The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-09-09
DR.. Bondy's Jugglery.

"Well, mother" said Fannie Carter,
entering the breakfast-room with an open
letter in her hand, cat last Laura has con-
sented to come; she will be here ON We'd
nesday."
"Dear me!'' sighed Mrs. Carter, "who
in the world will we get to meet her?-
Why could she not have come earlier in the
season? The idea of keeping us in doubt
until October, and then coming, after all,
when we had given her up, and everybody
has gone to town.
Mrs. Carter was inclined to be somewhat
querulous by temperament, so her daughter
merely said" Never mind, mother, we
shall get along famously, no doubt. Laura
sees enough of fine company in the city,
and half suspect she comes chiefly to visit
me-besides, there's the doctor, you know"
| "Pshaw! The doctor! He's nice parti,
truly, to introduce to a young, fashionable
and rich girl like Laura ElmerH'
"Indeed, mother" said Fannie, "Laura
is not fashionable only; she is intellectual
and well-read; and am sure the doctor
would just suit her.
"Well, if she likes having conversation
all to herself, presume he will, for he
| never enters complete sentence without
he is driven to it,
Fannie said nothing to this; habit she
had, when her mother was unusually cap
tious; and the subject was dropped.
lakewood, the country seat of the Car
tiers, was just days journey by rail from
New York; and few sites were more charm
ing in scenic effect, and especially in Octo-
ber-and no one knew this better than
Mrs. Carter; which was the reason why the
family always put off their return to the
city until the close of this delightful month.
This year October was unusually beauti-
full in the wealth and splendor of color it
had given to the foliage; in the glory of the
cloudless skies and the indefinable charm
of the gently undulating landscape, lead
ing up by harmonious hills to the lofty
| mountains in the distance.
Nesting in the midst of thick grove of
ancient oaks and lofty elms the country
residence of the Carriers stood Cd sufi-
cient elevation to give view of the sur
rounding landscape; of the narrow, wind
ing mill stream, that murmured placidly
beneath it; of its more turbulent flood,
where the mills worked noisily just out of
the village; and of the village itself, shaded
with trees, and with its one graceful spire
pointing heavenward-alt a scene
of perfect beauty and repose.
Fannie Carter was staid, sober-minded
girl; whom all her fathers wealth and all
her mothers weakness-and fashionable
frivolty-had not been able to spoil. Even
finished education at a fashionable
city school had not dwarfed her natural
gifts or warped the spirit of true woman
hood that was inherent in her. Wherever
she got that, she did not inherit it from
poor Mrs. Carter, who was true to nothing
but the laws of fashion.
At the fashionable finishing school afore-
said, Fannie had met Laura Elmer, and
the friendship then formed, unlike most
schoolgirl attachments, had lasted until
the present time-nearly four years.
Laura Elmer was the daughter of a
wealthy merchant, long since retired from
business, and who valued his possessions
only as they could make brighter and hap
pier the lot of the one idol and object of
his life; for Laura was an only child, and
her mother was dead.
Two years in Europe, after her education
was finished, had seemed to be the best
| way for Mr.. Elmer to make his daughter
happy, and certainly the thorough enjoy
ment of that period, and the fact that the
| adulation and intoxication of such life
had not apparently changed or deteriorated
| his daughters character, was ample reward
| to her father for the attentions and kind
ness he had showered upon her. During
the two years they had been home, Laura
had promised to spend portion of each
summer with the Carriers; but unexpected
occurrences had perversely prevented the
visit until now, in October, she had deter
mined to steal few weeks from her city
life to redeem her promise to her friend.
There was much hustle of preparation
at lakewood during the time that interviewed
between the reception of Miss Elmer's let
ter and the important Wednesday. A
spare room next to Fannie's own was
arranged and beautified by that young lady
herself, for the reception of her old school
mate. 1twas selected chiefly for its charm
ing view of the valley and the mill stream,
and also for its proximity to her own sane
tum; for Fannie well remembered the cosy
chit-chats of her schoolgirl days, and
longed to enjoy them once more before the
active interests of life should come to both
of them. And so the ensuing days passed,
and Wednesday, bright and beautiful as
were all those days, came at last.
| 1t was two miles to the depot, and late
in the afternoon Fannie drove over with
the pony and the basket wagon to meet her
friend.
She had been delayed by one thing and
another: the man had been sent on an
errand, and had not returned until late;
then some confusion occurred in getting
out the pony wagon; and when she finally
took her seat, and gathered up the reins
Fannie found she had but about twenty
minutes time, and the road was uphill a
good part of the way. So she whipped up
the pony, and put him on his metal, driv-
ing that astonished animal faster than he
had ever been driven before, and clustering
herself considerably in her hurry, and all
to no purpose-for when she reached the
depot, five minutes after the train was due,
she learned that it was delayed by some
thing Or other, and would not be in for halt
an hour. So with sigh of relief-fo,
Fannie had weakness for punctuality-
she put the pony-wagon in the shed, and
passed into the sitting room of the station
Half an hour elapsed, and no train, and
then Fannie began to be conscious that
there was something wrong; feeling Of
uneasiness began to permeate the atmos
phere, though she heard no word to give il
eIo