Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-05-15

the midst of strangers, you have dlscoV-
cred familiar face amongst them, you
may remember what a pleasant revul-
sion it caused i'm your feelings, and how
a mere acquantanceship bore the look
of intimate friendship by the contrast.
"What said |, " do you know the Win
tons ~
Eyes" she replied, and looked rather
astonished at my tone | have known
them since | was quite fifty thing I;
Sarah Winton il my great ally"
Her reply showed an absurdity an
undue assumption of Intimacy in my eX-
clamation, which would have been very
numbering to reflect upon in the pre-
sence of most ladies but Ada Dart was
like the sun it was impossible to feel
cold or numb when she was shining on
you: and she always shone; | do not
believe she ever snubbed poor fellow in
her life. She would laugh at him, in
deed, on very slight provOcatiOn, but
those who would have resented ridicule
the soonest in any one else, were never
offended at Ada no one ever frowned
at her, Or disliked her, or scolded her,
or faile to pet and spoil her since she
was first placed in the cradle, | be-
lieve.
And ridiculous proverb asserts that
beauty is only skin deep! For she was
beautiful even other beauties acknow-
lodged that. All they could do was to
compare her with models of a totally dis
tinct style, or to suggest that certain
natural charms might be due to art.
She was plump and white as Il baby (;
each of her large hazel eyes had dis
tinct soul i'm it; where other mortals
possessed knuckles, she had dimples; her
ear was flower, her But | dare
not dwell on her charms, SO, pray, try
to imagine them. 1t is an impossibility;
but never mind-try.
could not remain long by her side ;,
the room was full ofstrangers, withwhom
| had now to form acquaintance for the
first time, even the ladies of the house
being unknown to me. | was evcntu-
ally pared of with companion who was
much interested in the Catholic revival,
and evidently thought little of me after
making the unfortunate discovery that
| did not know what colored stole
should be worn in cmber-wecks. My
dinner was spoiled by a perpetual Dread
of speaking with levity of things she re-
verenced and if | had not at last hap
PLY hit upon the safe course of violent
! ly abusing the Low Church party, be-
lieve that | should have an Indigestion.
| The place coveted at the side of Ada
Dart was filled by Paddy OBrian who
had wonderful and enviable power of
showing p0liteness and apparent atten-
ton to the general company, while real
ly attaching himself to one select indi-
vidual. | had met O'Brian at the same
parties as Ada, but had never noticed
any particular attentions on his part.
! Now, however, he seemed to be estab-
lishinga Irritation in form, which was
serious; for man may go very far in a
public ballroom with comparative inn
punity, but trifling in cOuntry-house
is very different matter.
Before the evening was over | felt GER
tain that | had no chance of walking
over" for the prize, and also that she
was worth winning; for Paddy was not
deed, he could not afford so romantic a
proceeding.
When the ladies retired, most of the
men repaired to the billiard-roOm, where
cigars and grog were provided but the
majority were tired and went to bed
early, leaving O'Bran and myself to
finish game.
"Well," said he as soon rs we were
alone, 81 suppose that you and have
been asked down here for the same
thing"
40 yes; the shooting you mean," l re-
piled.
"Shootng! That's the polite way of
paying us. They want us to help them
with their private theatricals.'
ooh, they are going to get up private
theatricals, are they?'
"TO be sure, or you would never have
been asked to WintOn Hall, nor | either,
faith got it all out of Miss Dart"
"WhO will tell us what to do about
scenery, dresses, and all the little de-
tails?" said Miss Winton, when the
family took the stage-fever badly last
summer. Don't you know some one,
papa"
of our directors is great on the drama:
at least he talks of nothing else, and
though not Solomon, that seems to be
his speciality"
"But is he presentable ?" asked Julia
Winton-Seymour's girl, you know.
80 yes" replied Sir Thomas: she
has paid up on his shares, and he aspi-
rates his rs, and he has really very fine
whiskers ~
"Shut up, O'Brian !" said l. "Do not
fOist off your own impertinences upon
the innocent. And what were you asked
here for?'
"To act, of course" If it had not
been for MY success in Sir Lucius o.
Trigger at Lady Socks, l might
have gone hang before ever I'd have
been guest in this elegant establish
} ment. Oh, there is no Sinking the
) truth with me, my boy; nobody does
: anything for nothing in this world"
There was undoubtedly sediment of
truth at the bottom of this frothy cyni-
cism of o. Brian's for on the following
) day, the subject of private theatricals
: was quietly preached in my presence by
the Misses Winton and it soon became
, evident that their heads, and those OF
the majority of their guests, were runs
| ming upon nothing else, SO that even if
the drama had not been my particular
} hobby, my sympathetic nature would
have been carried away by the general