Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

r necessary to your happiness"
III.
. Miss Campbell was, as has been said. an
invalid. She saw nothing of the world ex-
cept what was visible through her windows
: and one of her chief pleasures was to watch
Rose Fanshawe. Rose was her widowed
fathers only child, and the supreme mis-
tress of his house and heart. To see her
trip down the steps for drive or promenade,
= or more soberly on Sundays walk off to
! church with her father to see her preside
at table, or receive company with that ndive
. blushing assumption of dignity; to note
the little housewifely airs she took on her
self; to see her. when dressed for a party or
opera, parade up and down the long parlor
to display her toilet to her father and the
servants whose smil slaaaaSsd in at the
dOOr-alI this wES ebe lone
ly little woman across the way. Ii was
pleasant to see Miss Rose, even in her less
sunny moods, when some spoke had slipped
into the household machinery, perhaps when
the careless chamber girl had left the Judges
hpillOws an inch awry, OF forgotten a crum-
pied towel, or put his tooth brush wrong
end up.
Judge Fanshawe was called a stern man
but he did not appear to be ungrateful for
this fond and jealous care. To be sure of
that, one had but to see him come home in
Inc dILeTDOOn, note now his step Qulckened
| as he neared his own house, and how his
face frightened he glanced eagerly up at
the windows. Then one could see him smile
toward the door, and put the latch-key back
into his pocket see a slippered foot and the
hem of a dress beyond the pillars of the yes
tibule, and, perhaps, hear some such greeting
as this called out in a clear, girlish voice,
" Welcome home, dear And how does
your honor do ?''
ln% 81, -
ing the library, arm in arm; when, as like
| ly as not, Rose would find 1t necessary to
re-arrange her fathers cravat, or smooth the
wrinkles out of his forehead, set him 10
rights in some other equally important re-
spect, chattering, all the time, without ceas-
. ing.
/ g And if what she says were wiser than
the wisdom of Solomon, and more poetical
than all the poets, he could not look better
I pleased" " thinks Miss Hester.
/ Let it not for an instant be supposed that
| Miss Campbell watched her neighbors slyly,
or that her observation was offensive. She
was no such person, and they knew that she
was not, and there was a tacit understanding
between them on the subject.
- You see, padre mo, Miss Fanshawe
said, " like to have the dear little soul look
over here. 1t seems to amuse her. Besides
she is perfectly well bred about it, and shows
as much delicacy as frankness. And l like
the pluck she has shown in that bow-window
affair
For, in the face of multiplied importuni-
ties to sell, Miss Campbell had lately had
bow-wIndow built upon the front of her
hOuse-a movement at once aggressive and
conciliatory, indicating her determination
not to be Ousted, but also her desire TO be
as Ornamental as circumstances would allow.
In this window, the evening after hearing
the story of Mr.. Francis Grey's fortunes,
Miss Campbell sat leaning out into the soft
October night, and watching the company
next door. There had been dipneI-pgrty
of gentlemen, IN honor of Judge faDshare's
fftieth birthday, and though the greater part
of them were potent, grave, and reverend
seigneurs,' the watcher felt special inter-
est in looking, for her cousin and Mr.. Fran
els Grey were the exceptional young men
invited to keep their girlish hostess in coun-
tenance.
1 Rose received my laddie very well,
commented Miss Hester, to whom the open
windows and curtains gave full view of the
rooms - And no wonder Donald's ad-
dress is pleasing, even with that touch of
diffidence he has, since it is never awkward.
/ How well his auburn hair lights up, and
what winning smile he has, bless him
And now comes Mr.. Grey. as finished and
sharp as my scissors. He is handsome in his
way but don't like that marble white
ness, with black hair. 1t looks too much
/ like pen and ink portrait of man. A
wash Of sepia would improve him. Besides,
he is too polished and that is always hard
substance, l think, which takes good pol
ish. Now Roe is going to the piano. Oh,
why won't somebody stop that Organ-grind-
er p
Listening eagerly, she caught the last
stanZa of the song
Cao sy-aot HE ,-o5co sao ar,oott, b5s
His breath's like cauler air;
His very fit has music int,
As he the stair.
And Will see his face again
And will hear him speak!
Tm DOWNRIGHT dizzy with the thOucht
In tToth I'm like TO gIeet.7
The inexorable hand-organ snatched away
the rest, and ground it up.
Miss Campbell recolleeted the story of
Madame de Siael, who, expecting a Scottish
visitor, seated herself at her harp and greet
ed his entrance to her salon with the strains
of LOdchdber no more. - Grace is the same
world over she thought - And a simple
lassie may be as charming as queen"
After the song was over, some of the com
pany stepped out into a balcony to look at
the night, lying in Rembrandt light and
shade in the streets below, overhead an abyss
of darkness, spanned by the jewelled arch
of the milky and swarming with stars.
One of the gentlemen recited Blanco White s
others were silent while they stood, and
silently, one by one, returned to the drawing
room.
Just inside the window Rose stood holding
the curtaln-tassel in her hand, and industri-
ously counting the loops in the fringe, while
she listened to something MIR. Francis Grey
was saying to her. She looked up to smile
as Lieutenant Campbell passed her, bowling
lOwly, then lowered her eyes and listened
, I a. but only for DrOnpInO
j the tassel, she turned away, with some slow
! reluctant word, which the other had seemed
to plead for, cast over her shoulder.
'' You are too late, young man - whisper
ed Miss Hester delightedly. 1" The Camp
bells are coming, Ohio Dinna ye hear the
pibrOch ?''
A few days after this dinner the CONNER
} cial world had sensation. Mr. Francis
: Grey, having gone up like a rocket, came
down like a stick. Emboldened by his un-
) exampled success, he had embarked in a
daring speculation, and had iailtd. At any
earlier period of his career recovery would
} have been possible; now his ruin was utter.
1t was not only loss of money, but of rep
utation.
/, " am thankful, my dear, that you were
not engaged to him, Judge Fanshawe said
after having told his daughter what had hap
pened.
Mr. Grey had offered himself to Rose, and
seeing his chance OF favorable answer very
small, had urged her to wait a week before
deciding. In that time he hoped TO be able
to tempt her with brilliant fortune.
; She stood silent moment beside her ia
$ ther's chair, absently watching him lay out
on the table before him, the notes of trial
he was studying. But, papa, you know
had not absolutely refused him." she said
l. presently.
'' lie will scarcely give you the chance to