Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-05-27

81 like to look at your mouth, Becky,
said Celestine, graciously.
| had rather decent mouth.
"What have YOU been doing to max
your eyes SO bright," asked Anna, by wa,
of adding her contribution.
"Wellr" exclaimed Emma, "you've lef
me nothing to say; but l prophesy tina
Becky will cut us all out yet"
was beginning to feel extremely fool
ish, when Uncle Althorpe turned me grave
Iy round, and surveying me from head t
foot, remarked "Stature average height
figure good, neither fat nor lean; hair very
passable; eyes fine, straightforward
honest look in them; nose, but that's pro
hibited subject; mouth Just what a mouti
should be; chin very pretty, love to see
pretty chin: complexion delicate, ye
healthy; expression modest. but sensible
You'll do.'
"Do what1" | inquired.
"That remains to be sc Gen." said UnGl
Althorpe-and he vanished to read his pa
per, and was heard no more that evening
We girls sat and talked until twelve, b,
that time had become pretty well &C
quainted with the history of Pinehurst.
1t had belonged to the Pyo,t family from
time immemorial, and proud and aristo
cratic family they were, who had alway
been considered the very cream of society
But the family had all died out, with tn
exception of an elderly maiden lady, VIII
lived there alone in her grandeur until sht
adopted a nephew, the only child of sis
Ter who had made what the world calls
mesauiance.
The Miss Eleanor Pyott was the talk o
all the country arounc. and every one haC
something 70 say about her stately bearing
which they pronounced exactly that of al
old dewager duchess. Every fibre of he
heart seemed entwined about the old place
an | she refused to have the slightest alter
alton or improvement made in it. The Py.
cts for generations had dined in that di
slept in those chambers, anc
held courtly receptions in those drawing.
rooms; and as one generation Of Pyotts
went out and another came in, they follow.
ed tenaciously in all the ways of their an.
cestors.
was speedily shown the portrait of Miss
Eleanor; very grand old lady indeed, with
a long sharp nose, delicate complexion, ,and
hair done up in old fashioned puffs. was
rather struck, myself, with the likeness ]
bore to the portrait; but would not ac-
knowledge this to my cousins.
Miss Pyott never walked beyond the pre-
cincts of her ancestral mansion; when she
bad occasion to GO farther. she rolled aris.
along in an old-fashioned car
riage, driven by an ancient coachman, who
considered quick pace decidedly plebian.
The old lady always looked like portrait
descended from its frame; rich, coffee-col-
ored lace ornamented the heavy brocades in
which she attred herself, and she sported
a muf' that would have extinguished an Or
dinary woman.
But the story of Pyott Denmore, her
nephew, interested me most. From early
he had played in these broad av-
enues, roamed through the wooded paths
and made those empty chambers resound
with gleeful notes; he had listened with
deferen;ial attention to Miss Eleanor's S
long storys OF this and that ancestor, and
faithfully promised to keep up the old man.
sion in It's original style, when she should
be gathered to her fathers; and now in his
matured manhood, when he could fully ap-
precia.e 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 master of the old house,
had neglected to commit her wishes TO
writing 1t was very hard, | thought; and
in spite of Uncle Althorpe's learned argu-
ments, l persisted in deDouncing the injus-
tice of the law.
Fortunately, however, for her nephew,
Miss Eleanor had the good sense to give
him an education calculated to make him
depend upon his own resources.
"You can't think what acharming person
he is" said Anna, confidently. ave have
never seen him; but we hear he has lovely
dark eyes, and such sweet smile! just the
style like; and if he succeeds in getting
his property, we are all going to set our
caps ct him.
Hence it was agreed that if he regained
the old house, he would also come into pos
session Of lovely wife; for that any one
of my beautiful cousins should not succeed
in winning any nan upon earth never enter
ed my head. My unfortunate nose Looked
larger than ever as gazed upon my rehec.
tion while undressing for the night.
Matilda and occupied the same room,
and she amused herself with relating to me
all the various alarms they had experienced
with the benevolent intention of frighten.
ing me. But remained perfectly uncon.
cerned, while my cousin involuntarily trem
bled, ami behaved like the veritable littlt
coward she was.
Severa! times during the night was com
PEELED to rise from the couch and explore
the apartment in order to allaysher tremors
Now it was the huge re-p!ace, in which
something was certainly moving, then tn,
moon sent an unusual light into the room
and next mysterious tapping on tie win
dow-pane had to be explained. This some
what puzzled me at first; but soon dis
covered that the branches of the trees
which we're very near the window, wer
continually driven by ;he wind against III
glass, and thus produced the perplexin
noise.
Again and again, as | laughed at poo
Matilda. was | thankful for not being
coward; and in the midst of these alarms
could have explored the whole house alon
with perfect serenity.