The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-06-07
Ashland, Ohio Wednesday Morning 1871

] brilliant nonsense. Robert read a
/, scientific review over her head. His
( step7moi her asked his opinion on some
I fsubject connected with a political ar
! ficle in the paper she held. Robert
gave it. Behold, the butterfly left
1. the fashions, swooped into the arena
rs if.her wings were as strong as an
eagles politely differed with him, held
r. her argument yell, and absolutely
q proved the potent gentleman in the
wrong. Robert was=as much aston
:. ished as if one of his mothers canaries
had burst into a TRADE in ancient
Greek. :.., .,....-.....
/, hack to, the fashions went Miss
Maury- court. train, my dear
Marian, Of Maria Louise blue, three
/ rows of Duchess lace Robert
pushed away his chair in disgust, and
swent out. The last sound he heard
was Miss Maury' 3 silvery laugh over
l a bit of Tom nonsense such a ring
ing babyish laughl+ OF course, he
! said, aDgrily, she had no ideas; her
little harrangae had been; something
4 leaned pafrot-lik like-anothcr leSfibi-
ton in reality of her fri3 olouss. nature.
Two days passed, and Miss Nfaury
several times surprised him in Il similar
manner. Never having made study
of butterflies, he was sorely puzzled
by the dazzling creature, atfd to his
Infinite wonder, caught himself think
ing about her in the midst of his
grsvest thoughts. . -.
The third afternoon the young peo-
pie wandered off to the brook, it being
a nice, cloudy day and the brook one
Of the few show-bits that the flat
country about Marshlands could boast.
n obody thought of disturbing Robert
with an invitation. He had politely
declined accompanying his mother on
visit, because some wrong in the
ciose-built manufacturing town need
ed an eloquent letter of protest, which
could not wait, h.1I
In The middle of the afternoon, he
| wanted a book he had given Marian
to keep; and though he rarclyYielded
to an impulse nowadays, he did give
way to the one that inspired him to go
in search Of Marian instead Of send
ing servant.
He walked down through the
meadows till he came near the brook
and in sight ofwhat was altogether 4
pretty scene. In the background rose
the gabled front of the old mansion !;
in front, the wide, rapidly flowing
stream, with clumps of alders, and
here and therea graceful elm. Tom
lay Oh the bank on the other side,
shading his eyes with his hat, and
laughing. Marian, with a basket for
holding mosses on her arm. was look
ing at him half in rcproof. Jenny
was to busy at her task of taking
care of some choice plant to notice
what went on. In the middle Of the
brook, holding up her long train, that
had become unfastened, Juliet Maury
was picking her way oyer the slippery
stones to where Robert stood. She
and Tom had laid wager that she
could not cross alone without wetting
her feet, .encumbered with her train
and her parasol; and in spite of Ma
rian's reproaches, Tom lay still to see
their cousin lose the bet.
Stay where you are! Robert called
as imperatively as he would have spo-
ken to one of his sisters. Tom, you
ought to be eofoggedP J s... .is.
.sz IA bet is bst,' quoth Tom, Gen
tentiousiy. .....,gl .,.--rs-' ...- l.
II am doing. very well,' returned
Juliet and added, to herself I'D
rather have three duckings than let
yon1help me, you old fossil. y =. ..,-.,
s1Slie took more steps forward, and
was past the middle of the brook,
when q, treaeheYeus stone slipped
Than she paused in "A most uncom-
Portable position, for she was afraid. to
trust. her other foot ony'the stone i'll
advance of heygs. rs--.o ..s.yr-s " =
Mr.. WashhEne hurried toward her,
saying, /. -,l.----sle @ -. u. ....rs -
'Hold out your parasol-take care! J
In his eagerness, he poised himself
on one foot, went souse into hole, and
was drenched to- his knees; whereat
Tom shouted, and then was afraid of
his brothers ire. -, -. ,..r
Robert got out of the hole and went
in on the other side. and was SO far
beguiled. out of his dignity by. the. ri.
dieulous plight, that he laughed louder
than. Tom.s-5s o. II, .,..s.-,-,.a.,.t4
In the lmeantime, Miss Maury had
great difficulty keeping herself from a
Similar bath. The first thing she
knew, she was elevated in the phi
Slahthropist's arms, and ho waded
ashore with, her in silence. ,,...s,-
>; Il wish you had stayed. and minded
your own. affairs snapped Juliet, you
have lost me my bet. .,.e
Come up to the house., said he !; !
Il am sure you have wet your feet.
Il hope / have cried she, I hope it
will give me cold and a. copsump-
tion--it will be all your, fault. .'.-.s5 -.
Then they looked Mt, each other,
and both burst out laughing and felt
better acquainted than six months OIL
ordinary Intercourse could have mado |
them. They walked on short dis
taEce, then. Juliet said: t... ~.
1T is not exactly polite to leave the |
girls. .. -. =. -.
They arc coming Robert said care !
lessly, r Anyway, it's no matter
4 beg your pardon, replied she; 'in !
my creed it is. I have been wanting
to quarrel with you all day about just
such things ,I.....
What have | done wrong?' he ask
ed, o good deal amused at being thus |.
taken to task, -, n
. tEyerything,' she replied. You arc
50, full of. one idea that your life is lop
making wickedness out
Of "a virtue. ..-, =. oi:,s. ...-.
An example questioned he.
Take this morning, said she, stop.