Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-08-08

unwonted idleness. Nina too had her
own reasons for return; so the party broke
up, Jimmy and Kitty, by their own and
Mrs. Hutchins's desire, being left to her
motherly care to be initiated in the vari.
Gus mysteries of farm life. Their delight
at the idea of living in the country serv-
ed to always dry their tears at Nina's de-
parture, and her promise to come to them
next year made them quite cheerful again.
1t was very pleasant journey to Nina,
and she could have found it in her heart
| to wish it longer, particularly as she had
guilty dread of the revelation its end
must bring. Not that she really suppos-
ed DR.. Hilton would be annoyed at find
| ing her position so different from his idea,
only that she did not quite know how he
would relish having been kept in the dark
so long. The doubt grew with thinking,
till she became almost nervous, and as the
miles flew by she speculated to herself
how she could best say what she had to
say, and half wished for some chance to
save her the embarrassment of the dis
closure.
The wish was destined to be fulfilled,
but in most unlooked-for manner, cal
culated rather to increase than lessen the
embarrassment of the situation. Coming
on board the boat for the last stage OF
their journey, they came face to face with
Mrs. Chudleigh, sitting quite by herself
in a corner of the deck. 1t would be hard
to say if the surprise on her face or Nina's
was the greater at this rencOunter.
"You two, of all people in the world! ="
exclaimed Mrs. Chudleigh, holding out a
hand to each, "and together! Where did
you drop ?" then, with sudden
oh IL e,,1
push with her parasol. ''There, | haven't
ing, nevertheless, to talk very volubly
81 wonder you're not ashamed to look me
in the face, Fred Hilton! Only fancy,
Nina this wretch, who won't leave his
hOrrid patients long enough to make me
days visit, has actually been spending
aoeeks, whole weeks in place nobody
ever heard of-Stone something or other;
and what must he do there but fall in love
with milkmaid, as he coolly announces to
me.
"No, no.; only that she was milking
when first saw her, hastily interposed
Hilton, invoking anything but blessing
on the letter in which he had INDUCED in
some mischievous exaggeration for the
special benefit of his cousins preiudices
"You hear him?" said Mrs. Chudleigh,
with a'shrug of the shoulders that ex-
pressed at once ampatience and long-suf
fering. "But that is not the worst, my
dear; he is actually engaged to this-this
Neeny Pratt. Did you ever hear so ex-
traordinary name? Neeny, indeed |!
Ninny would have been more in keeping
with the whole affair. No, it is of no
use your making signs to me, Fred; 1
shall say what | think, though [ am glad
you have the grace to be ashamed of
yourself. And to think of the plans I
had made for him!'' sighed Mrs. Chud-
leigh, lapsing from anger to sorrow
"'The best-laid schemes o. mice an
men gang aft a-gley,'" demurely said Nina,
who understood very well what the plans
in question were, and who, in spite of
herself could not help enjoying the dou-
BILE cross-purposes, and DR.. Hilton's evi-
dent mystification.
ooh yes," said he, lightly, trying to
rally from an uneasy sense of some mys-
terry, II know your plots against my
peace we'll enough, Emma. A spoiled
heiress for they are always more or
less spoiled. am thankful for having
escaped the marcy as my old Patrick
says" yy. ,.+o ,oo, oo,o,ao., :,
Mrs Chudleigh, sarcastically. "You must
excuse him, Nina. Of course those rus
tics have completely demoralized him.
By-the-way, Nina" with sudden recol-
lection, "dO tell me where in the world
you have been?"
"Nowhere IN the world" answered Nj
ma, with a smile, "but long way out
of it. 1t is another case of rustic demOr-
alization. So you see [ can easily excuse
your cousin, being quite as bad myself"
"Not quite, | hope!" cried Mrs Chud-
leigh, laughing-"unless you have come
back engaged to hay-maker!"
"Well," soberly replied Nina, appear
ing to consider, "I cannot deny that
have seen him handle rake"
"Ninar cried Mrs. Chudleigh, sharply,
"it is not true? You are joking?"
"What about-the engagement or the
hay-making?"
"EitherSboth. You have not really en-
gagged yourself in the country?' %
"Really and tru1y But, dear Mrs
Chudleigh, pray don't look so Mortified!
He is the most respectable of hay makers,
I assure you"
"Wellp' Mrs. Chudleigh clasped her
hands, and sat staring away at the water
for full twenty seconds, actually unable to
express herself-"I don't know what the
world is coming to! Both of you Why"
the fact of their being together once
more recurring to her preoccupation-
"perhaps you have been in the same place,
that Stone-Stone placer"
eyes," answered Nina; "it was in Stone
borough met Dr. Hilton
"Such an opportunity thrown away!"
plaintively murmured Mrs. Chudleigh to
herself ''And the MISUNDERSTANDING
her voice-"who is he?" another of the
Pratt family?"
"Allow me to formally present him."
said Miss Lascelles, laying her hand on
Dr. Hilton's arm. "This is the hay. maker,
Mrs. Chudleigh."
Sand this is the milkmaid," said the
young man, covering the hand with his
own.
The double explanations that followed
were almost as amusing as the preceding
cross purposes. Mrs Chudleigh, the mat
ter fully understood, was entirely delight
ed; DR. Hilton not so entirely; still he
managed to reconcile himself somehow to
marrying a spoiled heiress, and it is to be
concluded that neither has regretted the
step, for when Nina Hilton next year went
to see how her two little transplanted slips
throve in Scarborough, the whole party
seemed as happy as need be.
The Shah of Persia has a live fowl
killed in his bedroom every morning, be-
cause he is not allowed to sleep in any
room where animal blood has not been
shed. He wanted to have sheep thus
slain in his apartments while at Berlin, as
sacrifice, but was induced to let the
operation be performed in the kitchen.
The magnificent apartments provided for
him at Berlin will have to be completely
refitted, owing to the oriental nractices