Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-05-27
MISS PEvERILL'S PRIDE.

81 never heard OF such impertinence,
said Agnes Peverill, throwing down tn
letter she held, and half crying in he
anger. "How dare he write such thing
to met What business has he to Low,
mep He never would have dared writ'
like this if-if papa were alive and ",
had not lost our money"
"You may thank yourself for this,
said Grandmother Peverill, looking ovel
her spectacles with an air Of concern
"You have amused yourself consider
ably with Harold Helper, to my certain
knowledge. When one dances, one
must pay the piper"
~ don't understand you, grandma
certainly never gave him shadow o.
encouragement. have guessed fol
some time that he-that he didn't dis
like mo, you know; but I never dreamed
that he would dare say as much. Papa &
clerk Why, I've seen him sweeping
out the Office, and his fingers as inky as
Caddy Jellyby's."
"Men are audacious creatures" OBJ.
served grandma; "but if you knew that
he didn't exactly hate you, you oughtn't
to have accepted him as escort when you
were learning to ride. When your papa
brought him home to dine, you needn't
have made yourself SO attractive, need
your You might have had headache
in your own room, or an invitation out.
You needn't have talked pretty nonsense
with him by the hour, VII lie your father
and took our after-dinner maps, need
youa"
some can't help flirting a little,
grandma.
"What, with ones fathers clerk
And no doubt one can't help working
him slippers and braiding watch chains
"Why, of course, one gives birthday
and Christmas gifts to all lones acquaint-
ances, even to old Biddy, the pauper.
One doesn't expect them to presume on
that, however.
"And so you think that Mr.. Helper is
presuming when he offers you his hearts
love and all hi worldly prospects. Why
so9"
81 think he is presuming, because
the Peverills are not of his order, grand
mamma. They came over in the May
flower; they descended from Lord Pew
Grill; they graduated at colleges, have
enjoyed elegant accomplishments ever
since the flood, and have never soiled
their hands with the CRIME of labor;
while Mr.. Helpers ancestors were il
literate mechanics, who murdered the
kings English, Why, his own father
was stonecutter. I've heard papa say
so."
"And supposing that yours had been
a mechanic, what objection would you
have urged9"
Why, it's not supposable case,
grandmamma-a Peverilla q stonecutter!
But supposing you were not
Peverill9"
"My imagination is not bold enough
for such fight. You see, 1 have all
the prejudices of my class. would
{ choose unhappiness sooner than marry
beneath me-"
"Then am to understand that you
yourself superior to Harol
Helper. 1t is some years since he fig
ured as your fathers inky- fingered clerk,
remember. Since then he has written a
book, he has invented machine, he has
lectured to scientists. Wherein does
your superiority consist9 What have
you been doing in the meantime?"
81 have been rubbing papa's gouty
zoe, and accepting the attentions of
Miles Bond"
"You don't mean -
"I mean that I shall probably marry
Miles Bond some fine day. if nothing
happens" ,,, -,
as if she had said that
,he was going to marry the khan OF
"You seem to be astonished, grand
"Yes-a little. He's q born aristo-
,rat."
"Exactly-there's pair of us. 1
,hall be entitled to consideration in the
5eau monde as his wife, don't you seer"
For it must be confessed that since Mr..
Peverill's death and insolvency the teau
monde had looked coldly upon his pretty
laughter, in spite of tho Peverill coat
If arms and the luxuriauce of the family
rec.
"Then you do not care fig for Mr..
Helpera" asked grandma.
Is it necessary for me to deny the
,oft impeachment, when I have almost
made up my mind to accept another2"
When 1 was girl" began ahe old
ady:
"You loved brocades and brocatelles
ss well as your granddaughter"
But l did not sell myself for them.
And so you are really engaged to Miles
Bond, and there's no help for it2"
Well, not really engaged; I won't
give my word-at least not quite yet.
You see, grandmamma, one hesitates to
.ivet the chain, as they say in novels.
And then Miles says he will wait; he
won't hurry me he'd rather wait
century in sweet suspense, as he calls it,
han to be refused at once. But I sup
,ose it will all end one way"
"And what will You answer to Harold
aelperG"
"Heaven only knows. 1t will not do
% tell man who offers one his heart
hat he ought to have known better.
"Nor that you will not marry him
because his father was stonecutter.
Mr.. Helper accepted his refusal, how
'ver, with good grace. He made no
uss about it; he merely assured her |
hat her happiness would always be
learer to him than his own.
'' That's the letter of gentleman"
'aid grandma, if his father was forty |