The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-12
Miss Peverill's Pride.

veXation. "How dare he write such
things to me? What business has he
to love me? He never would have
dared write like this if-if papa were
alive aud we had not lost our money"
''You may thank yourself for this"
said Grandma Peverill, looking over
her spectacles with an air of concern.
"You have amused yourself considera-
bly, with Harold Helper, to my certain
knowledge. When one dances, one
must pay the piper"
al don't understand you, grandma. !
certainly never gave him q shadow of
encouragement. l have guessed for
some time that he-that he didn't dis
like me, you know; but never dreamed
that he would dare say as much. Papa's
clerk! Why, I've seen him sweeping
out the office, and his fingers as inky as
Caddy Jellyby's."
'sMen are audacious creatures OBJ
served grandma; "but il 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 attract
i've, need you? You might have had a
headache in your own room, or an invi-
tation out. You needn't have talked
pretty nonsense with him by the hour,
while your father and took our after
dinner maps, need you ?'
"One 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,
either"
"Why, of course one gives birthday
and Christmas gifts to all ones ac-
quaintances, even to old Biddy, the
pauper. One doesn't expect them to
presume on that, however"
"And so you think Mr.. Helper is pre-
suming when he offers you his hearts
love and all his worldly prospects ?
Why so?n
"I think he is presuming, because the
Peverills are not of his order, grand
mamma. They came over in the May
fiower;' they are descended from Lord
Peverill; they have graduated at col
leges, have enjoyed elegant accomplish
ments ever since, and have never sOiled
their hands with the CRIME of labor,
while Mr.. Helpers ancestors were illit-
crate mechanics, who murdered the
kings English. Why, his own father
was a stOne-cutter. pve heard papa say
So"
"And supposing that yours had been
mechanic, what objection would you
have urged ?'
"Why, it's not a supposable case,
grandmamma "a Peverill stone
cutterT
But supposing you were not Pever-
iH?'
"My Imagination is not bold enough
for such flight. You see, have all
the prejudices of my class. ! would
choose unhappiness sooner than marry
beneath me-"
"Then l am to understand that you
consider yourself superior to Harold
Helper. 1t is some years since he
figured as your fathers inky-fngered
clerk, remember. Since then he has
written book, he has invented ma
chine, be has lectured to scientists.
Wherein does your superiority consist
What have you been doing in the
mean time?'
81 have been rubbing papa's gouty
toe, and accepting the attention of Miles
Bond"
"You don't mean"
81 mean that shall probably marry
Miles Bond some fine day, if nothing
happens"
''Marry Miles Bond % repeated grand
as IL Su6 udu Sdlu lldb sue W "a
going to marry the Khan of Tartary.
"You seem to be astonished, grand
mamma"
"Yes-a little. He's born aristocrat.'
Exactly; there's pair of US. 1 shal
be entitled to consideration in the 6edl
monde as his wife, don't you see ?" FO
it must be confessed that since Mr.. Pew
erilPs death aud insolvency the beG
monde had looked coldly upon hi
pretty daughter, in spite of the Peveril
coat of arms and the luXuriance of tb
family tree.
"Then you do not care fig for Nj
Helper ?' asked grandma.
ISIS it necessary for me. to deny tn
soft impeachment, when | have dIBlOS
made up my mind to accept another :?
"When l was a girl" began the oil
lady.
"You loved brocades and brocatelle
as well as your granddaughter"
"But I did not sell myself for then
And so you are really engaged to Mile
Bond, and there's no help for it ?"
"Well, not really engaged; l won
give my word-at least not quite ye
You see, grandmamma, one hesitates {
rivet the chain, as they say in novels
And then Miles says he will wait b
won't hurry me; he'd rather wait a cer
tury in sweet suspense, as lie calls j
than to be refused at once. But l SUI
pose it will all end one way"
"And what will you answer to Harol
Helper ?''
"Heaven only knows. 1t will not d
to tell a man who offers one his hea
that he ought to have known better"
''Nor that you will not marry hil
because his father was a stone-cutter.
Mr.. Helper accepted his refusua
however, with a good grace. He mao
no fuss about it; he merely assured ht
that her happiness would always
dearer to him than his own.
ifThat's the letter of a gentleman
said grandma, "if his father was fort
times a stOne-cutter."
"PshawT said Miss Agnes, tearing
into fragments; but, curiously enOug
gathering them together as soon as Mr.
Peverilps back was turned, as if the
were sweet TO her as scattered rO
leaves. Perhaps she was thinking
the days when Mr.. Helper was b
fathers clerk, and had taught her che
winter eveuings-days when she W
not so worldly minded, and more r
mantle, and didn't guess the worth
position and long descent. Perhaps 81
regretfully remembered the sprir
mornings when they pushed throue
the woods for wild flowers and fern
when he made quaint album for b