The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-04-27
0vershOOting the Mark.
BY SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.

HOob- a n
The letter was from Charlie, who was
spending his last college vacation in
Europe, and who now wrote to announce
his speedy return, accompanied by his
friend, Mr.. Philip Warrington.
Charlie Sutton was evidently very
proud to call Mr.. Warrington his friend.
He had met him in the course of his
travels, and always wrote of him as
"splendid fellow, clever, handsome and"
with view to the special considera-
tiOn of his mother and sister-"rich,
and of one of the first families of B"
And now, in accordance with his
mothers instructions, he had invited
his friend to spend a week with them,
before going on to his more Southern
home, and she must expect them in a
few days.
There was one drawback to Mrs. Sut-
toms satisfaction in this arrangement;
and it was to this that her remarks, on
closing the letter, referred.
"This will be capital chance for you,
Isabel" she said, addressing her daugh
ter; sin fact, the best probably that you
will ever have. But it requires more
tact than you have yet shown; and, be-
side, there is Alice, who may interfere
and spoil all, as she did in the affair of
Col. Sawyer. 1 really don't see what is
to be done as regards Alice"
Alice was Mr.. SuttOn's niece, whom
he had taken to his home on the death
of her parents. She was at that time
fifteen, and as her cousin Isabel had just
made her elltree into society, she was
found to be somewhat in the way, and
was sent to boarding school.
Here she had remained until the past
yuinfar KHJhon hainu nj no =
found positively necessary that she
should come home and be introduced
into society.
But, unfortunately, as Mrs. Sutton
considered, Alice's sweet face and grace
ful, winning manners had proven with
some persons a greater charm than the
bold beauty of the rather "fastn Isabel
SuttOn-Col. Sawyer in special, to en-
trap whom the anxious mother and
daughter had employed the whole
amount of their talent and energies.
He had, upon seeing Alice, transferred
his attentions from Isabel to herself,
and had actually proposed to Mr.. SUIT
ton for the hand of his niece, instead of
that of his daughter.
1t made no difference that Alice de-
clined the honor. Isabel had lost her
best chance, and though, of course, her
cousin could not be properly blamed
in the matter, yet she was dangerous"
And now that another yet better chance
was about to offer, in the person of Mr..
Warrington, Alice must, in some way
or other, be gotten rid of for the time.
That evening, at tea, Mrs. Sutton, af-
ter adroitly leading the conversation in
the proper direction, remarked to her
husband:
"By-the-by, my dear, when did you
last hear from your Aunt Curtis fear
that we have of late rather neglected
the old lady"
$50 have often told you," returned
her husband, who was an enterprising
business man, not so worldly-minded as
his wife. "Aunt Curtis was very kind
to me when 1 was boy, aud certainly
deserves more attention than 1 have
had time to bestow. She is old and Iu-
firm, too, and yet in four years not one
of my family have been to see her."
"Why, it is such a lonely, Out-of-the.
way cOUntry-place," returned his wife
THAT really to go there seems quite al
undertaking. Yet / don't wish to neg.
lect the old lady. She wrote last veal
that she would like TO see the girls, now
that they are grown; and Alice;
mother, you know, was her favOritC
niece. l am sure she would be gratifieC
at a visit from us. Indeed, now tha
we speak of it, and the girls may rur
up to Copley Farm for a day or two
What do you say, girls?"
'Let us go, aunt, by all means ~ wa!
Alice's quick reply. al should like t.
see my mothers aunt; and you know i
is lovely in the country at this season.
Isabel shrugged her fair shoulders
but prudently said nothing; and on tn,
following day the three ladies were a
the quiet, old-fashioned little farm
house, some twenty miles from the city
1t must necessarily be a brief visit
for Charlie was expected hOme-Mrs
Sutton had not said a word, except t
her daughter, about expecting Mr.. War
riDgton-and so, after a day and a nigh
at the old farmhouse, they were pre-
pared to return to the city.
SIT seems pity to leave the poor OLE
lady so sOon," said Mrs. Sutton. "Sh,
is so infrm, and that house-keeper o
hers is not, l suspect, over attentive t.
her comfort. Then she seems so fond o
you, Alice, and enjoyed so much you
reading to her. l wish that one of yoI
girls could remain longer; l am sure i
would be a comfort to the poor old lady. ,
Alice needed no persuasion. She wa
a kind-hearted, amiable girl, and he
sympathies had been enlisted for thi
lonely, infirm old lady, her mother
aunt, who seemed so forgotten and alon,
in the world. Her own mother hat
been of very delicate health, and tn
young girl, accustomed to attend upoI
her, had learned many little ways o
nursing and comforting the sick, ant
making dainty little dishes to tempt
feeble appetite. Then she could read Il
Aunt Curtis in the sweet, low voice tha
had been such a comfort to her mother
and she felt also, what the old lady haC
said, that "the very sight of brigh
young face in the silent house was a
cheering as ray ol sunshine on CLOUDY
day."
So Alice remained at Copley Farm
while her aunt and cousin, rejoicing a
the success of their inherent littl
scheme, returned to the city to yelcom,
Charlie and his friend.
It was a disappointment to find tina
Charley had arrived without his frient
Mr.. Warrington. That gentleman, i
appeared, had had a previous engage
ment to spend few days with rela
tive, whom they found awaiting then
upon the steamers arrival; but b.
would make his appearance ia a weel
or so, and meantime Mrs. Sutton wrot
TO Alice that she could remain at Coplel
until Charlie and Isabel went up for her
Alice bad no objection. She wa
greatly eniOvinO her visit tn fha farD,