The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-11-30
MI j 8 @ G Ilane O III 8.
TOM

81 suppose | must call Eleven o'clock
The old gentleman said was not to stand
upon ceremony, so I'll run down o-day. 1t
is dismally lonesome here, and somebody
said the Lawlor girls were the bellies of the
place. Who was it told me that Julia
Lawlor was the belle of Rushtown, and
that Dolly was the incest little thing in
the world ? I'll go down and prove the
assertion"
All this in soliloquy as Mr. Thos. Bardel
donned bis daintest walking dress, drew
on his lavender kids, put on his glossiest
silk hat over his crop of curling hair, and
surveying his handsome, taultlessly- attired
self in the long mirror, sallies.
Rushtown was collection of county
seats, mile from a populous borough, and
the Bardell place was one of the most state
ly of the many superb houses of which it
was composed. Thomas Bardcll, my hero,
was the nephew of the late owner of the
Bardell place, and on the death of that
gentleman had inherited his entire proper
ty, greatly to his own amazement, Mr.. Jul
Jus Burdell, deceased, having quarrelled
with every relation lie had in this would,
and announced his intention of leaving
every dollar to a charity.
That he did not, but rclenting, made a
will in his nephew's favor, brought Mr..
Thomas Bardell from college in Germany
where he was finishing his education. to
Rushtown.
He was twenty-tour, an orphan, hand
some and talented, and had some private
fortune before his uncle's death. That he
was unspoiled, modest, and one who held
all women as little lower than the angels,
may be attributed to the fact that he had
mother who was true Christian lady,
who loved him, and whose death, when he
had just attained manhood, was the heav-
lest sorrow of his life.
Rushtown was an unexplored country to
my hero, but DR.. Lawlor being the only
physician in the place, his residence was
easily found.
The hall door stood open, the parlor
door was also stretched invitingly wide,
after vainly waiting for the ring to be
answered, Mr.. Bardell stepped inside the
vestibue.
A voice high above his head, and in the
parlor called:
"Tom, is that you?'
The speaker, Dolly Lawor, whose name
be it here recorded, was Mabel, but who
had been called Dolly from her cradle
being at the top of a high step-ladder
scrubbing the paint over the French win.
dow, heard voice say:
sit is Tom certainly"
| "IIand me my soap, that's a good fellow
said Dolly, from the lofty pearch where she
was seated, facing the back windows
"You know l am afraid to look down OF
turn around on the ladder, | am so sure tc
get giddy."
"Where is the soap 2" came voice muf
fled by laughing.
"Close down by the ladder, where it has
Just dropped. Don't dare to laugh at MT
sir, for l am in the depths of affection
Papa has invited the heir to that Bardel
place to drop in without ceremony. Die
you ever, and we just in the middle o
spring cleaning? So left Jane to tnisl
up stairs and came down myself to max,
the parlor descent. There goes my brush
Hand it up that's dear"
The brush was handed up, Dolly no
daring to take her eyes from level, al
ready feeling her head spinning with gid
diness.
ave can't be grand, of course, and til
house will look mean enough after Bardel
place, but we can clean," she continued
scrubbing vigorously at the paint, "Anc
you know, Tom is sure to fall in love witt
Julia, and it is such a splendid chance 70
her, poor dear. She does so hate on
economies. She has gone over now to MI
Simpsons to finish her blue muslin, an,
she can't help clean, because it will spot
her hands, and they are so pretty. Juli
is lovely in blue, because her skin is so fai
if her hair and eyes are dark. She will
Just be perfect when she is rich, Tom.
hope she will have him, and papa and
can jog along forever We don't min
cheap things as poor Julia does. There
that paint can't be whittier. I'm comm
down, and you can move the ladder over t
the other window for me, Tom"
But, cautiously descending the ladder
Dolly only caught fleeing glimpse Of
tall figure out at the garden gate.
"Well,n she said, Juggling at the heav
ladder, "if Tom was in such hurry tina
he could not move the ladder, he might a
least have waited to say good morning"
Then being the sweetest tempered c
women, though merely passably prett
girl, Dolly assembled the ladder again, an
soon forgot Toms rudeness in the Absorb
! ing duties she had undertaken.
In the meantime Mr.. Thomas Bardel
shaking with laughter, wendell his wa
. homeward. inwardly determining to max