CHAPTER X.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2212, 11 September 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER X.

THE OPENING OF THE BAUMBOROUGH THEATRE. Mr "Fossdyko speedily found tliat his prognostications weio fulfilled. Mr Tottordcll, formerly exasperating mi-rely from fatuous curiosity, had now become actively malignant, lfo trotted about giving a somewhat gar bird account of the way ho had been turned out of Dyke, ' merely because I expressed what all 33aumborough expresses. Some wish to know who Misa Hyde really is,' aud then Mr Totterdell wont on to insinuate that if there was not .something wrong there would surely be no reason to make a mystery about her. He hoped his poor goddaughter, when she did discover the truth, might find it still possible to get on with hiT husb.ind. Ho wished to insinuate nothing, but the skeleton in tho cupboaid was always certain to be discovered sooner or later, and want of perfect confidence between man and wife had been productive of domestic unhappiness from time out of mind. Only din things sufficiently into people's heads and they will end by believing anything. They always argue that there must be some truth in it ; it imy not be all true, but there is foundation of some sort for tho story, and before a week was passed there were not wan tine; those in Baumboroiigh who looked aakew .it Miss Hyde. Moreover, Tottmlcll's poitinacious inquiries into the financial ail'aifb of the council, attributable chiefly to Ins irritation at having been .sh.uply snubbed in Fossdvke's office, began to I cgi-t a slight distrust of the Town Clot k. (J-hjc moie it was buz/oil about that the Ir.xlcspeople had always tr-übb in g-tti.ig their money from John Fo^sdyke, and a vagwe suspiciou was abroad that he was

in monetary difficulties. True, his friends argued that was impossible ; look at the emoluments he held, his business was pretty good, he had got money with his wife, and some of the farmers around Baumborough quite guffawed at the idea when it reached their ears. "Lawyer Fossdyke want money ! Why, that bangs all, he's always some to lend, man, to anyone with decent security." Still, spite of all this there were some members j of the municipal council who held it would not be an injudicious thing to take strict stock of their affairs, to look into their investments as well as their books. John Fossdyke met all this not altogether without annoyance, but certainly with unblenching front. His accounts, he said, were ready for the Town Council whenever they chose to demand them, and he should be happy to tender ample explanation on any point that might not seem perfectly clear to them ; but he was not going to submit to cross-examination by a fussj' busybody simply because he happened to be elected to the Corporation, an individual moreover whose scandalous tongue had compelled him to close his doors against him. If John Fossdyke wa« not having altogether a rosy time, neither was Air Totterdell. Both the Town Clerk and Miss Hyde were popular in Baumborough, and a very large portion of the community took their parti with considerable vehemence. Mr Totterdel), on the contrary, was very much the reverse, and even those who for one motive or another ranged themselves on his side manifested no little contempt for their mischief-making leader. Another thing, too, that had been a veritable staggerer for Mr Totterdell, was the sudden defection of his god-daughtr>r. Tha-t gentleman, the afternoon he left Dyke, white with indignation at being morally kicked out of the house, flattered himself that Mrs Fossdyke would strongly take np tho cudgels in his behalf, and deafen all Baumboiough with the story of her wrongs. Mary Fossdyke did nothiug of the kind ; she might abuse or find fault w'th her husband hprselt, but like many another woman, she had no idea of allowing anyone else that privilege in her presence. Then again, she was honestly a little penitent about Bessie, and the idea of her going marie the good lady very unhappy. She took the cirl about with her everywhere, and made more of Miss Hyde publicly than ever. Some few might look askauce, but Mrs Fossdyke carried too many guild for this outside circle. She was of the very cream of Baumborough society, and not to be cowed by Mr TotterdelPs adherents. Indeed, that gentleman would very willingly have dropped the whole business of enquiry into the books of the Town Cleik if he could, but he had associates who insisted upon his seeing the tiling out. Men who start agitations or popular cries can never estimate where the. craze may carry them, and when Mr Totterdell m his petulance allowed himself to indulge in inuendo against John Fossdykc he litlle dreamt what would come of it. Very angry and very sad was Phillip Soames when thesp rumours fiist reached his ears. They came to him, as might be expected, in exaggerated shape. He heard that Miss Hyde had turned out to be John Fossdyke's illegitimate daughter, that there had been a tremendous scene at Dyke upon Mrs Fossdyke's making the discovery, she having been all along under the delusion that the young lady was her husband's niece, that there had been a terrible quarrel which had be*n temporarily patched up, thy Town Clerk and his wife having agreed to keep their differences at all events to theinsi'h e-i, that Mrs Fo^dyke was going about everywhere with M>s* Hyd<- just to throw dust in people's eyes, but she had stipulated Mics Hyde' should be s»nt away at the end of the month. Further, that the Town Clerk was .said to hj in money difficulties and the Municipal Council would probibly deprive him of his appointment. (To be rontmurrf J