Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-01-08
THE TNTELLIGENCER.
ZEE MIsphHps o. AuRA PLAIsroM ".

",
George Grace by name. ''little George" as
he called; the especial horror nf his cousins;
and, in his aunt's estimation, the disgrace of the
family. though no one knew why, excepting that
he had once taken part in some private theitri-
Gals, and was great in getting up fcteS and pub.
lie amusemcnts. Whatsoever might be the
cause, certain was the result; that he was con.
>idered utterly worthless aud reprehcnsihle mt
the Hnlles, and madp plainly TO understand that
more thOrIlS than flowers grew there for him.
He was an ugly, droE, clever, COOL humorcd little
fellow; general faTorite, always excepting With
his aunti and one Of the most harmless little
mortalS breathing. Every one but the DclaneS
had Il good word to say for George Grace, aud
there was not villager who would not have
fought like Trojan for his sake. Tom had once
spoken of him to Aura, in n casual kind of way,
as that sad little pickle, George Grace" but
Aura had forgotten all about him. She remen
bcrcd though what Tom had said when hc called
soon after her arrival, for the express purpose.
indeed, of seeing her, and of finding ont her
quzzlhle points. For that she must hc quzzl-
bic, little George made not the smallest doubt
"What indeed could that gond looking muf
cousin Tom, choose, but pendant to Mary and
Margaret, mere animated bundle of whaebone
and vinegar However he would call and see
Tor himself"
And call he accordingly did What was his
aunazement when tall, supple, laughing girl
burst into the room, dressed in pretty but
quaint and questionable costume, something
made up out of bright colnred petlcout, short
and scauty, aud pretty little picturesque jnck-
ct nuder which it was very evident were no
yha!eboue; costume where was neither mil
.ncry nor fashion, but regard paid only to Color
foru,, and convenience? And when she hogan
to talk in that clear, loud, open voice of hers,
George perfectly stared with wonder, partly at
her innocent audacity in Mrs. Delanes awful
presence, partly at cousin Toms come OUT in
4 l.. l,,E. Ill
little Georgie and Aura become good friends at
sitting, and fraternized maSonicaly. And
when Georgie went away, Aura said, and all the
room heard her, and half the village might have
done so too
81 hope shall sec you again soon"
Which was what Tom himself dared not have
said.
"You must not give invitations in that man
ner," said Margaret; taking her into the gardei;
"mamma does not ike it."
"What inyitations!" asked Aura, wondering
ly.
'But what did say? lid not say nuything."
''Yes, yon did; yuu said you hoped you would
see him again soon. Mamma is very particular
about her authority
"Ohi Pm sure did not mean anything" said
Aura, all ina iame of sorrow and peniieuce-
- I'll go aud tell Mrs. Deane So Aud before
Margaret could stop her, she had rushed through
the garden, Jumping all the flower beds, an'! had
torn up stairs where. out of breath and painting
she assured Mrs Delane that she had not meant
to offend her, aud that she was very sorry II
she had done so, winding mp her explosive peni-
tence by kissing that lady'S stern, grim, frown-
ing face.
Never do that ngain, young lady ~ said Mrs.
DeIane angrily, Your conduct, Miss Piaistow,
is positively unhearable How have you been
brought up? with sayagcS, or how faryon are
not in action, breeding, or idea, IN the rS,noteNt
degree like an English gentle woman. You are
unlike anything l have ever met with, and, let
me say, as disagreeable as you are singular
Never let me have to speak 10 you again ON such
subjects, and never presume tn repeat the ofen-
sve liberty you have just tasen,"
81 am very sorry" said Aura, for the iirSt
time really hurt; the tears coming into her eyes
And then she turned away aud went sadly up
stairs. where she did what She had not done
since She fell from the pony aud cut her head.
eleven years ago-had u long aud violent int ot
crying.
| This was the first real pnnctdre the small
end of the wedge. Having accomplished thus
much, Mrs Delanc had the game now in her
hands, and might deal what suits she chose
Acting on AIra's words, and following hiS
own impulse, George Grace queer, drOll, ugly
little George, called the next day, on some
made.up business, which could have been seen
through with even less than Mrs. Delancs
p.netration. Aura was very glad to sec him.
kindness, that she had seen since she came to
the lInllicS. For Tom had changed sn much
from the "plrnsant old Tom of Merridno;
he was so stiff and starched, ami so frightened
of his mother he laced his moral stays SO
tightly, and kept Aura at such an awful dis
tancc, that often the girl felt as if she had en-
gagged herself to his brother who had left her
here under his care; but, as for feeling engaged
TO him, as he was now, she did not. Why,
he scarcely ever spoke 10 her, aud was very
seldom with herl When they were all in the
room together, Tom would invariably make
some excuse, and go away; or If pressed by
his mother to stay, in manner which there
1aS no refusing, he was too well taught Tor that,
or if soltencd hy Aura's laughing, coaXing,
| sweet. tempered lOvingncsS, into believing that
things would 60 smoothly that evening, nc
would sit in such evident misery, and manifest
such n disposition to "snnh AURA and to lind
every thing she said aud did vulgar or nistimed,
that the poor child, hearty she wa>, grew
! daily more depressed and more unconsrinuSly
uuhappy; not critical enough TO understand
what hurt her nor introspective enough to
quite make out that she was hurt at all. This
Was so different from what it bad been; for at
| Merritlno Tom had been the merricSt laughter
and the blithcst vagabbnd of them all; the
/ first for game with kitten, pup, Or chidi the
! widest rover, and the most unconventional
! Ilover. while now and here lie was male of
buckrau,, bristling with eieranr dc trise- But
'l,,,,, IA, n so,nr,yhut ulaVed part ut MerTiInO :;