Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-04-06
THE STRANGE PERFUME.

THE STRANGE PERFUME.
Lounging carelessly in an armchair,
his eyes fixed on a lady beside him, with
an open letter in her hand, was tall,
fair.hsired young man.
"What have you there, mother?"
he said, throwing his arm around her
in caressing way. "That smile makes
you positively young, | declare"
Losing his father in India, when a
child. small legacy from his god
mother had, with the most severe
economy, given George Roberts a liberal
education, while his mother had her
small pension alone to depend upon.
dead and her only brother, who in
herited the estate, had ever refused any
overtures toward a reconciliation. Not
even in her widest day dream had Mrs.
Roberts hoped to behold her childhood's 8
home again.
No wonder, then, that her cheek
flushed and her eye frightened over the
letter in her hand, for it contained an
invitation for herself and son to spend
the Christmas week at Locksley Grange
Though expressed in cold and formal
terms it was courteous, and the buried
years OF the past were not alluded to.
The young man took the letter, which
she gave him without comment, and,
glancing through it to the signature
Paul Edward Hollowes, looked up
at his mother.
Your uncle, my son. she said.
A flush of indignant feeling passed
over the pleasant face. Was this cold
and naughty uncle, who had so long
Ignored their existence, to summon
them to his presence by wave of his
hand? BY hard study and perseverance
George had won place at the bar, and
he was content to labor, trusting TO
time. But it was with an inward strug-
gle, as he looked at the eager expecta
ton on his mothers face, and thought
of her lonely life, that he controlled his
recruitment.
"You would like to go, dear mother p
he said, pleasantly.
g Yes, my boy it seems as if | could
die happier if | saw the old place once
more.'
"Then we shall CO." he said. 81 will
make my arrangements for a holiday
and we will leave town on Wednesday,"
and with kiss he left her.
The master of Locksley Grange, Il tall
erect old man, of most imposing pres
ence, with snowy hair and whiskers, and
- brilliant, piercing, deepest black eyes,
shaded by shaggy eyebrows,--like fierce
fires overhung with Jagged snow crags,-
greeted his sister and her son with
stately courtesy, although no light of
love beamcd from ais eye to the gentle
woman who had been his childhood's
playtellow.
One sharp glance he shot at his
nephew as lie made some comment on
the journey, and then babe servant
usher them to their apartments.
When the dinner bell sounded, George
conducted his mother-looking SO far
and gentle i'll her soft gray silk, still
with the delicate flush on her check
into the state csrawingroom, where they
We're duly presented TO the rector of
LOcksley and his curate. Still they
waited, and i'll a few moments young
girl entered the room, of such unusual
beauty that George Roberts stopped
short IN the middle of sentence adj
dressed to the curate, and never com.
pleted it.
She might have been about seventeen,
with slight form, graceful as deer,
hair of a pale gold, which deepened into
shadows OF tawny sheen under the
mellow wax-lights, and soft brown eyes,
shaded by curling golden lashes. A
dark silk dress, without ornament, dis
played and heightened the delicately-
United SKIN and perfect figure. She APP
preached the group timidly, and George,
glanclng at his uncle, saw, to his as.
constituent, scowl sweep over his face
as hls eyes rested on the fair vision.
Miss kedar," he said, carelessly,
presenting the young girl to his sister
win a wave OF his jeweled hand, I" a
penmless orphan whom | keep out of
charity, as her mother was an old friend
OF mlne. She made a love match,n he
added, with a sneer. "You can t.ke
her INTO dtnner," he said to his nephew
with another wave of the white hand.
as he turned to his sister with formal
politeness.
George felt his indignation stir, as he
saw the deep flush rise on the Young
girls face, and then fade to marble
paleness. But she did not raise her
eyes to see the sympathy expressed in
his.
The dinner passed pleasantly. The
rector was Il fluent and graceful CONVEX
satlonailst, ana the host excited young
Roberts 10 bring forth his knowledge OF
men and things, in his manly, earnest
way, by the display of his own versatile
powers to draw him out.
The young man had almost forgotten
the silent beauty by his side, until 6
glance from her soft brown eyes, lighted
with appreciative feeling, met his, anG
revived the sympathy and wonder he
had felt at his uncle cruel nonchalanc,
IN alluding to her dependent position
When the ladies retired, and the DO
htical questions of the day came up, tn,
young lawyer so startled the older mer
with his brilliant eloquence, with hi
fresh and racy opinions so powerful,
put, that they felt themselves in tn,
presence OF a master-spirit, which woulc
fedged.