Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-08-08

a 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 few 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 a 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 corner of the deck. It would be hard
to say if the surprise on her face or Nina's
was the greater at this rencounter.
"You two, OF AL people in the world ="
exclaimed Mrs. Chudleigh, holding out q
hand to each, "and together Where did
! you drop from 90 then, with sudden
frown, she gave Dr. Hilton a spiteful little
push with her parasol. There, / haven't
a word to say to your she cried, continu-
ing, nevertheless, to talk very volubly;
~ wonder you're not ashamed to look me
in the face, Fred Hiltonl Only fancy,
Nina, this wretch, who won't leave his
horrid patients long enough to make me
a days visit, has actually been spending
| peeks, whole weeksl in a 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 a blessing
on the letter in which he had INDUCED in
| some miscbievous eXaggeration for the
| special benefit of his Cousins prejudices.
"You hear him?" said Mrs. Chudleigh,
with shrug of the shoulders that ex-
pressed at once iBlpatience 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; l
shall say what think, though ! am glad
you have the grace to be ashamed of
yourself And to think of the plans l
had made for him p sighed Mrs. Chud-
leigh, lapsing from anger to sorrow.
"'The bestlaid schemes o. mice an
men gang aft a gleyJ" 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 evil
dent mystification.
"Oh yes" said he, lightly, trying to
rally from an uneasy sense of some mys-
| tery, II know your plots against my
peace well enough, Emma. A spoiled
heiress for they are always more or
less spoiled. I am thankful for having
escaped the marcy as my old Patrick
says" Z
IA polite speech, consideringp' said
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, with smile, "buta long way out
of it. 1t is another ease of rustic demnr-
aliZation. SO you see | can easily excuse
your cousin, being quite as bad myself.
mot quite, | hopep' cried Mrs. Chud-
lleigh, laughing-"unless you have come
back engaged to hay-maker!"
"Well, >" soberly replied Nina, appear
ing to consider, ~ cannot deny that
have seen him handle rake"
| "Ninal" cried Mrs. Chudleigh, sharply
| "it is not true? You are joking?"
"What about-the engagement or the
hay .makingW
"Either--both You have not really en-.
gagged yourself in the country? ?"
"Really and trulyt But, dear Mrs
Chudleigh, pray don't look so Mortified
He is the most respectable of hay-makers,
l assure you.n
"WellH' 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 DIR. Hilton"
"Such an opportunity thrown awayp
plaintively murmured Mrs. Chudleigh tC
! herself "And the Misunderstanding
her voice-"who is he? ~ another of the
Pratt familyY'
ALLOW me to formally present him.
said Miss Lascelles, laying her hand or
Dr. Hilton's arm. "This is the hay. maker
Mrs. Chudleigh."
"And 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 hi
managed to reconcile himself somehow IL
marrying a spoiled heiress, and it is to bt
concluded that neither has regretted tn,
step, for when Nina Hilton next year wen
to sec how her two little transplanted slips
throye in Scarborough, the whole party
seemed as happy as need be.