Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-11-05
had projecting wings and shelter

an uninterrupted view OF the whole OF
That beautiful vale, on the wooded
-'lore Of which it stood.
! The Colonel had checked his horses
70 make a closer scrutiny. There
nare remnants of auctioneers' an
souncements still adhering to the out
j. walls, and the house itself display
\ no signs of occupation. Doors
Window were closed throughout.
= thread Of smoke Issuing ffom any
] he multitudinous chimneys betras-
Z the presence Of creatures who must
Iae, and the property generally APP
=, ared to be relegated to the sombre
guardianship of two colossal figures
half man, half griffin-which flank
81 the portico.
That house, now, looks rs if it had
: story" observed Mrs. Elderton.
II wished it had another :" replied
acr husband, with a critical closing
.ac the eyes. "Too heavy, by half, fol
--cch an elevation. The grounds, il
shere be any, must be magnificent,
slcar. Shall We give them a minute
b. two"'
I Mrs. Eiderton readily assented, and
'ehe pair, alighting, walked-as the
riddle hath it--round the house, and
Sound the house, and were only de-
= erred from looking in at every win.
LOW, by the strong iron shutters which
.armctically sealed the same.
by your leave, monstersw said the
i 'olonel impatiently, as they returned
10 the portico; and he gave a stout
sug to the bell, which emitted one
.lleavy sepulchral note and then, as il
exhausted with the effort, left its han.
tllle in his grasp.
: Provoked, but discouraged, the two
explorers continued 10 hover about
..he enchanted castle, till they discov
.red = small wicket, opening upon {
-, following whic@latter they cam,
spon gate, strong and securely lock
led, but with open bars. thus atiording
i view Of the garden and grounds il
GEAR Of the mansion. These appeared
o be even more picturesque and beau
-iful than the Colonel had anticipated
Broad terraces, spacious lawns-som,
.eyel. some slopiDg downward Jowart
he river, whose murmur, rs it ripplet
-eyer some invisible weir, could b,
faintly heard: clumps Of maple, pine.
md elns; choke1-up flower beds
noss-coyerea fountains; everywhere ;
Wild warfare between order and con
fusion, in which the former was bein.
radually oyerborne.
- 49, : slVtla7 sila of .h1 cen.ra
lawn there commenced an avenue o
huge and venerable walnut trees, ter
minating in an alcove or open sum
mer-house of white stone. Shat on
from the house by the intervening
treys, this building was so placed a:
evidently to command. not only III,
fairest portions of the.garden, but III,
distant; country beyond.
why, Cuthbert. it is Il paralise:' :
exclaimed Mrs. Elderton. visions q
improvement, already chasing eacl
other through her active mind.
1t was. in truth smiling scene
The apple and pear blossoms-thesi
must have been a hobby of some for,
mer proprietor-wcre absolutely daz
zling; and the Young May leaves, with
their soft. fresh tiuts, completed tht
natural glory of the scene. The man
sion itself, on this side, presented
quite cheerful aspect, the rear face
being either painted red, or faced Will
brick, and abundautly clothed with
pear and pomegranate, trained rounC
the windows, which opened to tn,
ground.
The house is humbug," remark
Cd the Colonel. "Who, from its frown
ing front, would have expected seen,
like this:"
at is jnst the place should dot,
on said his wife enthusiastically
Vacant, too. dear"
What could that man mean by say
ing there was nothing in the neigh
borhood :"
The waiter? | can only accoun
for it, replied the Colonel, 'by tht
supposition that some friend of his
just married-and ready under thos,
demoralizing circumstances, toindulg,
his wife's every whim-has an eye up
on it already
ooh, Cuthbert, does that mean
at means, at all events, that wei
make some inquiry. But how to ge
halo, you,'
y boy Of loafng aspect coated will
moss, as if he had been bird nesting
up some venerable tree. had just ap
peared from behind Il clump of elder
bushes.
"Hallo, you!" returned the boy like
= surely echo.
"Who looks after this place."
"None but tn ushers, i low" repli
ed the youth, grinning.
"rhe ushers? It's school then?'
"lf It's, there a vacancy" respond
ed the remarkable boy, with secont
grin.
"Do these ushers receive people wht
wish to see the house and grounds: ?
mo. They keeps n away" sale
the boy. And, pressing his hands OIL
his bulgy pockets as though conscious
of something contraband, he prowled
away.
"i'll see the agent tonight at Hatch
lord,' said the Colonel, lis they re
gained the carriage.
The neglected mansion had, il
truth, taken the fancy of both. They
could talk of nothing else, and, long
ere they reached Hatchford, had moi
only made the property their own
but transformed it into a model OF
perfection, wherein art and nature
strove in vain for mastery.
After dinner the Colonel, with as
sumed indifference, thought he would
stroll down to see the agent, Mr.
Brodgett. He did not invite his wife's
company, fearing, peradventure, that