The Columbian fountain., 1846-04-22
GOSSIP P
CHAPTER |.
HE CO NJ P A N Y

mprudent thing ever heard OF" observed
Mrs. Franklin.
"And so sudden, too y said Mrs. Knight,
"she certainly has had no time for conside-
ration"
"What are they to live upon !" asked
Mrs NEEDLE.
''Love, Madam emphatcally answered
Major Retson,
"Rather unsubstantial allment, am
afraid, Major" wittily remarked Miss
Starr in her most insinuatlng tone.
"Afrald SO, too, Ma'am," graciously re-
piled that gentleman, "but see nothing
better in prospect for them; for neither of
them has any fortune, and he is about as
|ill-calculated to make one as any man
know he can talk philosophy, and write
poetry !, but that is about ALL he can do"
"She says he is SO perfectly amiable,"
said Mrs. Franklin, ssand SO he is, to be
sure, but something more than amiability
is needed to support family"
"Well, really, always thought she had
more sense than to throw herself away on
such poor little man." exclaimed Mrs.
NEEDLE.
81 never though her overstocked with
sense" interrupted Miss Starr.
ssShe talks too much in company, think,
and her remarks are very frivolous. How
she did brag lastweek because she happened
to beat the Major at backgammon won
der he didn't lose his patience with her."
Here the edifying conversation came to
dead stop, upon which Miss Fenton, who
had preserved an unusual silence for the
last fifteen minutes, suggested that "psrhaps
Clara Tracy knew what she was about bet
ter than they supposed"
81 don't see how that can be-" said Mrs
Price,
"Why," returned Miss Fenton, "she is
romantic, certainly but not quite as much
SO as you suppose, for she told me that
though William Sanfort was poor, his uncle
George was both rich and influential
''Ts that So" asked Mrs. Price,
81 never knew he had any rich relative!"
exclaimed Mrs. NEEDLE
"NorI," said Mrs. Knight.
$50 much for romance and dlslnterested
affection. " triumphantly exclaimed Miss
Starr. ssI wondered at her taste, but you've
solved the mystery my dear Miss Fenton."
90, don't understand me to assert that
her affection is not dsinterested, for you
know Scripture forbids us to Judge our fel-
low creatures harshly, besides you know
that Miss Tracy and have always been on
very good terms with each other," replied
that conscientious lady,
"WelI, know nothing of Miss Ira
cy's motives" said Mrs. Meddle," but
she certainly acts as if she was most des-
perately attached to him"
~ think her department quite indeco
rous,n said Miss Starr I" the other day he
was reading, and she went and leaned over
him very familiarly then he took her
hand and held it, and pretended TO be point
ing out choice passages and gems as
she called them They never seem happy
unless they are together. If you ask her
to play, she calls him to sing with her
and the other day Susan Stlton told me
that she actually asked him to walk with
her, and that they were gone an hour and
10 minutes by the watch"
''I believe she made the first advances"
said MAJOR Retson, lit is such sudden
thing, and she is hardly pretty enough to
produce love at first sight"
"Well," said the friendly Miss Fentop,
:" | don't approve of censuring the absent,
but must say that Miss Tracy is not very
guarded in her manners toward Mr.. San
fort"
The gossips were now interrupted by
the departure Of two Of the company, Frank
lie Marcy, an open, high-minded fellow,
~ r.. L.