Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-01-02
HORRID MISS LEIGH.

HORRlD MISS LEIGH.
Tom Luttrell, aged twenty four, was a
thoroughly good fellow, good-tempered,
good-looking, and heir to good property,
but he had one sorrow-he was engaged to
a girl he had never seen.
Some ten years before dispute had
arisen about certain Hillingdon estate,
in Leicestershire, to which Mr.. Luttrell..
TOMS father-and certain Carnwith
Leigh both laid claim. Litigation seemed
inevitable, and the legal fraternity began
to prick up it's ears when one morning Mr..
Luttrell received the following note:
''Dear Luttrell-You and I have been
good friends all our lives, and there is no
man living for whom have greater es-
TEEN than for yourself Cannot we, then,
settle this wretched business without trou-
bling these internal lowyers My uncle,
Haughton Leigh, had a suit that lasted him
twenty years and killed him in the end.
Now, listen to me; my daughter Nellie
will have all I've got at my death, except
FAIRFIELD, which goes to Jacks boy. Why
shouldn't she marry your boy Tom? Let
the property alone for the next ten years !:
then Nellie will beeighteen and Tom four
and-twenty they like to marry then,
well and good +; if either should decline to
carry out the arrangement, let the properly
go to the other.
I'This is a rough idea of my plan, which
Jackson, your lawyer, could soon put inte
shape. What do you say? Yours, &C.,
Carnworth Leigh, Barfield.''
To this proposition Mr.. Luttrell agreed.
and Tom found himself an engaged man
at fourteen. Soon after this Mr.. Leigh
was obliged to leave England for his health !;
and for many years he resided entirely on
the Continent. So it happened that Tom
and his future bride never met.
One day as he lay .lazily Smoking by the
silver Beck something fell from high
bank above him and dropped lightly on the
water, while girls voice exclaimed
sob, my gracious my hat p :
Tom looked and saw a very neat little
hat floating, boat-like, down the stream,
s.Bother the young woman he grum-
bled. IT suppose, now, she'll expect me
to fetch it ~
AS he rose he looked up to the spot
from which the voice had proceeded, and
saw girl whose beauty surprised him.
She stood bare-headed on the bank, gazing
with look of comic dismay after the fast
receding hat, and Tom had an opportunity
of examing critically, from the little head,
with it's crisp, brown hair, sdisordered by
the wind, to the slim ankles which her po-
sition revealed as she stood above him.
Running some yards down the bank, he
stepped out upon an old willow, which pro-
truded over the stream, and waited in the
hope that the current would bring the hat
within his reach. He was not disappointed,
and in a few minutes more he was again on
terra frma with his prize.
''Imust make friends with this young
person." he thought, as he carefully dried
the dripping feather with his handkerchief.
The fair stranger had watched his efforts
from her elevated post, and smiled sweetly
on him as he climed the bank with his re-
covered treasure. She had evidently been
sketching, for her materials were scattered
in picturesque confusion artund her.
81 hope it's not much damaged" said
Tom, as he looked rather ruefully at the
result of his manipulations. "I'm afraid
the feathers in a bad way"
ssOh, it doesn't matter in the least,
thanks. How kind of you to take so much
trouble. But for you much have walked
home bare-headed."
II wouldn't put it on just yet," Tom
said. ''Let it lie in the sun little and
dry, while you go on with your woek."
'sBut suppose it starts off again, when
there's no one to recover it for me 20 she
suggested.
sLet me guard it, then, and you can
work in peace. You are skecthing, see
may look %
|. s'Oh, yes; but it's a miserable failure
I'm afraid" she said, laughing, as she
handed it to him. Tom examined it, and,
being a bit of an amateur himself pro-
ceeded to criticise, and. finally, to instruct.
He found this girl very charming; she
seemed so delightfully."- free from all con-
yentionality, without at all resembling his
bette noir, the ''fast girl.''
They grew quite confidential as the less
on proceeded, and were amazed when, Oh
consulting their watches. they discovered
that it was half-past six.
IT must fy,'' she said, cor shall be
late for dinner, and Sir John can't stand
that.''
"Have you far to go ?" asked Tom craft.
lily.
ssAbout mile. I'm staying at New.
lands. Good-by. No. I can carry them
thank; I couldn't think of troubling you
any more. Good-by," and she was off.
Tom went to his room, thinking great
deal about his new friend, wondering
where the charms lay which, even more
than her beauty, had fascinated him, Per
lrxps it's her dress, 2 he thought; s'she dress