The Hickman courier., 1868-08-22

SATURDAY,
- -.
4 How an Ola Maid WAS FOiled
/ Il was hot July afternoon, the a
Rii OF slumbrous electricity, and tn
Rnshine sleeping dreamiIy on the close
4 Et grass IL front of the Ierrifeld hote
3 Ihile down in the glen, towards the raj
Apad track, you could distinctly hear til
-. ret and ripple of the little trout-streal
vsser Its bed of messy stones
q Merrifeld was pretty,Fsequestoro
'Ifaee, full of picturesque wood nook
4md pleasant rambles, and, as yet, NJ
4 lI3ssyer- crowded by the high tide of sun
::kher fashionables. Moreover, the fan
sas low, and the hotel charges moderat
-and that was the reason Miss Bets
~ histleton had come thither Tfth h,
Mhnd boxes, her tortoise shell cat, an
Per niece Elfrida.
Miss ess5SSq s5SSqIi ts21ll, sparely fashione
40 ........ = a,o'ui3ss ..vvti s,.., .,s.sl
sr..gT SJ... 5f5z-rSc7tts II 1air issst' cut
Bin 1lle neck, coal black eyes-clas-
syhher than brilliant-and thin.eolor-
- lips. As the Frenchsay, SFhete
so'old maids, and OLD maids. Some
.se perfectly irresistible in their sunny
god humor and en,5onpoint-more be-
Htching than any sixteen -year-old Girl.
bcause their arrows are tipped with the
brh OF experience. But Miss Whistle
to did not belong to this ''rare and ra-
dnt' few She was an old maid-ven-
cloas-a radical opponcnt.to anything
scoring Of matrimony-a Nelieyer in
c!nip tea, total depravity, and the ap-
Paching end Of the world. And above
al things, Miss Whistlcton detested-a
lnnl
Little Elfrida Martin was totally diff
ferut. Elfrida wasjust seventeen. with
a pund, apple-bloom face, eyes as blue
asgood yiolets, and mischievous dots of
diiples, comping and going. like the
iTress Of Cupid finger on her smooth.
pid1 cheek. And Elfrida wore white
dresses, with blue ribbon futterino about
then, and roses at her belt. and read po-
ctr SUB Tosa, and believed in mankind
-prticularly in Tom Castlewynne
: Consequently, it may easily be infer
redthat Elfrida led dolorous life Of it
wiz her aunt Betsy, and her aunt Bet
syl peculiar views.
This particular afternoon, Miss BETSY
satboit upright, engaged in hideous
pieos of patchwork, which had been
poe EHrida's "black beast" ever since
sheWastafl enough to wield b needle.
an, scoldod her neicc persistenfly.
Don't talk to me, Elfrida Martin r
shtsaid onerpotically-which was quite
Unnecessary, for poor Elfc had not open
ed3e lips in quarter Of an hour-''I
kmw perfectly we'll that It is all through
yoir doing that Thomas Castlewynno
ans his riotous, ciear-smoking friend
hare come down TO Merrifeld and taken
th' room next to ours; the very next
rosn [ should think you would be
ash,med Of yourself, Elfrida, to be walk
ipg about the piazza with him. and the
house full Of respectable boarders."
Elde colored up here.
Il am sure, aunt Betsy, Mr.. Castle,
q .s5sssagthg, oIissfpatea. good-for.
nc ing iawyer-and Frank Erlnine is
no better. Elfrida, if you don't stor
taking such long stitches III make Won
ripthem all out again. What | want YOU
to understand is this: that this love-ma-
king business has got TO stop. l won't
tolgate Thomas Castlewynne' presump-
tuols attentions-no, not for another
day, III pack up and leave Nerrifcld
soonr Do you hear me, Elfrida ?"
'.Ycs, aunt Betsy, hear you.
every we'll; then III trouble vou tc
heed me as we'll Perhaps you think !
didn't see you lingering on the very
threshold of their door this morning
talking nonsense about the trumper,
wild roses you had been gathering. Or
the threshold of youag mans room
Elfrida, l don't know what you are com
ing to.
"But, aunty, the door was wide open
aud Mrs. Glenn was in the hall, and Isa
bella Raymond, and Major Parker
daughters"
Il don't care if the twelve tribes o
Isrel were there, it makes it none tn,
less improper for you"-and here he
aunt Betsy rolled up her eyes in fear
full eataleptic manner. "Now stop drop
ping those big tears over the turkey rec
joining of that quilt. [ never saw sucl
baby in my life-never."
What relief it was to poor hunted lit
tie Elfrida when Mrs. Major Parke
came in, with her stiff, rustling silks anc
her basket of knitting work, and she wa
allowed to steal away into the inner room
with pricked finger, aching spinal col
umn, and Dyes yet dewy with tears.
an be married as soon as eE can,
thought Elfe, with an indignant pout o
the cherry lips. "If thought l shoul,
ever live to be an old maid like aun
Betsy, I'd junpinto the river-I would.
And Elfe crept away for walk, low
spirited enough. The afternoon was vel
advanced before Mrs. Parker departed
and Miss Betsy Whistleton, politely sec
ing her to the door, stood looking afte
her portly retreating form.
Il wonder where Elfrida has gone to
~ 5a.adz the spinster-aunt- ''Down il
/ Ttha grove flirting with that odious Castle
wyane. I've no doubt-dear me, wha
trials girls are /? Castlewynne's out some
where, know, for the door Of his r9ou
is aalf-open. Now, l wonder"
Miss Betsy Whistleton stretched he
long neck curiously towards the neigh
boring apartment-she looked up tn
hall and down the hall, but there was no
a soul in sight.
~ don't really believe they axchang
notes." said Miss Whistleton, bNif the
did-and its really very excellent op
portunity-"
She paused again and listened still
no sound; save stray footsteps in tk
hall below.
Il think it's my duty" said Miss Bet
sy, setting her colorless lips together, an
advancing on tip-toe into the apartmer
of Messrs. CastIewynne and Ermine.
Il never was in a mans room befor
thought the lady, with little brindl
and simper. "Dear me, what a variet
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