The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-11-09
KENNETH'S AMBUSCADF.
A Charming story,

tuICC El'iH utIlil'll''l III VIZ WI
next room. There's an end Of the
writing for one month, Mt least"
Kenneth Ross pushed his papers
into n confused heap, and lighted n
cigar IN n sort of quiet despair.
"Ihcrc arc my cousin Flora, Alice
Aymcr and Rose Fcrnall-bluc eyes,
black eyes and melting gray. by the
way, that little monkey Rosa isn't
bad looking. rather fancy that
peculiar shade Of flbcrt brown hair,
and big gray eyes, and checks where
the blood tluttcrs like a pink pcnnon.
Rosa Fcrnall would make q toIcrable
study for my next heroine, | may
as well put her to some useful pur-
pose. lIcigho"
Kenneth Ross paused a moment,
as tho peal Of girlish laughter echoed
In the adjoining apartment.
"They are laughing at me, III
wager my opal scarf. Gins always
think u bachelor fair game; they've
no more respect for the dignity OF
man than so many brazilian monk
cysw
And Mr.. Ross looked rather com
placcntly in the mirror opposite,
which reflected an oval brown face,
with shining black hair and nous
tache, brilliant dark eyes, and a
mirthful, spirited mouth.
Tap! tap tap! sounded softly on
tho panel Of his door, even while he
vW engaged in taking this personal
survey OF himself, and he had JUST
time to take his feet off the table be-
fore Miss Flora Eigcworth put her
sunshiny little head into ;hc room
"Cousin Kenneth, arc you thcre!'
eyes,
"May we come ini'
"Why you'll come in, whether |
grant permission or not, and may as
well say--Ycs.'
~ just want the girls to see what
A dear little scholarly den you have
got here, all hung with pictures and
mcerschaums and decr's horns, and
darling, dismal skulls, and"
Flora threw open the door and nd.
mitted her companions-rosy, laugh
Ing damsclS Of eighteen and twenty
one.
"Ilcre he il, girls the old bachelor,
as he appears in his native wi!d6"
"Now, | tell you what, young la
dies" said Mr.. toss, throwing his
halfsmokcd cigar deliberately out of
the window, Il must trouble You to
be a little lest mceremOnious"
For Alice and Flora had pounccd
on his loose manuscript, and were al
ready laughing over the rather iIlc9-
iblc chirography.
Miss Fcrnall stood near the door,
little confused, and very pretty, in
her bushes and unCcrta inty.
"Alicc! Flora. don't" she appeal
ed.
ats no use, Miss Isosa!" said
Kenneth, dcspairingly, 'Girls, will
you be so kind rs to leave my writ
ing desk alone! There is no use in
looking in that draWC", either, unless
you arc particularly interested in
blacking brushes and old bools.'
'IIow,can you, Fora" pleaded the
shocked Rosa.
con, my, girls" twiiicrcd Miss
Elgcwor,h, ccstaticnlly, "hcrc'- II
bottle of rca! l'nrim cologne. Ont
with your pocket handkcrchicls--bc
quick Go on, Ken; what were you
%saying"
But Mr.. Toss preserved n stately
silcncc.
"D)n't be cross, KENNETH" said
Flora, a%prinkling II scented dow on
her yellow curls from the slender,
foreign shaped bottle. "Wc'ro going
down to the post Office now. Rosa
Fcrnall has written u twelve pn9c
letter TO her sweetheart out in Cana
dn-'
"And' pursued the relentless
Flora, "wc're going to post it. Come
girls, the sun is getting more opprcs-
sivc every minutc,'
And the next moment Nlr. Ross
wns lett alone in the summer silence
of the room, with heavy musk roses
nodding at the open casomatc, and
the dreamy murlnut Of maple bonghs
and far-Or beds In his car.
"A twelve page letter TO her sweet
hearth" pondcrcd Mr.. kcnnott, with
n very ominous contraction Of his
eyebrows. ",Shc must have had
something very interesting TO write.
wonder who he IL, Canada, ell? |
wish II was Van Dicman's Land"
Mr.. Ross rose from his easy chair,
and began to walk up and down the
floor.
ats too COMPOUNDED hotto breathe
here" he sale impatiently taking up
his straw hat, am 90 and take a
tramp In the woods. Twelve pages!
what could she have found to fill up
twelve naRcs!"
Flora Edgcworth had su"ccedGd in
plantinga thorn in her cousin s breast,
an unconscious though she had been.
The SUI was low in the cloudlcss
wcatcrn sky when Kenneth Rose re-
turned from his distracted ramblc in
the woods, aud the wide, old-fash-
Toned country house was very still,
ga he assembled the oaken staircase,
md went abscnily along the corridor
towards his own apartment.
"Hallo!"
Mr. Ross gazed vacantly around
the rOomwith something Of the be-
wildered feeling that might have be-
logged to the Eastern prince, when
Io found himself transported from
pole to pole in an enchanted dream.
am in the wrong room, ! do be
Jicvc--for there is Flora Edgcworih's
white zcphy', shawl on the bed, and
ItosA's black velvet Derby hat, and
no end of ribbons, and gloves, and
'acc collars on the bureau. | don't
see how | ever came to make such
a blundcr-l must have been in q
brown study !"
JIG balanced the %c0lucttish little
black velvet "Dcrby hat on his hand
he spoke.