Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-01-06
est, as she stood partly behind her

Juliet, with downcast eyes, and
still busy with her spoon-"three
gentlemen whose names l think
you can readily guess"
She looked up for an instant,
with a quick blush on her faiI
cheeks; but Miss Brierly's native
dullness was proof against such
hints, and she answered, cautious
ly:
perhaps you allude 20 Colonel
Wobbler and the two friends he
introduced TO me to play whist
WITH"
"Pshawm exclaimed Juliet, in q
tone Of annoyance; 'those old TO-
gies? Certainly not. meant Ma
jor Farnsworth, Mr.. Aubrey, and
MI. Dean"
She stammered slightly in utter
ing the last name, and Bridget,
who had been a keen observer OF
the little scene, winked to herself
secretly, with al air Of great salts
faction.
"Ah!" said cousin Jane, becom-
ing conscious of having committed
an error, and Fastening to correct
it; "Kajor Farnsworth, MI. Au-
brey and Mr.. Dean. Certainly,
certainly, Of whom else could l be
thinking? They are the most de-
lightfuI gentlemen in the world, all
three of them"
Feeling sure that she had ex-
pressed a safe opinion in including
the whole party, Miss Briefly rub
he'd her hands and smiled benign
", whilst her fair cousin, on tue
contrary, began to frown discon-
tentedly and shrug her handsome
shoulders.
That's Just the way she said,
IN a provoked tone. "Everybody
is so unsatisfactory when you ask
a real opinion, and it is so hard to
discern the false from the true for
ones self.
Bridget made up her mouth as
if urged, in spite Of her better
Judgment, to utter her view of the
case: but discretion triumphed,
aud she placed her strong hand
over her lips, and turned aside to
arrange the breakfast tray.
Presently Miss BrierIy left the
apartment to feed her pet poodle,
and Juliet rose and sauntered dis.
contentedly over to the window,
that opened out on a garden plat,
with a beautiful fountain.
AS she stood there, Bridget, still
affecting to busy herself about the
table, cleared her throat two or
Mhree times, and then began:
"MRs Juliet, if you please, isn't
4 bad business of all the
banks failing, and misery and
poverty falling on SO many on ac-
count of it?'
"Yes, Biddy," said her mistress,
kindly, for she vas sincerely at.
tached to her servant; and allowed
her great freedom Of speech, at is
indeed. | am heartily sorry for
the poor Woodworking souls who
have deposited their little boards
there for safety, and find them
selves utterly penniless."
Budget shook her head dolefully.
There's many such, no doubt"
said she; ''but do you think, miss,
there would be any harm in pre-
tending to be misfortunate, jist to
try your friendsY'
81 don't understand you, Biddy!'
DWELL, It's jist this, miss-you've
been so liberal to me, that you
know ! have a good little penny put
away for the time when | shan't be
able to work; and some of the
boys have found it out, and though
Tn neither young nor handsome,
they sort of take a shine to me on
accounC Of my bit of money, yon
see."
"Ah! l see, Biddy! said Juliet,
wonderingly, "Then You really
believe men who profess to admire
women really care for such thlngsY'
"As money? Sure and l know
they do, Miss Juliet-that is, the
most of them"
Juliet shuddered.
"The mercenary wretches!' cried
she. 81 never, never could respect
a man who could be influenced by
gold in'love."
swell, Miss Juliet, though | am
neither young o handsome me-
self, as | said before, | have iist
the same notion, and if you'll listen
to it, Miss, I'll jist tell you a bit of
a plot I've invented to test that
same. 1t popped into me head
when I read in the papers this
morning about all the banks losing,
and all the money being lost. You
know you were good enough to put
my moneyin the government bonds,
with so much of your own, but l