The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-01-27

"Ihats why think all such schemes
better be lei alone" returned Mrs.
Wentworth; I" but as your father desires
that will put you in possession of his
wishes before you go into the world, l
have no choice but TO do it."
1T does not appear, however, that
this Mr.. Elliott is very anxious about
the matter, since he has never taken
the trouble of coming TO see me. Per-
haps he does not know of the scheme :"
20 yes, he does; but, in the first
place, he is abroad with his regiment /;
and, in the second, he abstains upon
principle from seeking to make your
acquaintance. So Sir Richard told me,
when met him last year at Lady
Grantley's fete. He said tha, his sons
heart was yet perfectly free, but he did
not think it right to throw himself in
your way, or endeavor to engage your
affections. ill you had an opportunity
of seeing something of the world. The
old gentleman had great desire to see
you himself; and he would have called,
but he was ouly passing through London
on his way to some German baths, and
he was to start the next morning"
Sand what sort of person is this
Mr.. Elliott? 2"
Il really don't know, except that his
father praised him to the skies. He's
Major Elliott now, and must be about
eight and twenty
And IS he the eldest son 2"
"He's the eldest son, and will be Sir
Henry think that's his namely
and by. But he's not rich; /; quite the
contrary, he's very poor for baronet !;
and incline 10 think that that is one
Of the reasons that influenced your fa-
ther. Being so fond Of the Eliiotts, he
wished to repair, in some degree, the
dilapidation of their fortunes by yours"
$50 that | shall have the agreeable
consciousness of being married purely
for my money. am afraid poor dear
papa's scheme will fail; and wish,
aunt, you had never told me of it."
"That was not left to my discretion !;
if it had been, | should not have told
you of ii assure you"
&" Well, ! can only hope that shall
never see Major Elliott; and if he ever
proposes to come, aunt, pray do me the
favor to assure him, from me, that it
will not be of the smallest use"
THAT would be foolish till you've
seen him. You may like him"
" "Never; | could not like man whom
met under such circumstances. if he
were all angel"
Thus. with Il heart steeled against
Major Elliott and his attractions, what
ever they might be, Frances Seymour
made her debut; and however brilliant
had been her anticipations of success.
she had the satisfaction of finding them
fully realized. She was the belle of
the seasou-admired, courted, and en-
Wed; and by the end of it, she had re-
fused at least half dozen proposals.
As she was perfectly independent, she
resolved to enjoy longer lease of her
liberty, before she put it in the power
of any man 10 control her inciinations.
Shortly after the ,erminaiinn of the
season, some family affairs called Mr..
and Mrs. Wentworth to ST. Petersburg:
and as il was not convenient that Fran
ces should accompany them, they al
ranged that she should spend the inter-
val in visiting some families of their
own connection residing in the country,
who promised 10 take due charge Of
her.
The first of these, by name Dunbar,
were worthy people enough, but, unfor-
tunately for Frances, desperately dull;
and the few neighbors they had hap
pened to be as dull as themselves
There were neither balls nor routs to
keep up the spirits of the London
belle; and tiresome drive of six or
eight miles TO an equally tiresome din
ner party, was but poor substitute for
the gaieties which the late season had
given her taste for.
Frances was not without resources.
She was fine musician, and played
and sang admirably; but she liked TO
be told that she did so. At Dunbar
House, nobody cared for music, nobody
listened TO her, and her most recher-
chees toilletes delighted nobody but her
maid. She was aur abois, as the French |
say, and had made some progress in |
the concoction of a scheme 10 etaway,
when ain improvement took place in her
position, from the arrival Of young Vim
cent Dunbar, the only son of the family. |
He was lieutenant in a regiment of
infantry that had lately returned from
The colonies, and had come, as in duty
bound, to waste ten days or fortnight
Of his thee months leave in the dull
home of his ancestors. As he was an
handsome, fashionable-look-
ing youth, Frances, when she went
iown 10 dinner, felt quite revived by
he sight of him. Here was something
o dress for, and something TO sing to;
ind although the young lleutenant's
was not whit above the
usual standard of his class, it appeared
lively and witty when compared with
hat of his parents. His small colonial
were more interesting than
Mrs. Dunbar's domestic ones; and his
lccouut of tiger hunt more exciting
han his fathers history of the run he
lad had after fox. Frances was an
equally welcome resource to him
1ere was an opportunity, quite unex-