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The breeze was feeble, and the sun was blazing hot, but nevertheless I made myself listen patiently for a while. They had said it all to me, over and over again; but it seemed that Dr. Perrin could not be satisfied until it had been said in Douglas van Tuiver's presence. "Dr. Perrin," I exclaimed, "even supposing we make the attempt to deceive her, we have not one plausible statement to make "
"Well, what is it?" "Something nice," said Greta, mysteriously. "Out with it." "Elsbeth Douglas has come home again." And breaking out into merry laughter they ran away. Paul at first felt very angry that they dared to mock him; then he sighed and smiled, and wondered why his heart had suddenly begun to beat so loudly. Half an hour later his family drove away.
He strolled away with his hands in his pockets, lighter-hearted with every step which took him away from those barred windows. Across the square, a fat little man was making strenuous efforts to remove the shutter from in front of his shop. He looked round as Douglas appeared, wiping the perspiration from his forehead, and regarded him doubtfully. "Will yer lend us a hand, guvnor?" he inquired.
"How is it, my dear friend, that you abuse my name in this manner?" "I your name sir? What do you mean? Paul, go out." "He may stay here," retorted Mr. Douglas, turning to Paul. "He shall go out, sir!" cried the old man. "I suppose I am still master in my own house, sir?" Paul left the room.
The struggle in Illinois thus became for Douglas a struggle for political life or death. At war with the President and with a large section of his party, if he could not keep a grip on his own State his political career was over.
He was wise enough, I fancy, to see that the joke is on those who remain in life, not those who leave it. Eighty-seven years ago to-day Stephen A. Douglas was born. He lived, stormed about these States, talked of great principles, was tossed aside by a squall on the universe of things, and died.
At the early age of twenty-five he was made Colonel of the Ninth Regiment, was in active service during the Douglas war, as the affair that grew out of the affair with the Chesapeake was called, and, during the late war with Great Britain, commanded in the field the Second and Ninth Regiments, establishing an exactness of discipline and an esprit du corps which was a favorite topic of remark in the army.
At that moment Mary Seyton announced to the queen that Lady Douglas was asking permission to visit her.
Douglas; "you have deserved it," and then her head again sank against the trunk of the tree. Paul stood behind the bench and did not know what to do. For the first time since he was grown up he happened to find himself in strange society. His glance met Elsbeth's, who, resting her head on her hand, looked round at him.
"However," he said, "I'd be very much obliged if you could use 'em, Mrs Douglas. I'm overstocked now; haven't got room for another tin of sardines in the shop. Don't you worry about bills, Mrs Douglas; I can wait till Douglas comes home. I did well enough out of the Imperial Hotel when your husband had it, and a pound's worth of groceries won't hurt me now.
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