The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-07-17


Perry, "so you can calculate for your
self"
"Ah, you've heard old Larkyns say
so, elseI bet a dozen champagne you
couldn't have answered my question.
Mr.. Vance, you are humbug, and, for
the good of society at large I think it
my duty to relate little reminiscence
of your youth which will show you up
in your true light. Once upon time,
Mrs. Gregory, when l was considerably
younger than am now, and as free as
Colebs here-lucky fellow!-it happen
ed that he and / were together among
the mountains, as it might be here-on-
ly ii wasn't. But that is not the point.
1t also happened that one morning rose
at daybreak Now don't pose for
lover of nature myself, so hasten to
explain that was up at that early hour
to catch the early"
"Worm?" questioned Perry.
"No, sir; something earlier yet, the
early stage, for journey was going to
make; otherwise / beg you to believe
that should not have placed myself in
any such absurd position. However,
there l was, and thought | might as
we'll have companion in misery; so
woke Vance, and directed his attention
to a gaudy kind of sunrise that weak
headed people might think it worth
while losing their beauty sleep for. How
was to know but he was one of them?
But what does he do? No sooner are
his eyes open than he glared at me, and
wants to know what the d"
"Tom'' struck in a note of warning
from his wife.
MADAM, | blush for your friend Mr..
Vance's bad language but truth obliges
me to insist that he demanded what the
dickens was going on there. You should
have seen his face of astonishment when
| told him only what was going on about
that hour, more or less, every morningl
The amount of it is the man didn't
known sun rise when he saw it, and to
hear him now raphsodizing about the
morning light on the lake is little too
much for human nature"
II bear You no malice for your slam
ders, Tom," said Perry, when the laugh
against him was over, ''for I know you
are so constituted that you couldn't tell
the truth, even if You were TO. try.
only appeal to Mrs. Gregory whether
she did or did not hear me agree with
Symonds, the artist, to see the sunrise
from Round Hill?''
''Oh, agree, agree" said Tom; "any.
body can make an agreement-the pinch
is to keep it! Well, now, Mrs. Gregory
what do you say, was this unhallowed
compact made?"
Certainly it was made!" answered
Mrs. Gregory.
"But not kept! Aha, Perry, here il
your own witness turning against you
Her disbelief in you is evident"
"Now, Mr.. Grover, do you call tina
fair argument? The court asks a witness
what he knows, not what he thinks, o.
else / should have expressed my belle
that Mr.. Vance kept his word. TheI
you have overlooked several little cir
cumstances in his favor; for instance, tha
wild flower in his bottom hole, whicl
you see is quite fresh, and the glow o
exercise diffused over his countenance-
"And the fourishing state of his ap
petite" parenthesized Frank, slyly, a
he passed plate of corn cake to Perry
"Well, why not?" continued Mrs
Gregory, as gravely as before. "Tha
too-that is another link in the chain c
cireumstantial evidence"
(Which is proverbially apt TO mis-
lead" remarked Tom. "However,
yield at discretion. Mr.. Vance ha
turned over u new leaf, and the thank
of his large and-though l say it tha
, perhaps shouldn highly respectabl
, circle of friends are due to Mrs. Gree
! ory."
"To me-" said Mrs. Gregory, openin
/ her large hazel eyes a trife wider.
really don't quite see the connection b'
: tween the sunrise and myself"
I "Oh-well-" said Tom, putting O
! an innocent air; "start an old bach eve
t so little out of the beaten path, an
a there's no telling where he'll bring u
o you know"
: at is the little rift within the lutte,
: quoted Mrs. Tom.
e "In other words, the small end of Il
r wedge" amended Tom. And thereupc
k both rose, laughing, and followed Fran
It out on the piazza.
Il Perry for his part, was rather disco
II certed by the turn the conversation b;
r. taken. He glanced at Mrs. Gregory.
o. there had been the least conseionsne
+ about her, it is highly probable thu
e notwithstanding the vigorous appeti
J. which Frank had remarked, and whi'
e is not the least agreeable result of elm
D. ing mountain to see the rise, he wou
10 have run away in his turn. But t
lo absolute uncOHCSEn Will Which SIAC We
n. on crumbling Cassie's shortcake res
" sured him, and he concluded he mig
he venture to finish his breakfast, B
t, presently-so contradictory are the b
e. of us-from reassuring, this differen
r began to pique him. 1t was not, on
.s; whole, he thought, compliment tt
I'd she should pay so little attention to
u raillery which had disconnected hi
sc Then he wondered if she had not p
n, ceived its drift, and, in wondering, f
e. got what he was about till recalled
ce his neighbor's exclamation, "Why, \
he Vance, what are you thinking off"
he find that his coffee cup was runni
n. over, and sending small brown stre
nd dangerously near to Mrs. Gregory.
"Oh. beg your pardoni He exclai
ed, setting down the coffee pot hasti
and jumping up, by which movem
he trod upon the large yellow no
cat, slumbering peacefully under
ia table. With shriek of rage and
ep- guish, pusa was over the table and