The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-06-26
I0I II-NO 9. WHOLE NJ OF z1 80.
aqey message to ssPack up my nose without

dsisy. dslsy message 70 "paek up my nose without
/ was not long ID making preparations;
and with much curiosity to behold the old
mansion, set forth with Uncle Althorpe.
4 suppose said my uncle, when we were
comfortably settled in the railway carriage,
that the girls have been frightening YOU
with all sorts of stories about tho place p
No, sir,' 1said, .Iam not oasily frighten-
Mop said my uncle, looking at me with
additional respect; well, have always
heard that o long nose Indicated clear
My poor nose again! Why couldn't he let
it alone? >: 'f'5
sThe girls are half beside themselves with
fear,' he continued; sthere is q story that
the house is haunted; there's walled up
room; a gentleman once shut up his daugh-
tor there for loving young officer; and she
frightened you p '5.'.'
Not in the least, sir. l don't believe in
ghost
sThat's sensible girl! p said my uncle
alphabetically; and he seemed to be consld-
ering this, for he said very little more du-
ring the journey. ..'
Kept an eager lookout for glimpse Of
the house; but it was nearly night when We
arrived ut tho station, and then my uncle's
carriage conveyed us to Pinehurst, distance
Of three or four miles.
The carriage stopped at an ancient gate
way, and the first sight of the place filled
me with ecstacy. The house was en-
tirely out of sight, hidden by the trees, and
n opppo0c ckoA xh,ounh a u~bla
gloried in the dense retirement around US.
Once in tho avenue, we seemed shut in from
the world; and the broad walks, the sloping
lawn, and the aristocratis silence, were all
exactly to my taste. had a passion for
mystery, and my uncie's summer residence
was exceedingly mysterious.
There was the house, and on the broad
steps stood the Eve Graces waiting to receive
US. Oh, that grand old hall 1t did my
heart good to see it! Everything was lofty
and spacious, and Us the old fashioned fur
niture had been left undisturbed, the room
presented perfect picture of century
ago, and claw feet, lions heads, and all
sorts of queer designs started upon me from
oil directions. But my five cousins would
not allow me much time for quiet survey.
sWhy Beckyn exclaimed Matilda, after
regarding me with considerable astonishment
you've really grown pretty?'
$50 you have!' chimed in Hilley; 81 de-
clare, your nose hardly shows at all?'
This was not meant to imply that the Or
gan in question was to small to be seen, but
only that the monstrosity of it was not quite
so prominent as it had hitherto been.
Il like to look at your mouth, Beck, said
Celessine, graciously.
had rather decent mouth.
sWhat have you been doing to make your
eyes so bright?' asked Anna, by way Of ad-
ding her contribution.
'Welln exclaimed Emma, you've left me
nothing to say; prophesy that Becky will
cut US all YETI
Twas beginning to feel extremely foolish,
when. Uncle Althorpe turned me gravely
round, and surveying me from head to foot,
remarked sstnture average height; figure
good, neither fat or lean; hair very passaple;
eyes fine, good straightforward, honest
look in them; nose, but that's prohibited
subject; mouth just what a mouth should
be; chin very pretty, love to see u pretty
chin; complexion delicate, yet healthy; ex-
preston modest but sensible, You'll do.
'Do what?' inquired.
nat remains W Ue SoeuS Sulu OuCfS Al-
|snnr+-,-,-i - .,"";shad. tn read his paper,
and was heard no more that even.
We girls sat and talked until twelve, by
that time Ihad become pretty well acquaint-
ed with the history of Pinehurst.
1t had belonged to tho Pyott family from
time immemorial; and Il proud and aristo.
cratic family they were, who had always
been considered the very cream of society
But the family had all died out with the
exception of IN elderly maiden lady, who
lived there alone in her grandeur until she
adopted nephew, the only child of sister
who had made what the world calls mesal.
Hdnce.
The Miss Eleanor Pyott was the talk of al
| the country around, and every one had some
thing to say about her stately bearing, which
they pronounced exactly that Of an old dow.
ager duchess. Every fibre Of her heart
seemed twined about the old place, and she
refused to have the slightest alteration OF
improvement made in it. The Pyotts fol
generations had dined in that dining room
slept in those chambers, and held courtly
receptions in those drawing rooms; and as
one generation of Pyotts went out another
came in, they followed tenaciously in all the
ways Of their ancestors.
Twas speedily shown to the portrait Of
Miss Eleanor, o very grand old lady indeed.
with long sharp nose, delicate complexion
and hair done up in old fashioned puffs.
was rather struck myself, with the likeness
which bore to the portrait; but l would
not acknowledge this to my cousins.
Miss Pyott never walked beyond the pre-.
cincts of her ancestral mansion; when she
had occasion to 20 farther, she rolled aris.
tocratically along in an old fashioned car
riage. driven by an ancient coachman, who
| considered quick pace decidedly plebean.
The old lady always looked like a portrait
of one of her ancestors descended from its
frame; rich, cogee colored lace ornamented
the heavy brocades in which she attired her
self, and she sported o snuff box that would
have extinguished an ordinary woman.
But the story of Pyott Denmore, hel
nephew interested me most. From early
childhood he had play in these broad aven.
ues roamed through the wooded paths, and
made those empty chambers resound with
gleeful notes; he had listened with deferen.
tial attention to Miss Eleanor's long stories
of this and that ancestor, and faithfully
promised to keep up the old mansion in it.
original style, when she should be gathered
to her fathers; and how in his matured
manhood, when he could fully appreciate
the value of the bequest, he was turned
away as one who had no right there, merely
because she, whose heart was set on installing
him as master of tho old house, had neglected
to commit her wishes to writing. 1t was
very hard, | thought; and in spite of Uncle
Althorpe's learned arguments, 1 persisted it
denounciDg the injustice of tho law.
Fortunately, however, for the nephew.
Miss Eleanor had the good sense to give him
an education calculated to make him depend
upon his our resources. +
'You can't think what charmiming per-
son he is,' said Anna, confdentially. 'We
have never seen him, but we hear that he
has lovely dark eyes, and such a sweet smile
just the style like; and if he succeeds in
getting his property, VIC are all going to sci
our caps for him'
Hence it was agreed that if he regained the
old house, he would also como into posses
sion of lovely wife; for that any one Of
my beautiful cousins should not succeed in
winning any may upon earth never entered
my head. My unfortunate noso looked lar.
ger than ever US l gazed upon my reflection