Litchfield enquirer., 1875-09-30
tFrom Blackwood's Magazine.l
A SUMMER SCENE.

| when she came, and she has often pre- ferred talking with him to strangers; some times she has even, innocently enough, made cats paw of him. Surely he will stand her friend now. He is a retired colonel of the Line, and she thinks ought to be able to march if he can do anything. Nan, you see, is not learned. Win he walk with her? The Colonel brightens up, and thinks he would rather like it. --.
 Every one brightens. and Augusta looks almost gracious.
 Dick puts the strings into Miss Dents hands, who cheerfully accepts them. She presumes he will row.
 But what is this? They are of and he is not in?
 '.Are you not coming?' cries Hefton, with rueful visage He is in front of Dallie now, and has no chance of a holi- day, unless Dick is there to take his oar.
 .'I am going to walk. "s says Dick. The boat is of, and he walks after Nan and the Col0neLI < kEkf fBsE SS
 Nan and the Colonel are out of sight of the riyer before they know that they have a follower. % V ~s ~~&. .@4
 Nan is too proud to look back. She pictures the party gaiiy floating of. Aus gusta. perchance, in Der old place, Dick comfortable, indifferent, and thinking no more of her. Why should she think of him? s'tt.-' ffEs
 Accordingly she is laughing and talking merrily to the Colonel, as long as the boat is in sight, and to all appearance they are making game of the weary trudge before them. There is no sign of Tagging cour- age in either. Suddenly comes "Halloo!'' from behind, the river party being we'll out of sight.
 There is Dick, walking rather fast, but cool as ever. A. ~-
 The dear, old Colonel! He instantly proposes waiting for him, while his little companion says not a word but her eyes are shining, and the walk has changed it's whole aspect.
 Dick comes up on her other side. while the Colonel apolOgises for their nasty de- parture. ''We had no idea you were com ing. my dear fellow" .----s-l -fs-
 Dick takes the forget-me-nots out of his cousins hand, and expresses approval of her conduct. ..- ?
 "It was brave idea, Nan. After all, the walk will be far pleasanter. They are a noisy set. ..
 II like to see young lady step out like that !" observes the Colonel, energetically. What IS to become of our girls I, for one. cannot imagine. They never do any thing but drive. drive, drive, or dance, they wonder how a single days skating knocks them up. There's nothing like walking for health, happiness, and-beau- ty," says the old gentleman, with old fashioned straightforwardness and a glance at the color in the fair maids cheeks beside him. 5
 Dick looks round too, and smiles, trying to catch her eye but Nan looks fxediy along the lane, and so he has to speak 10 her.
 "What do you think about it, Nan ?"
 "Oh, nothing. IT don't know many girls, replies she. Look, there they Hse Hpsfeetty ses5 it fooks sat at that distance
 "A great deal prettier in the distance than near at hand. observes the old gen. tleman, with cheerful malice; and per haps the others agree in their hearts.
 What delightful old gentleman he is, to be sure! He always does the very thing he is wanted to do, and never makes an ill-timed suggestion.
 Dick sees honeysuckle in the hedges, and they wait whilst he tears it down. He finds a robins nest Finally he re- members that there are strawberries on bank close by, and Nan must come and get some.
 The Colonel thinks he will sit quietly on the stile till they return. There is no hurry. Oh, dear no! It is quite early.
 In consequence the pair are away fully half an hour. and all the largest berries have been saved for him. frhaxy x,,,ll ka Io oka e. .J:n~n~ ng o1,,-no
 One does not post along the roads Tn pleasant company nor can people be ex- pected to be home to a minute who % poking about banks for strawberries, and have to sit down and rest by the wayside every now and then.
 Dick insists upon these rests. He is in high feather, and talks so much snd 10 wellD that Nan wonders how she ever thought him silent.
 The old gentleman listens and laughs good Very likely, ,sinnocent as he looks. he has suspicion that he is playing gooseberry.
 Dick sits at his cousins feet and exam ines the hole he has made in her dress. for the folds have given way, and altogether it has come to a sad end. ~
 Shall he fasten it up again !? She thinks not. He informs her that 1t will need to go to the wash. with other general hints. Nan tells him pleasantly that he knows nothing about it. r0T
 Where are all her fears of Dick flown to {? She finds herself talking to him as if she had known him all her life.
 And he is listening to her, too, earnest ly. and with strange gravity upon his face, for she is telling them all about her life-her curious simple life in the old manor-house among the hills. T, Only her old grandmother with her And granny is eighty-five What then !? Yet Nan prattles on as sweetly and fear lessly as child.
 Dick does not care to move-is careless about dinner.
 Thinks they have done eating enough for one day.
 Is it not only now beginning to get bearable out t-of-doors?
 This picnic vas the maddest escapade that ever was, and they really can't be ex. pected to cut short the only pleasant part of it.
 Part of this is for his two acquiescine partners part, with more in the same strain. is issued at the head of the lrn. offending Deity, who, arrayed fer Che evening, crosses the hall as the trio trudge insrl etrs N a
 Deity has said nothing to call forth 1 such 2 tirade. She is gentle and smiling sss sSef, and only panses Co asstsre them that they may yet be in moderate time, as dinner has been postponed. q
 ''We were so late ourselves. and. then we could not get the Dents of. Are you not very tired, Nan dear? It was so good of you to think of it; and as for that Au- gusta, the way she went on coming home l - Drawing-room door open: ssBe quick l-there's good glrl." Exit Deity, Nan comes down towards the middle of dinner, and finds herself far away from | Dick. s Hs
 The kind hostess calls down the table to reproach her for foolhardiness, while q special glass of wine is despatched imme. diately. N
 | Every one asks if she is tired.
 She does not look tired, but sits very still talking to any one but Dick is an | effort.
 l Her limbs ache. too. and the soft dining.