostess hurried to the
door. Presently Mr. Everslelgh hurried
back.
"He won’t come tn,” announced he. with
importance; "says he’ll dine in the library,
and put off joining us till to-morrow morn
ing. Anyway he’s here;" addressing the
company generally: "he’s here, and look
ing as fit as a fiddle. So that’s off my
mind; and I can t*U you it’s a good deal
to be off—a perfect load. Hey, Scilla, you
may lay your money upon Blue Mloon now,
my dear—his jock’s come; and what can
be done. Bam will do w-hen the time comes.
“What can be done Bam will do!" The
words rang in Seilla’s ears as her eyes
rested for the first time on the square
brow, quick searching eyes, and full deter
mined mouth which constituted ell Am
brosg> Everslelgh’# claims to notice among !
his fellows. He had neither hight nor i
beauty—but hi# alight well-knit frame
scarcely seemed to miss the one, nor his
sunburnt countenance the other.
The only vacant place at the breakfast
table was next net own; and the now i
comer being the last to appear, must per- |
force take It. Yes, there was Mr. Ever
sleigh's voice saying loudly and proudly,
"My nephew." and It was to herself Mr. |
Everslelgh was nodding as he spoke; the
nephew must be near at hand. She moved
to look—and all but sent spinning the
plate he was conveying to his place.
Now if Scilla had been content to blush
and apologise—and she did really blush
naturally on provocation—she would have
appeared the simple, charming girl she
was; but unluckily flattery and folly had
done their work, and, accordingly—“l am
so sorry if I have shaken your nerves,”
cried she, with ready pertness. "If Blue
Moon loses the race to-morrow, pray
don’t lay the blame at my door for this.”
"Ha! ha! ha!" cried two or three near.
“Scilla will never forgive you if you don't 1
ride Blue Moon to win. Bam. my boy,”
I supplemented Blue Moon’s owner. “Will ;
you. Scilla? Hey. Scilla?" encouragement
in his voice, us though cheering on a lag
ging hound.
•‘I should think not, indeed." Again the
sauey voice rose to the whip. "I have set
my heart on it. Pray be careful what you
eat and drink, Capt. Eversleigh. Do re
member you must avoid too much tea, and
coffe®. and—"
“Ha! ha’ ha!" from one and ail within
hearing. "You tei! him all about it, Scil
la,” old Mr. Everslelgh again supplement
ed the chorus. •'Scilla knows." with a
wink round the table. "Now then. Scilla,
what has old Giles been telling you about
Capt. Everslelgh? Eh? What you told me
yesterday, you know." jogging her memo
ry, "About keeping hla wind, you know.
Oh. well; if you are too delicate to say It
out before company, I'll tell—Eh? What?
—mustn't I? Ha! ha! ha!"
All this time Capt. Everslelgh had not
opened his Ups. He helped himself to
what he wanted, and appeared to heed the
give and take rejoinder# going on around
him no more than if they were rain-drops
scarce worth brushing off.
"a ou must really not eat too much.”
Scilla felt that if only left alone she
would be capable of making her own way
now, and the result was the above, deliv
ered jocularly.
Not eat too much! Capt. Everslelgh,
■with his mouth full, literally stared at the
speaker. She was a pretty girl, and he
would have had no objection to speak to
a pretty girl—but he was really at a loss.
He did not understand this kind of thing.
“Remember the weighing scales at West
Merton,” Scilla tried again.
“I—l beg your pardon.” He could scarce
ly believe his ears. This baby-faced crea
ture and the weighing scales at West Mer
ton!
“I might have guessed the sort of girl
they’d have here," he muttered beneath
his breath.
There were plenty of other, however,
ready and willing to fill the silence which
followed. A lively middle-aged bachelor
on Seilla’s other side had addressed her
almost before the last word was out of
her mouth. He and she had been great
friends during the preceding days, and as
he had come down prepared to be
"friends” with somebody during his brief
holiday, and as there was only this one
girl of the party able and willing to meet
the case, he was by no means ready to
give her up without a struggle.
It had rather annoyed Mr. Sotherst to
find that Miss Davenant took such an
interest in the arrival of Blue Moon’s
jockey; indeed, he thought the fuss made
about Ambrose Eversligh altogether su
perfluous; but, perceiving in the young
man a different personage from that he
had been led to anticipate, his good hu
mor revived. He dashed, as we have said,
into the conversation, and did not let go
his hold of it during the remainder of the
meal. '
It cannot be said that Scilla shone on
this occasion. Mortified by the unrespon
sive demeanor of her neighbor on the on®
hand, she was led to be more foolish, for
ward and encouraging than ever towards
the other who had, as it were, stepped in
to the breach. She had opened fire on
Capt. Eversleigh with absolute confidence
in her ammunition, for indeed it had
never dawned upon her •that there was the
slightest likelihood of resistance on his
part. Hitherto, every one had liked to be
talked to by her; and, being naturally of
a lively turn, she had heard her sayings
and doings applauded, and passed on from
one to another as "clever” and “so amus
ing," till her poor little head was com
pletely turned by flattery and compliment,
and the real Scilla was as entirely dis
guised beneath this mask of an audacious,
chattering, flirting girl, as her bodily pres
ence would have been beneath a hood and
domino.
And it may here be explained that the
party assembled at Abbot’s Hall on this
particular occasion was, if not precisely
the last into which a careful mother
would have thrown a daughter entirely
left to her own resources, at least one
utterly unsuited to an Inflammable dam
sel of eighteen, easily Influenced, and pe
culiarly susceptible to her immediate at
mosphere.
In a more sober-going house no one
would evei‘ have thought of making a
fool or a plaything of Priscilla Davenant,
in whose undeveloped nature there lurked
quite sufficient good sense and good feel
ing to have prevented any idea of she
kind; but unhappily, a contrary impress
ion had'been produced at the very out
set of her visit to Mr. and Mrs. Ever
sleigh. She had arrived in the highest o?
spirits and (tiey had been charmed with
her spirits, charmed and amused with
everything she said and did. There was
no one to whisper a gentle warning in
her ear, no one to look a quiet check
across the table when vivacity degener
ated into freedom, and pertness passed
for wit.
On the contrary she basked in the light
of universal indulgence, and her hosts,
in particular, were eager to show off the
pretty pet whom they had so oppor
tunely secured. Having no children of
their own Scilla, they vowed, must be
their child for the occasion. Mr. Ever
sleigh, who was fond of young people,
addressed to her the principal part of his
conversation, because it was so very easy
to make the kind of conversation sup
posed to suit his young guest’s age and
requirements—conversation made up of
teasing and chaff, and boisterous laughter.
It was a standing joke to pretend that
Scilla was still a schoolgirl: to rally Tier
about her heighth, and the length of her
frocks; and to treat her asseverations
with mirth and ridicule, while at the same
time she was given the best of everything,
and petted and pampered all day long.
And she really had no time to think. She
was always in a hurry to dress, in a hurry
to set off for a ride or drive, in a hurry to
scramble on her evening frock for dinner.
At night she was tired out, and bad per
haps as little strength left as inclination,
to reflect upon the events of the day.
Perhaps the result of this was never
more manifest than at the Sunday morning
breakfast table, when, if she had been at
home, Scilla—a very different Scilla—would
scarcely have been seen for the flock of
little brothers and sisters, surrounding her
depending upon her for their Sunday
treats, pouring into her ears their hopes
and desire®,and hanging on her lipa, a#
on the oracle which had the power to
grant or refuse the various small matters
of llfe-and-dea,th-importance in their little
minds. What would they have thought of
their Scilla, their own dear, darling Be’lla
(who was to them a far greater personage
it must be confessed, than ev®n their »wn
mother herself), had they now beheld her,
metamorphosed Into the butterfly of Ab
bot’s hall?
Scilla herself felt vaguely uneasy be
cause it was Sunday. But then no one else
seemed to remember anything about Sun
day—except that Mr. Sotherst would Insist
upon it that he meant to take her to
church, implying that the expedition was
a hardship, and something altogether out
of the way, and not likely to be entered
upon by anyone else.
"Good little girls—go to Sunday school
first," quoth the barrister, jocosely, “with
their prayer books and hymn-boooks all
nicely packed away in satchels, and their
neat little bonnets tied under the chin. I
hope you have a Sunday bonnet, Miss
■ Priscilla? That hat and feathers in which
you bewitched us all yesterday would be
altogether too much for any poor parson’s
nerves in this remote spot. No, you hav
en’t? Bless my soul, the poor parson will
have to run the risk. then. But anyhow I
shall not desert you. young lady; I'll see
you through. What time snail we start?
It will be quite idyllic to walk across th®
fields to church when the bells are ring
ing. So if there is no Sunday school to be
got through first—Eh? Shall we meet at
the front door in a quarter of an hour?”
“What is that? What is he saying?"
Mrs. Everslelgh from behind her tea-tray
caught the last words. "Scilla wanting
to go to church? But, my dear Scilla, it
I is a dreadfully hot walk over the fields—
I no shade anywhere—and a long hill at th®
end. And I’m afraid I can't offer you a
carriage, because we are saving up the
horses for to-morrow. We do generally
have something out; but you see both men
and horses will have such a long day—”
“Cruelty to both man and beast to work
them both days,” Mr. Sotherst blandly
bowed to the lady. “Mrs. Eversleigh is
the last person-in the world to be guilty
of such barbarism. I am offering myself
as Mies Seilla’s escort.”
“You really want to go, Scilla? Quite
right; if you are equal to it; but don’t go
because you feel obliged, my dear. No
one is obliged to do anything in thia
house. And church is so very fatiguing,
I always think. And cotintry service# are
so unattractive. Besides, think of a walk
of a mile and ahalf in the heat of the
day.”
"To say nothing of sunburn and trick
les." The jocular Sotherst pulled a face
"I really cannot think it is necessary'
Mr. Goodrich® would not expect it.” pro
ceeded the hostess, looking round. "He
knows we Jo—some of us—generally go
when the weather permits.”
SAVANNAH, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1896.
"That’s to say she goes—when she has
nothing else to do—and when we have
somebody with us who wants to be tak
en," sotto voce from the lady’s husband.
"I don’t pretend, to favor Mr. Goodriche
with my company. Can’t stand psalm
singing. No offence to you, Scilla, my
dear; it’s all right for you to .like it; but
it makes me feel like a toad under a har
row, when those little squalling brats
(who I know are trespassing and bird
nesting all the week) set up their little
screech-pipes all out of tune, and with an
accent—but Sci.Ua vows she likes the Som
ersetshire accent. There’s no account
ing for tastes. All I can say is, anyone
who’s going will have to look sharp It
is nearly eleven now. You will be in time
for the sermon, Scilla,” nodding at her
“but I’m hanged if you’ll catch up with
my ’dearly beloved’ before that.’’
"Oh, Miss Scilla will be quite content
with the sermon,” protested SciDa’s
mouth-piece with a grin; “she only wants
to show up at the church door— to do the
civil—to ease her conscience, and enable
her to meet the parson without a blush
to-morrow. We’ll tell him we lost our
way, Miss Scilla—and by Jove! it would
not be a bad notion to lose it altogether
But still, if you are bent on maintaining
your respectability, you have only to say
so, and here I am; you shan’t be able to
reproach me for going back from my
word."
All this time Scilla had been quite silent
—a most unusual thing for her. The
truth was a struggle was going on within
her bosom, and the bantering voices on
either side of her were confusedly ming
ling with the whisperings of another
which soft as it was, refused to be stifled’
In all her previous experiences she had
never met with anything quite like this;
even when the day had not been specially
reverenced, it had been suffered to pass
quietly, and its holy hours had not been
mocked at. But here was even gentle
Mrs. Elversleigh protesting that church
was "fatiguing,” and country services
“unattractive,” and as they rose from the
table another lady observed that to her
mind the only thipg Sunday was good for
was because one could get professional
people to eome to one’s parties, it being
■their only day for amusement—while yet
another remarked that she utilized the
Day of Rest strictly according to the Sab
bath law, for she made a point of sleep
ing through it as much as she could, and
felt refreshed for the week by such an in
valuable specific.
"Well, are you coming or not?" de
manded Mr. Sotherst turning to Scilla.
"Really it is too late now,” Scilla rallied
her spirts, and retorted saucily. "While
you have been talking about it, the time
has passed. I hear the stable clock strik
in 11;” and she prepared to follow the
other ladies from the room.
“Suppose we go in the evening instead?"
suggested the barrister, w-ith a happy
thought. “ 'Pon my soul, It would be
much better to do that. It would be quite
jolly then; and it would be all right, you
know. One time is as good as another.
Shall we make it this evening for our ex
pedition?”
To be sure, Scilla was immensely re
lieved. She did not, truth to tell, feel any
very over-mastering inclination either for
the walk or for Mr. Sotherst’s sole com
panionship—and since he was kjnd enough
.to propose taking her in the evening—
and perhaps some others might be induced
to go in the evening—she was not only
aeqyies-’»r.t hut f.tai--’*:!. tier dr-art
she thought, “We m?y make up quite a
party in the evening. I may get Capt.
Everslelgh to go—who knows?"
In the meantime she was delighted to
accompany -the men round the stables,
and pat the horses, and hear the last re
port of Blue Moon. When that was end
ed, one or two extended the stroll to a
point whence there was a famous view;
and when they came in from the stroll,
they idled about till luncheon was ready.
A great deal was made of luncheon, and
Scilla, for one, was sorry it was
over. A couple of chairs remained vacant, .
and one of them was next hers. She would
try if she could not fare better with Am
brose Eversleigh on this occasion than on
the previous one, having thought out va
rious small pleansantries wherewith to ac
cost him; but the meal passed, and the
late comer did not appear.
"Bam is not a luncheon man.”
Some inquiry had been made of the host,
and thia was the rejoinder. "He and Col.
Pratt are off for a twenty-mile walk. You
won’X £fee them till dinner time.”
Nor was anyone seen much of till din
ner time. One by one the ladles, oozed
away from the drawing room and bou
doir (as Scilla shrewdly guessed to drowse
within their separate sanctums), and she
was left to pursue her own resources,
since she could not invade the billiard
room, whence issued the continuous click
of balls, and now and again the rattling
of cues upon the floor in token of vigorous
applause.
By « o’clock she was quite ready for Mr.
Sotherst and church.
"We shall get in comfortable before din
ner,” quoth that gentleman, consulting
his watch; "half-past six to half-past
seven. We must sit near the door, and
slip out if the parson exceeds his ten min
utes. No parson has the right to ex
ceed, and 8 o’clock is everybody's dinner
hour. But I doubt not that this Mr. Good
riehe is a gentleman, and will be careful.
Do you know the way, Miss Soilla?”
Scilla did not, and he undertook to show
her.
A little after 8 the two made their re
appearance, and were ushered straight
into the dining room. "Did’t wait for
you, you see.” cried the host good-humor
edly. "Didn't know when you might be
back, and Pratt and Bam were hungry.
They tramped in half an hour ago, and
have had a glorious walk. Everyone to
his taste, as I said before; and if yours
is church, Scilla- "
“But—but”—Scilla reddened, then laugh
ed, and finally adopted her latest man
ner. "But dear Mr. Eversleigh,” she cried
affectionately, “we have a confession to
make, Mr. Sotherst and 1. We have not
been to church."
“Not been to ehurch! God bless my
soul! And you come in after everyone is
at dinner, and the soup gone round, and
you haven't been to church after all?”
“We missed our way, my dear air,"
quoth Sotherst, blandly.
“We oould not find the church," avowed
Scilla in a breath.
And then the latter rattled on. "Mr.
Sotherst said he knew the way—and he
didn't. And he said we should be in
plenty of time—and we weren’t. And he
pretended that I didn't want to go—and I
did. And he vowed and declared—he said
he would’ take hts oath we should get
back before you had gone in to dinner—
and here we are! Oh, he has behaved
shamefully,” cried she, gaily dropping in
to a seat. “I never knew such a man
such a tease. Mr. Eversleigh, you will
protect me from him. won't you? I will
never believe in him again as long as I
live,” and she continued in the same vein,
which met with its full measure of re
sponse, throughout the meal.
“He is a sad deceiver I am afraid, in
deed," quoth Mr. Eversleigh gravely, in
conclusion. “Quite right not to put any
more faith in him. my dear; stick to me.
I eoukt have told you he never meant
church-going, not he; it was only for the
pleasure of your sweet company, eh
Sotherst?” and the speaker winked know
ingly.
Scilla was just about to make some
nonsensical reply when everyone rose,
and she turned to meet a look of which
she could never afterwards think with
out sharp pain. For this look on Capt
Eversleigh’s face was the first glimpse the
poor child had of herself In the mirror of
Truth.
(To be Concluded.)
Xeece Is Renominated,
Quincy. 111., July 28.—The democratic
congressional convention of the Fifteenth
district met here thia afternoon and nom
inated ex-Congressman William H. Neece.
•
ONCE, A MAN; TWICE, A FOOL.
MEN ARE NOT DECEIVED TWICE
BY THE SAME THING.
A Strong Speech From Czar Reed
Delivered Before u Large Gather
ing in Hia Native State—He Hits Us
Hard, But Gives Us Good Logic on
the Money Question. •
Alfred, Me., July 29.—The republican
county convention was held here this af
ternoon to notify county officers. The oc
casion was made unusually interesting
from the fact that the county committee
secured the presence of Hon. Thomas B.
Reed and Curtis Guild, Jr., of Boston, and
the convention ended in a great ratifica
tion meeting, Messrs. Reed and Guild ad
dressing a gathering of several thousand
people, who came from all quarters to
hear the first public utterance of Mr.
Reed since the national convention. The
speakers were greeted with great enthu
siasm.
Mr. Reed spoke in part as follows:
"Two months ago no man of any stand
ing would have risked his reputation as
a prophet by hinting the slightest doubt
of republican success. Now there are
those who tell us that all things have
changed. This may be so, but to me it
does not seem probable. It would be un
wise, unjust and senseless to confound
the democratic organization with individ
ual democrats.
“When Stephen A. Douglas declared, af
ter Sumter was fired on, that thenceforth
there could be but two parties, patriots
and he won the respect even of
foes and an imperishable place in history.
We shall certainly all welcome all such
men to-day, not that they are to be re
publicans for they will not be, but be
cause they are patriots, for that they
must be.
“There are some political orators who
think if they can draw a rose colored pic
ture it ought to convert a continent. What
a rosy picture we hud painted for us in
1892. What millions we were to expect. We
were to sell in the dearest and buy in the
cheapest market. We took their word for
it, and here we are and now the least
credible part of these same gentlemen are
smearing the canvas With another picture
for which they want us to pay another
four years, or perhaps ten of this nation’s
life. Men deceived opce are human; men
deceived twice by the same men are fools.
I am bound to say that the evil which has
come to us by an unwise revision of the
tariff has been greatly aggravated by one
of its consequences, our loss of revenue.
The constant drain of the deficit, contin
ually confounded with the redemption of
gold, has so afflicted the imagination of
our people that confidence cannot com
mence to be restored until our revenues
equal our expenses.
“Det its see what is proposed by those
gt-ii*lem'.-jj who.' v/l.hln last- two
months, have t ilscovered a new cure for
all the ills flesh is heir to. Their remedy
is the coinage of silver at 16 to 1. What
does that mean? Heretofore whenever
gold and silver stood together it has been
at the market value. When we tried to
make gold and silver circulate together
we have always married them according
to their market value. To-day we find
them, not 16 to 1, but 31 to 1, and we are
going, they say, to lift silver to twice its
value,not by the universal sense of man
kind, which alone makes values, but by
the statute of the United State* single
handed against the civilized world. Why
should the United States try to do this
alone? If the demonetization of silver is
a disease at all it is a world disease. How
can it be reached except by a world rem
edy? International bimetallism, I can un
derstand, but this driving out of gold and
substitution of silver is only silver mono
metallism for the United States. It is
shifting from gold currency and civilized
Europe and going over to silver and Mex
ico, Japan, India and China.
“If we are going to have a dollar in
ferior to what we have to-day, what will
be the effect of it? Higher prices, they
say. Not for everytTnng. If you have
SIOO in the savings bank to-day, you can
get SIOO gold dollars from the bank. If
this wild project succeeds and you are
paid in silver, you will get the SIOO, but
they will be 60 or 60 or 70-cent dollars,
If you have a pension that must be scaled
down. If you have a bond, that goes
down, too. What you buy will go up.
Will wages go up, too? Wages during
greenback times measured in gold did not
go up as other things did. They went
part of the way, but not all the way up,
and were very slow about that. What
this country needs is capital from abroad.
In the United States are millions
of square miles and 75,000,000 of
people, and undeveloped richea without
sjjnt. But here it not capital enough to'
keep the 75,000,000 people who are at work.
We are most prosperous when the 75,000,-
000 are all at work, and when that hap
pens we borrow of the rest of the world
thousands of millions of dollars.
“Now, just as soon as this election is
over, and the future position of the
money and as to the employment of our
people—capita! is ready to come to us
from abroad and from our own people,
and we shall again be prosperous.
"We have been through all this once
before. The greenbackers of 1878 were not
bad men. They were sincere and had a
better case than the silver men of to
day. We must have an artificial infla
tion and cheaper money, they said, or
blackest ruin awaited us. Prices were
low and work was scarce: taxes were high
and debts hard to pay, bat we presevered
and resumed specie payment. From that
moment the capital of the world was at
our disposal. We had a good tariff, which
made us do all our own work, and from
1879 to 1893, fourteen years of prosperity,
which placed the United States in a great
position in the world. If we (Jo the like
thing to-day, like things will follow. With
revenue equal to our emergencies, undue
export of gold will cease. With the cer
tainty that the dollar paid will be equal
to the dollar lent will come credit and
confidence. With that other certainty
that we are all to work, will come the
earning of wages steadily Increasing,
which is the basis of that prosperity,
Which is alone worthy of this great na
tion, the prosperity of the whole people.
GOLD MEN ENCOURAGED.
They Find a Strong Sentiment lor
Sound Money.
Philadelphia, July 2».— John C. Bullitt
and George F. Baer were to-day appoint
ed a committee of the Philadelphia sound
money democrats to attend the conference
in Indianapolis on Aug. 7, when the ad
visability of placing a third ticket in the
field would be considered.
It was stated to-day at a meeting of the
sound money democrats that the gold sen
timent has spread strongly throughout
Bucks. Berks and other eastern counties*
in fact, Mr. Bullitt says it far exceeds
the most sanguine expectations of the
committee.
Bryan Club in Birmingham.
Birmingham, Ala., July 29.—A Bryan
club of a thousand business and prot- s
slonal men of this city, with Hon. John
W. Tomlinson as president, has been or
ganixed here.
( WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-WEEK $1 A YEAR J
< 5 CENTS A COPY. 5-
I DAILY. A YEAR. J
DON’T LIKE THEIR MEDICINE.
Colorado 'Republicans Have a Dose
Like Ours—Woman In Politics.
Denver, Col., July 29.—The republican
state central committee, by a vote of 48
to 37, 'to-day adopted a resolution en
dorsing the St. Louis platform, and the
nominees, McKinley and Hobart, and urg
ing the state convention to select presi
dential electors pledged to vote for the
candidates of the national republican
party. This result, however, was not ob
tained until three hours had been con
sumed in the most bitter debate, replete
with personal abuse and displays of pas
sion. Irving Howbert, chairman, retired
from the chair when this vote was an
nounced, he having previously indicated a
desire to resign from the office, and J. W.
L, Hodges was elected to succeed him.
The new chairman announced as a rule
to be observed, that all members of the
state committee who did not intend to
vote for McKinley and Hobart would not
be recognized, and he asked them to leave
the room, adding that should they decline
■to do this he would neither recognize
them nor permit their votes to be record
ed. This was a firebrand which caused
an instantaneous explosion, and personal
violence seemed imminent. A woman
member calmed the angry men by secur
ing the floor and begged the committee
to listen to her. Then she asked the chair
man to give the bolters time to repent.
This sally quieted the men considerably,
and after protests had been made by
many of the Hodge's supporters, he with
drew the ruling.
A motion to delegate thrf powers of the
committee to a sub-committee of five,
with full executive power, was presented,
but underjterotest it was amended to the
extent that the sub-committee report its
action to the whole committee.
WILL SUPPORT WATSON.
Forty Thousand Xegroe« in North
Carolina for Him.
Raleigh, N. C., July 29.—Senator Butler
was here to-day. He says he has not
yet selected national populist headquar
ters, arid that it will be several days be
fore he decides. He says he has invited
several prominent populists to go to Ala
bama and enter the campaign, now nearly
closed, in that state, and that he will
bring some to North Carolina during the
campaign. He spoke of the proposed fu
sion on presidential electors in North Car
olina. between populists and democrats,
and said that the matter will be settled
on Aug. 13 at the populist state conven
tion here to-day.
James H. Young, a member of the re
publican state convention, has created a
sensation by announcing in his paper his
support of Bryan and Watson, and call
ing on the republican committee, which
meets here Aug. 11, to take down the Mc-
Kinley electoral ticket, as otherwise the
people will take it down. He says 40,G00
negroes in North Carolina will vote for
Bryan and Watson, and that the McKln
ipy ticket cannot set
THICK AS THREE IN A BED.
Mlverites, Populists and Democrats
Unite in Michigan.
Grand Rapids, Mich’, July 29.—There will
probably be a fusion of the free silver
men and the populists with the democrats
at the democratic state convention to be
held at Bay City next month. After the
date of the convention was fixed yester
day by the democratic state central com
mittee, invitations were extended to the
silver party and populists, who also held
their state conventions in Bay City on
the same date.
The plan is to hold a joint convention,
and put a united silver ticket into the
field.
It is said the state central committee
of each party has agreed to this, ajid
that the scheme will undoubtedly be suc
cessful.
EACH TO ITS OWN FIELD.
Democratic Committees Will Not Be
Consolidated.
Washington, July 29.—At a conference
this morning between Senators Stewart,
of the sliver committee, and Faulkner of
the democratic congressional committee,
it was decided that while the two com
mittees would work in harmony they
would not be merged, for the reason that
the silver committee would know best the
needs of their own people. Silver headquar
ters will accordingly be opened In this
city, and rooms 82, 83, 84 and 85 in the Cor
coran building have been engaged for their
use.
It is thought George P. Keeney of Cali
fornia, who has long been connected with
the silver movement will be placed in
charge of the headquarters.
DON’T ALL COME AT ONCE.
Buffalo Can’t Entertain the Demo
crats on Sept. 10.
Buffalo, N. Y,, July 29.—1 tls a question
whether the democratic state convention
can be held here on the date selected,
Sc.pt. 18, owing to the lack of hotel ac
commodations at that time. Buffalo is
entertaining a spore or more of conven
tions this summer, and two of the larg
est, the National Builders’ Association
and the American Public Health Associa
tion, are programmed for the same date
as the democratic convention.
When State Committeeman Cunneen vis
ited the hotels this morning he was in
formed that about all the accommodation
the city could offer was engaged for Sept.
18, and he at once began telegraphing the
other members of the state committee to
arrange a postponement for one week.
Silver Men Fill the Vneanclei in
Their Executive Board.
Washington, July 29.—Charles D. Lane
of California, chairman of the national
committee of the national silver party, to
day designated Messrs. G. P. Keeney of
New York city, G. S. Nixon of Nevada,
B. O. Flower of Boston, W. H. (Coin)
Harvey of Chicago and C. J. Hillyer of
Washington members of the executive
committee.
These appointments complete the mem
bership of the committee, as I. N. Ste
vens of Denver, Col., was elected vice
chairman, W. P. St. John of New York
treasurer and Mr. R. E. Diffendeifer of
Philadelphia secretary, at the meeting
of the committee held in St. Louis last
week.
PEACE A MONG THE~POPt LISTS.
They Refer Their Disputes to a Com
mittee of Thirteen.
Indianapolis, Ind., July 29.—The wrangle
in the populist convention ended at 1
o’clock by the adoption of Johnson’s mo
tion referring to the matter of electors to
< committee of 13 with power to act*
MONDAYS!
AND I
THURSDAYSI
WAS SMITH SNUBBED?
IT LOOKS THAT WAY TO THE
WASHINGTON FOLKS.
The President Ignores the Secre
tary in an Appointment That Fnlla
Under His Department, and It Im
, Thought That Mr. Smith Will Be
Forced to Leave the Cabinet—The
Gentleman in Question Talks Not
for Publication.
Washington, July 29.—One of the most
interesting unsolved problems in Wash
ington to-day, is the question whether
Mr. Hoke Smith of Georgia, has resigned,
or is about to resign as Secretary of tha
Interior.
There is a widely prevailing impression
that the President’s action in selecting a
West Virginia man at the request of
Postmaster General Wilson for Union Pa
cific railroad director, an office under the
control of the interior department was
intended 1 as a direct snub to Secretary.
Smith, and was meant to be so regarded
by him, especially as there does not ap
pear to have been any pretense made by
the President of asking the advice of the
Secretary of the Interior on the matter,
Mr. Cleveland’s known views against
the free coinage of silver were entirely
in accord with those expressed by his Sec
retary of the Interior in his recent Joint
discussion with ex-Speaker Crisp in Geor
gia. But the fact that Mr. Smith’s news
paper, the Atlanta Journal, has since come
out in favor of Bryan and Sewall and
free silver, and the further fact that Mr.
Smith himself is advertised to open the
campaign in favor of Bryan and free sil
ver at Augusta, Ga„ on the 12th of Au
gust next, have naturally revived the ru
mors that Mr. Smith’s resignation as a
member of President Cleveland’s cabinet
will either be requested or enforced with
in a very few days.
Secretary Smith being asked this even
ing whether it was true that he proposed
to go to Gray Gables for consultation
with President Cleveland prior to enter
ing upon the Georgia campaign, declined
to make ary statement for publication.
AUGUST 12 THE DAY.
Bryan’s Nomination to Be Officially
Announced Then,
Lincoln, Neb., July 29.—Mr. Bryan was
informed officially by telegraph to-day
that Aug. 12 had been selected for the
date of the democratic nomination meet
ing at Madison Square Garden, New
York. This arrangement is agreeable <tp
him, and he will make his plans accord
ingly. What those plans are Mr. Bryan
will not tell until they are fully settled,
but it is understood that he will make sev- JB
eral speeches at big cities »n rente to A®
“•New York.
The democratic nominee had a quiet dav.
He is catching up bn his correspondence
with the assistance of several clerks, and
will probably have his desk cleared by the
time he starts east. Among his visitors
to-day were three Misslsslppians, who
have been on a hunting trip west of Lin
coln, and who stopped over here to as
sure Mr. Bryan of their support. They
were Dr. W. H, Baird of Oxford, J. 3.
McDonald, president of the Delta Bank
of Greenwood, and Hon. G. A. Wilson of
Lexington, formerly state senator.
Mr. Wilson has been a gold man, but ha
joined with his companions in promising
to work for the democratic ticket.
WATSON OPENS THE BALL.
A Norik Carolina Candidate, Nat
“Our Tom.”
Winston, N. C. ( July 29.—Hon. Cyrus B.
Watson, democratic candidate for gov
ernor, made his opening campaign speech,
at Wentworth, Rockingham county, to
day. A. large audience greeted him. He
discussed the present condition of tins
country, and argued strongly in favor of
bimetallism, along the line of the demo
cratic platform. Mr. Watson will make
his next speech at his native home, Ker
nersville, on Saturday. He is anxious to
divide his time with his republican com
petitor, Judge D. L. Russell, but the lat
ter is debating the question whether or
not he will take part in a joint canvass*
of the state.
MAINE’S DEMOCRATS.
They Will Accept Sewall Platform
and Name a Sllverite.
Augusta, Me,, July 29,—A meeting of tha
democratic state committee here thia
evening, decided by a vote of 11 to 5, to
reconvene the old convention, and by a
vote of 4 to 2, it was decided to hold the
convention 11 at Waterville. Hanson and
other prominent free silver men favored
Bangor, but compromised on Waterville.
But six of the sixteen members of the
committee were present, the others being
represented by proxies. Th date of the
convention was fixed for Aug. 6.
The general impression seemed to be that
it will nominate a sliver candidate on the
national platform.
THEY PUT IT OFF.
New York’s Democratic Club Won bl
Nat Indorse the Platform.
New York, July 29,—A special meeting
of the democratic club was held to-night.
The meeting had been called by ex-Gov.
Roswell P. Flower, president of the club,
over the signature of twenty-five mem
bers, to see what action the club would
take in reference to the democratic plat
form and ticket adopted at Chicago.
After an hours’ discussion, that at time*
was very warm, the meeting adopted a
resolution that practically shelved the
matter until after the state convention.
~~OHIQ’S GOLD MEN?
They Will Allign Themselves With
the Bolting Faction.
Columbus, O-. July 29.--T. P. Linn of this
city and 8. H. Holding of Cleveland have
called a mass meeting of the gold demo
crats of Ohio to meet at the Nell House in
this city next Saturday to organize and
arrange for representation in the national
gold democratic convention at Indianap
olis next month.
Y ELLOW JACK IN CUBA.
Quite a Number of New Cases He*
ported.
Washington, July 29.—Reports received
by Surgeon General Wyman of the marine
hospital service show that for the week
ended July 23 there were sixty new cases
of yellow fever in the city of Havana and
twenty-four deaths. At Sagua Lagrande
for the week ended July 18 sixty-five new
cases of yellow fever were reported, with
eight death*
NO. 60.