Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-08
THE DREADED GUEST.


lifting his eyes languidly from the morning
paper.
'Gaston's country cousin, Maria Anne CO.
bum"
"Phebus, what name How upon earth
did you happen 10 invite her :"
stWhy, il seemed positively heathensh not
to. The girls at Madame Etron's school are
not allowed to spend their vacations out of
the establishment unless they are sent for by
relatives; aud we've never had her here
The first summer after CASTOR and | were
married the house was too full the next two
summers We were in Europe; and now Gas
ton really insists upon it"
aWhy don't she 90 home :"
"She has no home. Not relative has she
in the world but CASTOR except an uncle
whom Madame very properly refused to let
her visit because the family are underlined"
"Heavens, what am l to dO?" and the
Young gentleman actually sat upright with
horror Think of it-an overgrOwn, awk-
ward girl, neither child nor wOman full of
Z pretence and eonceit, exactng and eapriciOus,
and setting snares for poor me whom she
will be eager to endow with her country farm
and her acres Of growing timber"
"She has no farm and no growing timber,
so you may set your mind at rest upon that
point. She has only money enough TO edu-
cate her thoroughly, and possibly support her
a year or so after leaving school"
$50 much the worse then, for she'll set her
self to catch my house and lots and bank
stocks; and must talk, and drive, and row,
and botanic. and ask her to sing. Think of
it, Adele. What am l to do? :"
"The generous way to do, brother mine,
will be to help me to make her at home here.
Welcome her with cOusinly kiss, aid call
her Aria as her companions do if she will let
you, which, perhaps she won't"
. "Faugh do be reasonable. Ask one of
your young men acquaintance to come and
take the duty off my hands,"
"Harry Vincent, for instance; so | will
He's perfect gentleman and the most com
panionable person 1 ever saw. He assists
me in entertaining guests more than any 9th
er half dozen visitors who were ever at Glen
dale"
"Ve-y we'll l shan't be at home to din
ner, and will bring Harry out to night so
that he may De ready to commence the cam
paign tomorrow"
Inasmuch as Aubrey Landers was himself
guest at Glendale, his sisters lovely cOun-
. try seat il would have been polite TO assist
her in welcoming her husbands friends; but
very elegant people are often guilty of ex-
tremely i'll bred and ungenerOus actions, and
the gentleman had never been known to con-
suit the interests, comfort or sensibility of
anybody, when by doing so he would put him
self to the slightest inconvenience. Hand
some, not with the beauty of mind or soul,
but with that of perfect curves and rich col
oring wealthy with the returns of anOther's
labor; polished, but not refined; fautless in
dress; possessed of tact, but not OF good
feeling learned and witty enough for the
drawing room, but destitute of manly energy,
and too idle for manly wOrk-he had been
taught TO believe himself irresistible in at
traction, and fancied that he need but show
himself to captivate all hearts. He did not
doubt that the admiration and even the love
of the awkward school girl awaited him, any
more than he doubted his own existence
They we're as certain to him as the coming of
night or the glitter of its awakening stars
If he had hoped for any amusement from such
an acquisition, no sense of justice, no regard,
no tenderness toward the victim, would have
withheld him from enjoying it; but il prom
ised to be a bore, and he carried out his plan
of finding Harry Vincent and making over to
him the duties which were to prove so irk-
some.
"Thank you," said Harry, after listening
TO a statement of the case. really am
glad of the invitation. am nowhere as hap
DIV as at Glendale; and as for Maria Anna,
am quite ready TO accept the good she may
bring, and ignore the evil. | won't laugh at
her or patronize her, and / will serve her
much better than if she were the reigning
belle. am not elegant like you, Aubrey,
and / don't care straw what people of our
set think of me or my doings. lust want
to be happy myself and to see everybody
happy about me, and so things that render
YOU fdgety and uncomfortable, don't annoy
me at all. Maria Anne and / viii get on ia
mously, I-don't doubt"
The gentleman arrived at Glendale too late
to see the formidable guest that evening I;
but the next morning, Aubrey paused a mo-
ment in the midst of his toilette to look into
the gardens which lay beneath the windows
5i of his dressing room, and saw young lady
walking slowly down the bro ID gravel path
or.d
flower, herself as bright and fresh as the
= blossoms over which she bent. She was
slight in figure, with a sweet face out of
which looked innocent, happy eyes. Her
morning dress of white muslin was carelessly
knotted down in front and at the wrists with
blue ribbons, and the fall of her broad
e. brinued hat upon one shoulder revealed a
tangle of sunny curls escaping here nd there
from a blue net, apparently too small for
their length aud abundance. Harry Vincent
was at her side, and a sprightly contest COM
mencing respecting a bunch of for tine
nots which he held in his hand. II was play
fully offered and refused conditions we're i'm
posed which were gaily rejected. Suddenly
Harry went down on one knee and lifted his
eyes full of arch merriment and cordial good
nature. The young girl relented. She held
- out her hand, and her cavalier fastened the
spray in the blue sleeve-ribbon, not forgetting
to kiss the hand itself before rising to his
y sfeebI A low musical laugh hoated upward,
blended with a few words OF gentle reproof,
and then the two strolled leisurey toward
TIEz the house. 80 bra sTs9I1u g 2
/" Middle Coburn," said Antonio, Aubre's
French valet "Mademoiselle came yesterday
while Monsieur was in town"
A sharp spasm, of physical pair, convuls-
sed his master as he spoke. In the few min
utes during which he had watched the loiter-
- ers he had found his heart and had taken
the young girl into its very centre. He tho
go exquisite, who had played around so many
elegant women. who had whispered so many
nothings-he, the man of the world, the pet
Ted faForite Of an exclusive set, had fallen in
- love with country school girl who had an
under-bred uncle and a. vulgar name. And
= Harry Vincent. A passion Of jealous hatred
filed Aubrey's soul as he mentally repeated
bis name. His eyes flashed, his hands trem-